grab-bag
Latest
Dark Age of Camelot takes aim at group finder and bug fixes
An end-of-the-year community Q&A at Dark Age of Camelot revealed that the team has a lot on the docket for Patch 1.117, including the long-awaited casual group finder and a heap of bug fixes. "We think that focusing our development resources on bug fixing for an entire patch cycle is something that hasn't been done in a long time and is something that will make everyone's gameplaying experience that much better!" Broadsword posted. Other topics discussed include freeing up space in quest logs, plans to update the patcher, and ideas to help out starter guilds. The Q&A even revealed that there will be "official Broadsword player reps" and "scheduled raids of all sorts" for trial accounts, although details on those will be coming later.
Dark Age of Camelot plans character transfer service and new art
Dark Age of Camelot's grab bag -- written by Sir Grabford B. Bagsworth III Esq., no less -- is back, and at the top of the most pressing questions is the issue of character transfers. Broadsword said that these are indeed in the works: "We would like to provide the opportunity to allow consolidation. This will be among the many updates and upgrades to the Broadsword account center that is currently underway. Currently, it's planned as a premium service –- but there are no details on the prices as yet." Broadsword mentions how art improvements have been going in the game following the studio's acquisition of DAoC. "We have renewed investment in this area, and we're really excited about updating art for various features in DAoC. Things we're currently discussing are: fixes for art-related bugs, new maps, UI skins, new items, monsters, and more!" Other topics in the grab bag include the return of in-game surveys, the status of the new website, and details of the next patch. The studio teased that it will be adding "a new long-term live event with a very cool surprise" with the update.
Dark Age of Camelot eyes mail system
Grab bag Q&As are special, because you never know what you'll get. Dark Age of Camelot has a new one up on the site with seven pressing questions from the community. One big revelation is that the team is strongly considering adding a mail system to the game: "It's (high) on our list of priorities! Mail opens up the possibilities for many many other things so we definitely want it in the game sooner rather than later." The topics covered include the devs' speculation on how upcoming changes to RvR conflict will play out, gear with specific bonuses, improvements to the server list screen, and titles for crafters.
Champions Online features a new grab bag with a potential freeform prize
The big draw behind Champions Online has always been making a freeform character, selecting powers and abilities to your taste instead of along a pre-determined path. Cryptic Studios knows this quite well, hence why freeform characters are normally restricted to subscribers. But the newest grab bag unveiled by the game offers everyone, paid and free, a chance to win a new slot for freeform character creation. And you don't even need to pay money for the chance. Freeform Grab Bags are awarded from the new daily quests from the Drifter, giving players a chance at earning a new Free Form Slot. Subscribers still get a new character slot out of the deal, but free players get a new slot that will unlock every available power for use on that character. You can also pick it up in the C-Store, but it won't be available there after June 22nd. So if you want a chance to play with a freeform character without a subscription, now's your chance... at a chance.
City of Heroes introduces the super pack, players respond with rage
It's the latest craze sweeping the free-to-play marketplace -- the grab bag! Pay money, open it up, and roll the dice to see what you get. City of Heroes is getting in on the action with the Super Pack, a random grab bag containing a chance at pieces from a new costume set, special Enhancements, and various other gewgaws for players to purchase. Or more accurately, for players to hopefully purchase, seeing as how the grab bag is totally random and may contain nothing of use. Do you want to pay money in a store for a chance at getting valuable rewards for your in-game character? Judging from previous community responses, we'd guess the answer is "no." However, the reaction from the City of Heroes community has been... well, still "no." While some players are reporting that the drop rates aren't too bad on a whole, there's a definite discontent about this grab bag among the players. Even if it does contain neat new pieces, the addition has a ways to go to win over the hearts of the players.
Behind the Mask: Are grab bags a scam?
Everyone's heard of the "gift box" phenomenon. It's a common theme in F2P MMOs to release an item that doesn't have guaranteed contents and instead has a random selection from a pool of items. Sometimes there are rare bonus items inside; other times there are things the buyer didn't really want. Champions Online has taken its second foray into this territory with the Service and Cursed Grab Bags, a pair of C-Store items that grant a chance at a variety of tradable goodies. Gift box items sell to a variety of people. Some find the idea of chance more fun, and others absolutely must have the rare items and will spend lots of money trying to get them. Are the grab bags a scam, though? After the jump, we'll look at just why that is and hopefully give you enough information to come to your own conclusion.
