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Perfect Ten: My mobile MMO experiment, part 1
I'm often mystified that we haven't seen or heard much about MMOs on mobile devices. You'd think that with such a massive potential audience that studios would be racing to bust this market wide open, but whether it's the limitations of such devices (size, lack of input) or some stigma against developing "serious" games for app stores, we've seen remarkably few of them over the past few years. I've grown increasingly curious what MMOs, if any, might be out there for my tablet and smartphone. Practically every list I've read begins with both Order & Chaos Online and the Spacetime Studio games (both strong entries) and then quickly peters out with titles that nobody writing those lists have ever played. Search engine inquiries are helpful with that, I assume. So I decided that I'd undertake an experiment. I would scour the internet and app store for 10 MMOs that have come at least slightly recommended by some list maker, sample them, and see if they compelled me to play more. Will any of these 10 prove to be interesting enough to stay on my phone after this series is done? Find out as I start with the first five of the bunch...
Runewaker to reveal new game next week
Is it an MMO? Is it a MOBA? Or is it something else entirely? Those are the questions swirling around the news that Runewaker is working on a third title, following Dragon's Prophet and Runes of Magic. Whatever the case may be, Runewaker will be revealing the game next week to the public. After that, this new title will be playable at the Taipei Game Show. The studio did release a couple of pieces of concept art that show two fantasy forces squaring off against each other. There might be a touch of sci-fi in this as well, as the art shows giant robots (golems?) and neat-looking rifles.
Aion EU starts a new Q&A vidcast
Aion's EU dev team has released the first episode of a new vidcast called Ask Aion. It follows a pretty familiar Q&A format, with the questions pulled from fans via Twitter. They include bits about player events, possible server merges, and even an angry rant directed at publisher GameForge which prompts Aion's EU product director to strangle a plushie on camera. See for yourself after the cut.
TERA's Fate of Arun expansion arrives in Europe today
TERA's European fans have reason to be excited as the game's first expansion, Fate of Arun, deploys today. First announced to surprised MMO gamers back in October, the content deluge includes a level cap bump to 65, new PvP modes, four new zones, four new instances, and the advancement of the game's plotline. The expansion lands in North America next week. EU publisher Gameforge has posted new screenies that should make everyone happy, though; we've included them all in the gallery below!
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.
Aion EU celebrates F2P anniversary with XP and drop boosts, 4.5 announcement, and infographic
Two years ago today, Gameforge converted Aion EU to a free-to-play game. And just like for the first anniversary, the company is offering special celebrations as well as announcing a new update coming in April. This year, however, Gameforge also includes a new infographic to show off a few interesting statistics about the game at a glance. Players who log in between now and March 5th will find XP and drop rate boosts in effect. On top of that, Daevas can look forward to the chance of acquiring additional Aion coins. Then on April 9th, update 4.5 will bring the second Engineer class specialization, the Rider, to join the current choice of Gunner. The infographic, seen below, highlights various statistics since the fantasy game went F2P, such as favorite classes and how many hours of play time have been invested in it. The game is also now playable in Spanish, Italian, Polish, and Turkish alongside English, French, and German. [Source: Gameforge press release]
Massively's Valentine's Day roundup
When a mob hits your eye with a big sharpened spike... that's not really amore! In fact, it's downright painful. But it's February -- a time when love is in the air, hearts are aflutter everywhere, and pink and red festoon your favorite MMOs. So in the spirit of the season, go ahead and give that mob an extra-hard love tap, right from... er, to the heart! And don't forget to collect whatever treasures it had for you because we all know Valentine's Day isn't all about the love; no, it's about the loot! Want to know where to get your hands on something special for this holiday? There are plenty of celebrations throughout the MMOverse offering a plethora of events and goodies. Check out some of the various Valentine's events and specials going on now.
Some Assembly Required: Virtual world roundup for 2014 and beyond
Just over two years ago there was a great disturbance, as if millions (or so) of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Yes, something terrible had happened: a beloved virtual world was destroyed. And that left a number of sandbox refugees looking for a new place to call home. At that time, Some Assembly Required offered a roundup of the then available virtual worlds that could possibly offer accommodation, depending on what qualities players most desired in their games. But as things are wont to, they changed; a lot can happen in the MMOverse in 24 months, from additional features in existing games to new games to the loss of more worlds. So it's time to update this list of virtual worlds to reflect 2014 and beyond. Take a look and see what titles or titles-to-be have the sandbox features that best make a game a home for you.
