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The Anatomy of WoW: Seven games that inspired Blizzard
Blizzard is one of the most prestigious and succesful developers in the world for good reason -- it takes the best ideas from all over the industry (even ones that don't quite work right... yet) and refines them, forcing them to succeed in ways they never did before.Millions of people are playing World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King today, so we decided this would be the perfect time to dive into WoW's mechanics and see what other games inspired Blizzard when it was creating this monumental phenomenon. We'll look at seven critical predecessors to which Blizzard paid homage with its own design decisions. Join us and learn a bit more about why WoW is the enthralling experience it is today. Click to start >> %Gallery-36773%
Mythic Entertainment to work with IGDA on credit attribution for Warhammer
Late last month, before Warhammer had even launched, there was a minor dustup between the International Game Developer's Association and Mythic Entertainment. Mythic claimed that the sheer number of people who had worked on the game made proper accreditation impossible, and would only be recognizing the people on the project when the game launched. IGDA responded via its newsletter that it found that disrespectful to the people who had previously worked on the game, and took Mythic GM Mark Jacobs to task for the oversight. We've since noted the release of the Warhammer credits video to the game's official website.Though Mythic hasn't made a formal announcement to this effect, IGDA has announced that the EA subsidiary will be taking pains to recognize everyone who has worked on the project. Furthermore, Mythic will take pains to create an online database tracking credits for titles under their control. Mark Jacobs will even work with the organization to help them understand the issues inherent to MMO development. Mr. Jacobs expands on this announcement in a post to his personal blog.At the end of the day, we're just glad everyone is getting the nod they richly deserve.[Via Broken Toys]
Mythic's stance on monetizing cut WAR content
A thread/poll over at the Warhammer Alliance forums recently asked its denizens if they would be angry at Mythic Entertainment for charging money for the previously-cut Warhammer Online content via an expansion. The results appear to be drawn down the middle. While that may not be indicative of how the majority of players would feel about Mythic putting the previously talked about content in its first expansion, it's not the most important side to the story. The important thing to take from all of this is the post that Mark Jacobs makes very early on in the thread. He compares the cut content to a director cutting specific scenes out of a movie in order to make it a better experience and releasing said content at a later point on the DVD release.If that analogy doesn't make things quiet clear, Jacobs helps assuage possible fears by ending his post with, "if/when we bring back those classes and these cities (sorry for the if, don't read more into it, just being careful) that players will not have to buy them from us as part of a paid expansion but rather just part of the content updates that we did so well for DAoC." We're happy to hear it and hope for an expedient release of that content. We really had our hearts set on being a Blackguard.[via theGREENskin]
EA Mythic reclaims original Mythic Entertainment name
It was only a name change! Remember when Mythic Entertainment, the force behind Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online sold out and got slapped in the face with the EA brand? Many gamers associate a stigma to EA and were disheartened by the name retrofitting that took place in 2006. In an interesting twist, Mark Jacobs announced yesterday that EA Mythic has reclaimed the Mythic Entertainment name. As to why, according to Jacobs it's as simple as EA wanting to reinvent itself. EA's recently acquired studios Bioware and Pandemic retained their identities. In an MMORPG.com interview conducted by Jon Wood, Jacobs explains the new rationality being employed by John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts. EA wants studios functioning as their own city states with more creative freedoms and maneuverability, an example Riccitiello uses in a February 10th Gamasutra article. It's important to note that even with the name change Mythic Entertainment is still a part of Electronic Arts. (Duh!) Mark Jacobs also confirmed that the company will be revealing a new logo soon. Two more Warhammer Online announcements are planned for later today. What will they be? It could be about the Collector's Edition pre-orders, a release date, or worse another delay. We will keep you posted.
The latest news from Dark Age of Camelot
There's news and views aplenty in the latest dispatch of helpful information and answered questions in this week's Camelot Herald! Each week, the enigmatic oracles in EA Mythic's stone fortress come down from their golden throne rooms to answer questions. This week's cover druid maces -- that look like hammers. That can't be right (and isn't!). Also mentioned -- how to invite people into invitation-only battering rams, how to open your house to all guild members of a certain rank, and how to find a certain very shy pig.The Camelot Road Trip hits San Diego on July 26th, so if you would like your Dark Age of Camelot questions answered in person -- and you can get to San Diego -- RSVP so they know you're coming.