Addon Spotlight: Grab Bag 3
Each week, WoW Insider brings you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs as well as Addon Spotlight, which focuses on the backbone of the WoW gameplay experience: the user interface. Everything from bags to bars, buttons to DPS meters and beyond -- your addons folder will never be the same. This week, Grab Bag Part 3: The Search for More Money. With Cataclysm a mere four days away (and a super-special live WoW Insider Show tomorrow), excitement is at an all-time high. It has been a while since we've had this level of excitement, and believe me, I have not been immune to it. I've been pouring over quest progression, making wish lists for gear in Atlastloot, and just generally anticipating an awesome Cataclysm launch. I still can't believe it's happening so soon. People seem to enjoy the grab bag Addon Spotlight features, especially when they find something brand new that changes the way they play WoW in some fashion. This week, I've got a diverse grab bag for you. We're going to look at one addon used for interface customization, a pet/mount addon you might not have heard of, and something for you paladins out there.
Addon Spotlight: Grab bag 2
Addon Spotlight focuses on the backbone of the WoW gameplay experience: the user interface. Everything from bags to bars, buttons to DPS meters and beyond -- your addons folder will never be the same. This week, raaaaaaandom addons! You are cordially invited to another wonderful Addon Spotlight Grab bag extravaganza! Next week, I'll be talking about the Cataclysm in-game ability notification system that Blizzard is working on. That would have been this week, if my beta wasn't screwing up and I didn't get all the pictures and potentially video required for a proper post for you fine readers. Instead, you get a grab bag of fun, useful and downright crucial addons that might not be the biggest guys of the bunch, but they definitely do ... something. Plus, "grab bag" is fun to say.
Warhammer Online's grab bag full of masks
Warhammer Online has turned once again to the community for their questions, and the result was -- unsurprisingly -- a number of questions about the game's now-live Halloween event, Daemon Moon Rising. That means that the most recent grab bag has slightly fewer questions that are relevant to the game as a whole, but far more that are relevant to the things that every player wants to know at the moment. Namely, how do you get your masks, where do you get them, and what do the masks do? The downside (for those of us familiar with the setting) is that there will be no Skaven-themed masks this year. On the other hand, nearly everything else in here provides some solid information and a nice confirmation that the only thing recycled from last year's event are some of the masks. The iconic and much-coveted Leather Face Mask can be obtained by winning a Daemonball Rally match, an RvR holiday event similar in execution to football. The question grab bag also offers some teases of the ultimate event reward, which promises to be a notable (if temporary) buff for anyone who takes aim at it. Take a look at what's in the event, and then you might be well-served to log in and take part in the festivities.
WAR release their latest Grab Bag Q and A
WAR is known for its weekly outpourings of info and lore in the infamous Grab Bags, those expansive Q and A's where players can submit their questions to the devs and sometimes get very strange answers. Well, issue 20 has just been released to the masses, bringing with it the answers to twelve players' questions. The subjects are pretty wide ranging too, covering everything from the possibility of new races and changes in class mechanics, spells and abilities to some pretty weird bugs, including this little gem:Question: My Marauder's hair color changes when I zone or mutate. Is this a side effect of being so close to Chaos (like the mice) or is it a bug I need to be reporting? Answer: Even the primal forces of Chaos know better than to mess with your hair - we'll look into this! Check out issue 20 to see if some of your burning questions about Warhammer Online have been answered.
Jeff Hickman, FAQ, and Grab Bag are all about Land of the Dead
The Land of the Dead must be coming soon because Mythic has gone into marketing overdrive these past few days. Jeff Hickman just addressed the WAR community in an open Executive Producer's letter and we've seen the new RvR mega-zone featured in both an official FAQ and community Grab Bag.It's a bit strange seeing Jeff Hickman in print since he's usually on the front-lines doing live interviews. Also, WAR fans have gotten used to seeing Mythic GM, Mark Jacobs, deliver these kinds of letters in the past. Actually, Mark has been remarkably silent since March when he delivered his 6-month State of the Game and 1.21 patch highlight announcements.At any rate, you can find out pretty much everything there is to know about The Land of the Dead in these three recent articles. Want to know the ward requirements for the PQs, lairs, and dungeons? Curious about lockout timers? Wondering what the heck a "Vessel" is? Head on over and check these resources out!
WAR Grab Bag No. 9: It's the CSRs time to shine
In stark contrast to the extremely in-game-oriented Grab Bag No. 8, Grab Bag No. 9, the "CS Special", focuses on interactions with the game's CSRs. The Customer Service team put together a list of some of the questions they see on the job and then answered them in detail, so that maybe, just maybe, a handful of players will find out what they needed to know and not have to bother them. Some of the answers are quite interesting. For example, did you know that you can't check whether a player you appealed for exploiting ended up getting banned, due to privacy policies? If you really hate them, perhaps you should send along some extra complaints to make sure your dirty work is carried out -- okay, that sort of goes against the spirit of the Grab Bag to make less work for the CSRs, so let's not do that. Only if you really really hate them. In all seriousness, the Grab Bag does give some good insight into exactly what the CS team can do for you, and how to approach certain issues. Make sure to check it out before you file your next appeal.
