grind
Latest
The Road to Mordor: Festivals and you -- a love story
It's a shame that Lord of the Rings Online's fourth anniversary will probably be remembered more for being a mismanaged festival event than for the achievement that reaching four years signifies. But things are as they are, and the "Grindaversary" has now gone down in LotRO's history of what not to do for an event. If you're only tangentially tuning in to the LotRO news these days, last week Turbine launched its first anniversary celebration in the game (previous anniversaries were marked only by gift tokens dropping in the world). The celebration was a lesser type of festival that borrowed elements from previous events, namely, the horse races and the beer brawl. Players were challenged to participate in both to gain tokens to acquire special rewards, such as a new horse mount, housing decorations, and cosmetic outfits. The problem was twofold: The tokens were gained so slowly that it took a long time to get enough for even one moderately priced reward, and the only endlessly repeatable activity (the beer brawl) could be failed if you were knocked out of the area by another player. As a result, players heavily protested what should've been a fun time and Turbine ended up with egg on its face. In participating myself, talking with friends, and reading through the many, many responses to the event, I got to thinking about how Turbine's approached festivals over the past year or so and how the studio can learn from this to avoid another stumble.
Aion launches paid transfers and new website
Aion server drama (or two-hour dredgion cues) getting you down? Help is theoretically on the way, as NCsoft's previously announced paid character transfer service went into effect today. The Korean MMO giant is rolling out the process in three stages "to make sure that transfers go very smoothly." Balance caps are in effect to keep server faction populations as even as possible, and NCsoft indicates that it is keeping a close eye on the proceedings. In other Aion-related news, the official website is live again after an extreme visual makeover designed to bring social networking functionality and game-related content to the forefront. The site's art assets have also been updated to reflect the game's newest patch, so head over and explore the new digs.
The Daily Grind: Do you care if players get free max-level characters?
Poor Dave Georgeson. All he wanted was a bit of discussion regarding the possible (not definite, nor even probable) implementation of free level-90 characters as an enticement for returning to EverQuest II. What he got was a 16-page (and counting) thread full of whining about how it's grossly unfair to those who've "worked" for their levels. Never you mind the fact that Guild Wars has had a similar system in place for the last six years, or that Age of Conan started giving away free levels (and, essentially, free max-level characters if you subscribe long enough) in 2010. Georgeson ran afoul of that segment of the MMORPG-playing population that loves to grind, and the only thing that certain grind fans seem to enjoy more than the treadmill is forcing other players to partake of it with them. What about you, Massively folk? Are you outraged that some folks consider the grind an unfortunate (and disposable) fact of MMO life, or are you content to live and let live? Do you care about free max-level characters? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
EverQuest II's Georgeson mentions free max-level toons, community foams at the mouth
EverQuest II producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson recently touched off a firestorm of controversy by asking the fantasy game's community how it would feel about a win-back promotion featuring free max-level characters. Predictably, the howls of protest are still reverberating around the internet, and EQ2Wire has a bit of analysis regarding both the discussion and the high-level flying mount portion of the game's latest expansion that led to it. Despite the fact that Georgeson was clearly engaging in a bit of speculative thinking with the community (i.e., there are no plans for EQII insta-90s), and despite the fact that Guild Wars has been offering max-level PvP toons since 2005, the EQII discussion quickly turned hostile and demonstrated the minefields that developers must occasionally navigate when engaging their playerbase.
NCsoft extends Aion abyss point event
Aion's recent For War and Glory event hit something of a technical snag yesterday, and as compensation for the resulting server maintenance period, NCsoft is gifting daevas with an additional week of festivities. Originally, the abyss point event was supposed to conclude on April 27th. Now, Aion players will be happy to know that they can keep scarfing down bonus AP from monsters in the Abyss and Silentera Canyon all the way up to May 4th, which should put a dent in the considerable grind required to obtain endgame gear. The event also halves the AP loss from PvP encounters in the aforementioned areas, so get out there and kill your fellow daevas for fun and profit (or at least, less of a loss). Full details are available at the official Aion website.