DAoC Grab Bag Q&A regarding patch 1.94
In this week's Grab Bag for Dark Age of Camelot, we're treated to yet another of what we'd expect from this aptly-named Q&A session from the Herald. The Bearded Wonder and the Balancinator answer eleven questions this time, each with their own focus on what the game has to offer with the upcoming patch 1.94.One interesting question centers around rest XP, and how certain locations give more rest XP for players. This question brings up a great point about how the rest XP should be higher in the housing zones, as opposed to the capital city zones, which would make perfect sense. Another question asks about expanded vault space, for which the Bearded Wonder responds, "We are working on some adjustments to housing that will assist this issue indirectly. Some of these changes can be seen in 1.94 that is coming up." It looks like this new patch will be full of goodies for us all!
Should EA Mythic offer an all-in-one pass for its games?
The Green Skin has up a post wondering about the future of EA Mythic as an MMO service provider. At this point, the EA subsidiary is now responsible for three separate virtual worlds: Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, and the in-development Warhammer Online. Snafzg ponders the great cross-promotion that Sony Online Entertainment gets from its Station Access program, considering whether the same sort of offering would be worthwhile for Mythic's games.Certainly, other multi-MMO publishers have considered similar services. NCsoft has made no secret of their intention to eventually offer a pass of some sort for their games. Turbine, likewise, has previously indicated they aren't opposed to the idea. With EA also sponsoring the development of BioWare's as-yet-unnamed title, the possibility exists that Mythic's games could exist on the same subscription as the RPG legends' offering. If EA offered a 'golden ticket' for all of its MMOs, would you subscribe?
DAoC turns old school with their new Origins server
After some recent hints distributed throughout the community, and a poll asking players their opinion on the matter, EA Mythic has decided to go ahead with their newest Origins project. This will introduce players to a blast from the past on a separate "Old Frontiers" server that will use the original rulesets from when the game first launched. Of course, certain game improvements will stay, so it won't be exactly as it was back then, but they're trying this out to see how well it is received by the community.If you have any questions about how this will work exactly, there are some comprehensive resources posted in FAQ form, and on several forums. Plus, the team will be participating in a live IRC Q&A on Wednesday, June 4th and Thursday, June 5th. One will be held at 6:30 pm EDT for the benefit of their East Coast players, and the other will be held at 9:30 pm EDT for the West Coast players.
Massively goes to WAR: The early days of Mythic Entertainment
Thursday afternoon Christian Bales and Josh Drescher sat down with us to discuss the Living Guild system in Warhammer Online. We did, at length, and you'll see the results of that discussion on the site later today. In the midst of all that information, though, we got to talking about their early days at Mythic Entertainment. Unlike many of the AAA MMO developers today, Mythic originally started out as a 'garage-style' development house. It's hard to imagine today, walking the halls of EA Mythic's corporate office space, but the duo's tales of antenna-based internet service, hallway offices, and legacy code make for a great reality check on the modern MMO marketplace. Read on below the cut for stories that will make you very glad to be working in a cubicle ...
Dark Age of Camelot developer chat
The Dark Age of Camelot developers would like a word with you. Want to ask about the proposed OF (Old Frontier) server? Concerned about falling subscription numbers? Want to know what Mythic is doing for people who really liked the old PvE content? Hate open regional chat? This is your chance to give the developers your input, and to find out what they have to say about things.Since they want to accommodate everyone, they will be having two chats. The first is set for June 4th, 2008, between 6:30 and 7:30 PM, US Easterm Time. The second follows on June 5th, between 6:30 and 7:30 US Pacific Time. Producer Chris Rabideau and Community Coordinator Joanne Laroche will be on hand for both chats. Community Director Robert Mull and perhaps some other devs will also be attending on the first night. You'll need an IRC client of some sort to take part. The IRC server is irc.gamesurge.net, and the channel is #ignvault. If you're at all interested in the current and future plans for Mythic's venerable Realm-vs-Realm (RvR) game, you owe it to yourself to attend.