Warhammer Grab Bag No. 8 tackles mods, stats
The eighth Grab Bag has come rolling down the mountain from the Community Managers at Mythic Entertainment. Every so often the folks behind Warhammer offer up some answers to questions prompted by the players themselves, and this week the questions delve deeply into the PvP-focused game's minutiae. Grab Bag #8 covers everything from Tome unlocks to the differences between Armor Penetration and Armor Ignore on gear.Head on over to the official Warhammer Online Herald site to get educated on everyone's favorite RvR title. And, if you were wondering, you can still get tome unlocks even if you've been 'chickened'. Some, in fact, require it! Bawk!%Gallery-21881% WAR has gone 1.1! Check out our full coverage of the 1.1a patch, along with our interviews exploring upcoming content and the open RvR changes. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
WAR Grab Bag no. 7: Recruit-a-Friend, trials and more
Warhammer Online's Grab Bag 7 discusses the recruit-a-friend and trial programs, as well as a handful of quite specific questions relating to dungeons and items found later in the game -- in other words, it's got a bit of something for everyone. There's good news for Europe, as the recruit-a-friend promotion is being sorted out by GOA right now and should be available to Europeans soon. Some confusion regarding the trial client is also cleared up; yes, it is the same as the retail game client, but trialing players who want to subscribe will still need to pick up a retail copy to get an account key. Perhaps the most interesting bit of trial-related information is that a standalone trial, independent of recruit-a-friend, is on its way too. The introduction of free trials usually feels like the beginning of a new stage in an MMO's life, reminding you that they're not that new anymore and should have had time to find their feet.. Occasionally free trials are brought about in an attempt to save a sinking ship, but we really don't think that's the case here. You can read about the trials, along with the answers to some other miscellaneous questions, at the latest Grab Bag.
WAR Grab Bag No. 6: oRvR, Easy PQs, and dungeons
The latest edition of Warhammer Online's Grab Bag feature is up, and as well as a question-and-answer segment, we are treated to the first part of a feature on PvE dungeons, written by content developer Gary Astelford. A couple of the questions are directed at Open RvR; we're told to keep an eye out for some changes that will "make zone control more intuitive and rewarding" in the future. The new Easy PQ system is also asked about, and we learn that although the influence bonus for getting to the next stage of a PQ will be less (past Stage 2), all other influence gains are the same as a normal PQ. Oh, and those fancy statues that the top players have built in their honor to reflect the leaderboards? Expect enemies to be able to smash them down if the city becomes contested.The dungeon feature looks at four different instances, two for lower levels and two for the level 40s. The dungeon entrances are pointed out, and their theme and lore are discussed -- it's in no way spoilerific, and is meant merely to entice players to visit and discover more for themselves. Part 1 of the feature includes the Altdorf Sewers, the Sacellum, Bilerot Burrows and Sigmar's Crypt.
WAR's latest Grab Bag explores Zone Control
Aside from answering a variety of user questions and reporting on the latest tidbits of Warhammer Online news in the usual Grab Bag style, this week's regular feature focuses on the basics of Zone Control.If you've ever made the mistake of assuming that your realm has captured a zone by controlling all Battlefield objectives and Keeps, you'd be wrong. That's exactly what this Grab Bag feature aims to do: help the players understand what exactly is involved in controlling your Zone. Check out the entire article for more on Zone control and the answers to a few important player questions.
Latest WAR grab bag shows off high-level armor
Anyone interested in taking a look at some of the highest armor sets offered in Warhammer Online should check out the latest grab bag from Mythic, as it features many of them. In fact, it features exactly eight sets, with two images for the classes who can wear them. Something that immediately stands out about the appearance of the higher level armor is that Mythic's able to put together some very cool looking stuff. We're especially fond of the Black Orc, Marauder and Engineer armor sets featured.With the December class additions coming, we're really looking forward to seeing some armor sets for the Black Guard and Knight of the Blazing Sun. In fact, a little voice in our heads (not the bad kind!) tells us that Mythic could have reason to be going full throttle for those particular armor sets.
WAR grab bag #2 focuses on guild-related questions
The newest edition of the Warhammer Online grab bag (number two, to be specific) is stuffed with all sorts of information regarding questions given by players. There's a decent focus on guilds this time around, though, with Mythic offering up a nice and beefy list of guild slash commands for interested parties- er, guilds? A question of how characters effect the gain rate of guild experience is addressed here, among many other things.Getting back to those slash commands, there's a particularly interesting one that allows a player to set the guild tax amount higher than the default if they so choose. So for any players out there feeling particularly magnanimous, you should type in "/guildtithe 100" and feel the good vibes wash over you. But if that's not your thing, you could always take up scrapbooking instead. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
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!
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]