Massively's winter holidays MMO roundup
The holidays are here! That means the hustle and bustle of the season is in full swing, with gifts to get, treats to taste, deals to nab, and plenty of festivities to partake in -- and that's just in the MMOverse! Yes folks, there's a plethora of holiday celebrations out there -- so many, in fact, that it can be hard to keep track of them all, let alone participate to them! If you're trying to catch everything in your favorite games, we're here to help. We've got a round up of the various winter celebrations across the gaming sphere all bundled together right here for you. If something catches your eye, hop in and join in the festivities!
Jukebox Heroes: Dragon's Prophet's soundtrack
Considering the lack of chatter I've heard about Dragon's Prophet post-launch, I'm willing to say that this title's been having a difficult time gaining traction in the main MMO community. Gameplay aside, I was looking forward to this MMO's release because I hold Runewaker's Runes of Magic in high regard when it comes to its soundtrack. I was hoping for the same level of quality in Dragon's Prophet, and I really wasn't disappointed. The OST was composed by Alex Pfeffer, Alexander Röder, Mindy Lo, and Rmoney Chen. It's a series of grand, stirring orchestral tunes that would be at home transplanted to just about any fantasy MMO that you're playing. Listening through it all, I found that it had a high ratio of quality tracks, so much so that narrowing it down to six picks proved problematic. I think I found a good balance, however.
The Perfect Ten: Literal kill 10 rats quests
Webster's Dictionary describes "kill 10 rats" as "something nerds do, now shut up and read a few intelligent words." I think the editors are getting a little lazy there at Webster's, but that's nothing compared to the OED crowd that routinely slips in paragraphs of cut-and-pasted Hunger Games fan fiction just to pad the volumes. Anyway, we all know that "kill 10 rats" is a derogatory term for those quests that make you slaughter a certain number of things to make life happier for the quest giver. Why that quest giver has a very specific number in mind has always fascinated me, but never mind. It stems from a long-standing RPG tradition by which lowbie characters typically start their career by doing a little rodent culling in the basement of a tavern. That's how all great people got their start, Abraham Lincoln included. With "kill 10 rats" already being a trope, developers have this habit of trying to be coy and meta by actually putting quests in their MMOs where you, yup, kill 10 rats. I get the feeling that they think they're doing something clever and cheeky, even though practically all of their competitors have done the same. So here we go: ten literal "kill 10 rats" quests that you can find in your games today.
Death knell sounds for RaiderZ EU
In a move that apparently doesn't surprise some players, RaiderZ Europe is shutting down for good. Gameforge announced the closure today and posted a brief FAQ covering the the when, why, and what's next for players. The game is being shuttered because, "The success of RaiderZ did not meet our expectations and as we saw no other potential alternatives to the discontinuation of the services, unfortunately we were left with no other alternative than to take this step." In response to the announcement, players noted a lack of updates and content surely had some bearing on the lack of interest in the game. The servers will remain open until August 30th, at which time any players who wish to continue to play the game will have to move to a different publisher (i.e. Perfect World) and start from scratch. [Thanks to Skurvel for the tip]
Runes of Magic celebrates its 4th Anniversary
Our favorite birthdays are the ones when the guests get gifts instead of giving them. Apparently Runes of Magic feels the same, as Gameforge is pulling out the stops to make the 4th anniversary of the game one for the history books. Runes of Magic's 4th anniversary page has the scoop on all of the gifts, contests, events, and bonuses to be enjoyed over the next week. Players will get a lot of goodies just for logging in and leveling up, although there are additional quests if you want to reap all of the rewards. Players will also enjoy buffs to XP, talent points, and drop rates through the 25th. Finally, Gameforge released a special video that shows the progress of Runes of Magic from beta to today, ending with several impressive statistics. If you don't watch it, you'll go mad always wondering what it might have been. We'd hate to see that.
One Shots: Dancing with my homies
First of all, thank you guys so much for responding to our One Shots rallying cry and absolutely flooding us with screenshots! My cup overfloweth, and that's a delightful change of pace for this column. Even though we're quite literally set for months now, please keep sending in your favorite old or new screencaps! To kick us off this week is Jerry, who's showing off how Anarchy Online can party down with the best of them: "This is Yardsale, a level 220 Trader, dancing with his trader pets in Borealis." At first glance, I almost thought we were in the Matrix. But even with polygons so sharp that you can cut yourself on them, this title definitely has a style all its own. Hit the jump to see this and other wonders of the screenshotted world.