Firefall dev blog talks skill vs. progression
If you're a bit apprehensive about the balance between progression mechanics and skill-based gameplay in Red 5's upcoming Firefall title, you're not alone. You're also in luck since senior designer Dave Williams has just posted a new dev blog on that very topic. So what's the answer to this age-old design predicament? That's hard to pin down, and Williams spends quite a few words attempting to wrap our brains about the firm's plans for the game. In a nutshell, we can expect something called horizontal progression -- basically an "enlargement of your toolset" -- as opposed to the vertical progression in a typical RPG that often results in god-mode for players a couple of levels above their opponents. "At the end of the day we want your ability to place your crosshairs over your enemies and pull the trigger to matter," Williams explains. It's clear that Red 5 also wants to keep players engaged over the long-term, and how Firefall manages the delicate balancing act between grind and fun will be interesting to watch.
NCsoft aiming for Aion 2.5 test at the end of April
Aion's 2.5 update has been a long time coming. We first heard tell of the patch in early January and are happy to report that NCsoft is looking to take the wraps off the new content via the game's test servers in the next few weeks. In a new interview at the official UK Aion website, producer Sean Neil and brand manager Dominic Wai take turns answering player-generated questions relating to the new patch, which Neil says should be "on our player test servers (PTS) at the end of April or beginning of May." What, exactly, does 2.5 bring to the world of Atreia? Quite a lot, actually, and whether you're talking about the extensive graphical overhaul or the new Empyrean Crucible and Esoterrace dungeon instances, chances are there will be something interesting in the update for every daeva. Getting to endgame should be less of a chore as well, and while Aion still possesses one of the more daunting gear grinds in the genre, NCsoft is introducing a mentoring system in 2.5 that allows "new players [to] level up quicker with the help of a friend."
First Impressions: Forsaken World
Perfect World Entertainment's latest title, Forsaken World, is made to sound like the polar opposite of Perfect World, the older flagship title that serves as Forsaken World's foundation. When I first heard about this newer project, I was enthused. After all, I wasn't really fond of Perfect World. I thought it was too stale and linear. Still, I have admired Perfect World Entertainment for a long time, mainly because the company knows its audience and does really good work. Its games are flexible when it comes to system requirements, and its titles fit all sorts of different players and age ranges. Also, the developers claimed that Forsaken World would be a game made for a "Western audience." Of course this means absolutely nothing to me, being that there are easily millions and millions of players for decidedly "Eastern" games like Nexon titles or other large publishers, so I figured that PWE meant to say that it was a game made for those snootier Western players who consider free-to-play games to be nothing but point-and-click junk. Strangely enough, PWE got the WASD movement wrong in Forsaken World. I have no idea how or why this was missed, but the "Western" audience will notice, I promise. Click past the cut and let's talk about everything I loved about the game -- and a few things I did not.
Gold Capped: Milling and prospecting changes ahead?
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen aims to show you how to make money on the auction house. Email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! This week's community post is the Auction House Junkies podcast's most recent episode. The recent UI developer Q&A contained a little nugget that I found interesting: Quote: Milling and Prospecting are incredibly dull and very manual tasks at present, especially when you do them in bulk. Speaking as a scribe, the entire manufacturing process from herb to pigment to ink to glyph is both time-consuming, boring and sending me well on my way to repetitive stress wrist and index finger injuries. Yes, we totally understand why this is a problem. The reason we can't make it work just like other trade skills, is that we don't know which herbs and ore you want to use. If you have some cheap ore and some very expensive ore, we don't want to accidentally use the expensive ore. There are a few ways to fix this. One is we just redesign Milling and Prospecting. If they were recipe-based, then we would know exactly which material to use. It would also add a huge list of repetitive recipes to your Professions pages. We could also make some kind of new UI (think of something simple, like the Reforging UI) to let you drag and drop the materials you want to use. The advantage of the "box" solution is we could also use it for Disenchanting. source I was thrilled to hear Blizzard's considering changing the way this works. I had always just assumed that the clunky design of milling and prospecting was on purpose to put a limit on how much ore or herbs one player could process.