DAoC: Get your weekly grab bag
EA Mythic's Dark Age of Camelot refuses to die off, and why should it when players still tout it as one of the best PvP MMOGs alongside Eve Online. We often hear the anticipation from many PvP fanatics that Warhammer: Age of Reckoning will be DAoC's spiritual successor, but for the hardcores still playing one of the great community features is the weekly Q&A and other announcements found in the Grab Bag. Be sure to catch up on the latest one with questions ranging from player housing to under-the-hood calculations, and the confirmed dates and cities for the upcoming Road Trip. If you are feeling adventurous and have the urge to play something new or old for the weekend the 14 day trial is a tempting download. Now is a good time to give it another chance or first try since there is another day left on the double xp weekend, which also means more players to hack at. If you are feeling really adventurous but still need a little more convincing before making the jump check out why Massilvey's Brenda Holloway believes Dark Age of Camelot's realm PvP beats out World of Warcraft's battlegrounds. [via, Warcry]
Dark Age of Camelot double xp weekend!
EA Mythic has a holiday gift for their Dark Age of Camelot players. This weekend and through Tuesday, you'll be getting double experience in all classic zones and dungeons on classic/normal servers. Already max level or never set foot in the old zones? No problem, Mythic has you covered. While you're killing Hibs, Mids or Albs in the New Frontier, you'll be gaining double Bounty Points. If you're on a PvP server, then you'll be getting double Bounty Points in the old zones as well as the double experience. Playing it safe on a PvE server? Add double Bounty Points in all capital cities as well. Expect some very bloody battles this weekend.
Dark Age of Camelot to return to Old Frontiers?
Dark Age of Camelot developers EA Mythic have posted a poll on the Camelot Herald requesting player feedback regarding the Old Frontiers territory. To wit: would players be interested in a server that: Brings back the old Keeps, Relics, and related systems Does not include Master levels, Champion levels, Artifacts, Minotaur Relics, Champion weapons, or Mythrians Focuses on the "classic" zone territories that existed prior to the expansion packs Focuses mainly on the class types that existed prior to the expansion packs No buffbots, but rather a universally available buffing option We know this news will make some of you terribly excited. If this is you, go vote now![Thanks, Chanell!]
DAoC Grab Bag Q&A
It's time once again for the Dark Age of Camelot grab bag Q&A courtesy of The Camelot Herald. In this installment, we get treated to a healthy dose of math as the Balancinator answers a handful of statistical questions from players concerning everything from health regeneration, Bounty Point allocation and damage capping.We also get some news regarding the Camelot Road Trip in Bethesda, Maryland on May 10th. There will be free food, tons of prizes and of course an opportunity to test your knowledge with the devs! Be sure to check out the remainder of this article for contest news and more.
DAoC's grab bag - thy questions are answered
The movers and shakers behind Mythic's Dark Age of Camelot enjoy answering questions posed by their customers, and usually address a handful during each Friday's Grab Bag session. One question a number of individuals has posed is how one goes about getting a second account. According to the Bearded Wonder, "Download the 14-day trial version. Sign up for an account via that method, using the trial disc cd-key and then you have the game up to the Catacombs client." He went on to say that, "If you want to enable additional expansions for the second account, you can do so, and we encourage it!" Questions ranged far and wide, and discussed equippage rights, seige engines, enchantments, crafting, and more. For example, does Greater Onslaught Mythirian have to be equipped by the siege driver, or can it be equipped by a secondary rider and still provide the move increase of 6? The answer: it must be equipped by the driver, specifically. Speaking of specifics, some people have noted that Pendragon and Normal frequently download the same files, and they rapidly grew weary of the ongoing duplication. the Bearded Wonder again strode to the rescue with the suggestion of using separate game installations for Live and Test. In addition to the questions -- all of which are available on last Friday's Grab Bag page -- there were a number of announcements, as well. On 25/26 April, the players of Gaheris (PvE) will host the first of three weekend events. DAoC version 1.94 is being worked on, and they hope to have it up on Pendragon soonish. On 10 May, a number of the DAoC team will be in Bethesda, Maryland, for a Camelot Road Trip, and they're requesting an RSVP if you're planning on attending. And, finally, they're giving qualified players the opportunity to apply for a PvE Ruleset, Thane, Wizard, or Bonedancer Team Lead position.
The Rise of the Casual MMO
It's always a little odd to hear someone talk about gaming as 'hardcore' or 'casual' because it is, after all, still just game. When we log out of the game and turn off our computers, we've come to the same place no matter if we spent our time clearing Karazhan at record speed, or spent it in a tavern discussing the finer points of blood elf hair-styling over tankards of ale. When someone announces they are making a casual MMO, what do they mean by that? World of Warcraft was at one point described as a casual MMO, and perhaps compared to EverQuest or Dark Age of Camelot, it was. It set up a milestone for casual gaming, but gaming has moved on and now even WoW is considered too hardcore for many. How is it possible to define what a casual MMO is, when the definition keeps changing?