Gameforge announces F2P anniversary celebration and 3.9 update for EU Aion
February 28th marks the one-year anniversary of Aion's conversion to free-to-play in Europe. In celebration of the occasion, Gameforge is kicking off some special events and has announced a new update that launches on April 17th. The anniversary festivities include three 50% bonuses through March 6th -- an XP boost in the Abyss, an increased item drop rate, and an increase in the success rate when crafting. On February 28th, players can also take advantage of a special happy hour where they will receive 20% more Aion coins during a select two-hour window. EU Aion's 3.9 update will introduce features that group-starved Daevas have been waiting for. Dubbed the Fast Track server in NA, the Rookie server will allow a PvP-free leveling mecca for players from all servers. The dungeon finder will allow players to find and join specific instance groups more easily. [Source: Gameforge press release]
The Perfect Ten: Creative MMO minigames
Few people are without opinions on minigames in MMOs. Some love 'em, some hate 'em, and some just ignore 'em. Some even despise that I won't type "th." Takes all types, really. Personally, I'm all for including new types of enjoyable systems that can be repeated, particularly if it benefits my character in some way. There's also this perception that minigames are just for kids. It's true that more kid-centric titles like Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures thrive on minigames like you thrive on deep-fried butter balls, but these little diversions exist all over the place in "grownup" titles too. Holidays are a favorite time to trot them out, although there are plenty that exist year-round. Today we're going to look at 10 creative minigames that have tickled my fancy over the year. Yes, I used the word "fancy." Whatcha gonna do about it?
Choose My Adventure: Quartet edition
It's that time again, ladies and gentlemen. After three rounds of letting my fate be chosen by the whims of my readers, I have chosen to do the exact same thing all over again. I'm getting back in the big seat and running through Choose My Adventure with a new list of games, a new set of bonus polls, and a new set of whatever else people expect when I do these columns. Plus, while the third installment usually has a lot of pressure, the fourth installment is rarely assumed to be anything special. So I feel as if I'm off the hook. This time around, I'm putting in some old favorites, some candidates that are often voted for but never make the prime time, and some games that might just raise some eyebrows. So let's meet our contestants past the break, and get your votes in here by Friday, March 1st!
Aion 3.5 finally lands on EU servers today
While North American Daevas have been enjoying all the goodies that came with Aion 3.5 since last October, folks across the pond had to continue to wait for their turn. Now, though, the wait is finally over as Gameforge has released patch 3.5 on the European servers. EU Daevas can get their PvP on in new arenas, enjoy special legion quests (along with a legion level cap increase to eight), and dive into new dungeons like Tiamat's Stronghold. Players wanting a break from the adventuring side of life can take part in the new village improvement process to get new housing designs and add NPCs to the neighborhood. Get a glimpse of Tiamat as she awaits you in the trailer after the break, then hop in game to face her for yourself! [Source: Gameforge press release]
Jukebox Heroes: Reader requests
One of my favorite parts of doing this column is reading your comments every week. I've discovered that there are several other gamers who are passionate for this type of music and have plenty to say about these songs. There's a lot of memories that are triggered by these tunes as well, and I love hearing about them. Unbeknownst to you but totally beknownst to me, I've been collecting comments regarding your favorite songs in the game's we've covered so far. My opinions on the best of every soundtrack isn't the be-all, end-all, after all. Sometimes you guys and gals show me a song that I overlooked or perhaps didn't appreciate the first time I heard it. So what I've decided to do is turn your favorite songs into an occasional column, and this here is the first. Instead of focusing on just one MMO this week, we'll be looking at six additional tracks from titles we've discussed over the past few months. If you were gnashing your teeth that I overlooked an MMO classic, then you might just be in luck today!
The Perfect Ten: Holiday shopping for the MMO gamer
With Thanksgiving almost under wraps in the states (Canada got an earlier patch of Thanksgiving because the devs love that country), the starter pistol is about to go off for the busiest shopping season of the year. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and oh-crap-it's-Christmas-Eve-and-only-a-gas-station-is-open are all shopping experiences ahead on the calendar, but perhaps the most challenging experience is that of buying the perfect gift for an MMO gamer. Sure, you could just phone it in and buy a time card, some cash shop points, a subscription or two, or even a Prima strategy guide if you really hated the person, but a proper MMO gift goes beyond that. For a great gift, you need to put in some effort and actually research the field... or just be lazy and use my following guide. We both know which option you're going to choose. So while you slowly digest that turkey and moan about having to waddle your butt down to Best Buy at 3:00 a.m., why not allow me to help you with a few shopping suggestions? For this list, I wanted to focus on game-specific merchandise that isn't t-shirts, game cards, or CafePress coffee mugs. I mean, this shirt is the bomb and all, but we can do better!