Five MMOs better than World of Warcraft - Part 2
Mythic's Dark Age of Camelot always depended upon its PvP to set it apart from other games. Not just killing random players from opposing factions – and DAoC had three – but actual, full-out siege warfare, battling for possession of inter-realm keeps and artifacts of great power. The nations would form outside a wall called Emain Mecha, within sight of the Hibernian realm, close to teleporters from Midgard and Albion. And there battle would rage for hours, with people of all levels and classes fighting openly or sneaking behind for snipe shots from hiding; often times victorious Albions or Midgards would break through the Hibernian line and assault one of the nearby contested keeps. Other times, the Hibernians would take the fight back through the teleporters to the other realms.DAoC also had the battlegrounds, which they expanded over time to provide challenges for all levels. You could fight against the NPC critters there, but glory came in the taking and holding of the central keep. Unlike the frontier keeps, the center keep was meant to be easier to take, and control could shift many times. It was a battle which never truly ended, but sometimes a realm could hold it for a few days. WoW's battlegrounds? DAoC had them years before – and arguably better. They also introduced a contested dungeon – Darkness Falls, den of much treasure and experience. The mobs (and enemy players) there also dropped signets that could be used to buy even nicer items. The entrance shifted among realms depending on who controlled the most keeps in the Frontier. If you wanted to get this good loot – you helped your realm hold keeps. DAoC had decent PvE content and a number of expansions, but they always came back to their core, their PvP. Why wait for Warhammer Online? You can get in the battle right now. If you play Warcraft for the PvP, you owe it to yourself to see PvP done right. Find out which MMO we think has better Lore than WoW ==>>
New AoC interview touts the game's selling points
We've already heard from our friend Erling Ellingsen today, but he's got more to say, as he is featured in a CVG interview where he really manages to sum up why you will want Age of Conan. You can tell that he believes what he is saying, as he talks about how close his team has brought the game to their original vision. He expects those that are familiar with MMOs will be at home in the game, but will soon find that things are taken to the next level in AoC.A couple of other MMOs get a mention by Ellingsen during the interview. He praises Dark Age of Camelot for its innovations in PvP, but says that his game will improve upon what was seen there. He also mentions World of Warcraft, saying quite honestly that he doesn't expect Age of Conan will ever reach WoW's subscription numbers. The goal for his team was to distance themselves from this "social phenomenom" of a game, running with the mature fantasy theme. We are assured that the game will be fully supported after release, with a live update team as well as an expansion team to work on future content. The video also features some nice footage, so check out the full interview at CVG.
The Daily Grind: Concentration buffs
Over at Kill Ten Rats, Zubon brought up the topic of concentration buffs. For those that don't know, a concentration buff is one that only needs to be cast once and will remain until canceled, and takes up a certain portion of the caster's "concentration" (as a way of limiting the number of perma-buffs that are enabled). Both Dark Age of Camelot and EverQuest II use this system, and there are certain Lord of the Rings Online buffs that only need to be used once -- but why aren't more MMOs making use of this?Not every buff should use the concentration system (especially some of the more powerful ones), but there are some with a longer duration that may as well just be permanent while grouped. It doesn't add to the fun, or take any skill, to recast a buff every 30 minutes or so. It's also easy enough to keep it under control, through having to be close enough to the caster to receive the buff, and needing to remain in the party.So are there any good reasons that this shouldn't be a more common feature in MMOs? Is it something that you'd like to see more of in upcoming games? Tell us what you think.
One Shots: A sunny day in the Dark Age of Camelot
For today's One Shots, we jump back in time again to show off a lovely sunny and peaceful day from Dark Age of Camelot. This screenshot was sent in to us by site regular Ghen as part of the batch I mentioned previously. Of course, his original title for thisi image is "My lifeguard" with no further commentary on why. Perhaps he'll shed a bit more light on just precisely what that means in comments! (Of course, the other thing that strikes me is that -- short of the avatar -- this could be any one of about a half-dozen MMOs/VWs from the early 90s. Interesting how far we've come!)Have you played an MMO recently, or will be playing one soon? Know where your print-screen button is? Well then what are you waiting for! Send those screenshots in to us at onelook@massively.com and let us all share in your adventures. Your images and story could be next!%Gallery-9798%