Age of Conan monthly update details new high-level content, faction grind relief
Good news abounds for fans of Funcom's Age of Conan, and game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison has the details in today's monthly development update. The list of positive changes coming to the dark fantasy MMORPG is a long one, and it begins with two new team instances set in the Khitain capital of Paikang. First up is the T'ian'an District, which Morrison says is "all about boss encounters." It also features a speed-run component, and doing a full clear of the zone in one attempt looks to be something only the most elite groups will manage. Next is the Ai District which features two set-piece boss battles as well as "the odd secret to be revealed from careful investigation." The much-reviled Khitai faction grind is also receiving a makeover, though the specifics remain something of a mystery. Morrison explains that faction quest rewards will be substantially increased, but the tweaked content will also bring lockout timers, "forcing some variety into your play sessions." While Morrison doesn't specify the exact nature of the reward increases, he does indicate that we'll be able to see for ourselves very shortly on AoC's test server. Finally, Silirrion reminds PvP-focused players to vote on the Blood and Glory ruleset polls, and provides a tentative release schedule for all of the upcoming content (including the previously mentioned solo instances).
Aion double AP event looks to temporarily revitalize endgame
Spend any time at Aion's endgame and you'll quickly realize that everything revolves around Abyss Points (AP). Hitting 55 is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to PvE progression and the ability to be competitive in PvP, as you'll need plenty of pricey gear and stigmas to stand a chance. AP is so important, in fact, that even PvE mobs in the Abyss and Inggison dole it out. Unfortunately for Daevas everywhere, the AP gods are undeniably stingy. Acquiring a full set of 55 armor, jewelry, and the weapon of your choice literally takes months (or even years) depending on how much AP you manage to farm on a daily basis. NCsoft is temporarily addressing this problem with a new in-game event dubbed For War and Glory. The event's double AP bonuses (and halved AP losses) kick off today and will run through the server reset on March 30th. NCsoft is also tweaking the game's rifting mechanic yet again, and defensive buffs in Heiron and Beluslan will be removed until March 23rd (buffs in Eltnen and Morheim remain). Both events are part of the larger Spring 2011 Reactivation Celebration, which runs from March 24th to March 31st and welcomes back Daevas to "train for the greatest battle this planet has seen yet." Check out all the details on the official Aion website.
Age of Conan Dreamworld patch goes live, faction grind reduced
Today's the big day for Age of Conan's Dreamworld engine upgrade, and Funcom has made the extensive notes available as it deploys the update to the live servers. Dreamworld features improved memory handling, loading times, framerates, and network latency as well as several visual upgrades (including the addition of tree wind, god rays, and higher-quality water for DX9 users). The 2.1.3 patch also brings a few notable tweaks aside from Dreamworld, including minigame class balance fixes and the ability to purchase Khitai faction items (including simple trophies, marks of acclaim, and imperial insignias) with veteran tokens. Age of Conan's launcher notes that "this is part of the current focus on improving the faction progression in Khitai, which will continue in subsequent updates with a significant increase in the speed of progression for faction." Check out the full patch notes on the official AoC forums.
GDC 2011: Massively takes on TERA's Smuggler Hideout, and Brian Knox teases the political system
Ah TERA, you're such a tease. And we're not just talking about your skimpy outfits, oh no. Your political system, your endgame, your Westernized (whatever that means) makeover... all of these have conspired to leave us breathless with anticipation. Fortunately, we were able to take TERA for a spin at this week's GDC 2011. Along with help from a PUG comprised of En Masse Entertainment staffers, we ventured deep inside the game's Smuggler's Hideout, battling BAMS (En Masse shorthand for big-ass monsters) and checking out the title's streamlined UI and spiffy combat mechanics. Join us after the cut for a brief recap of the demo as well as an interview with producer Brian Knox during which we (politely) demanded a definition for the much-discussed concept of Westernization.
Massively Exclusive: Age of Conan's Craig Morrison on Blood and Glory, grind, and the future
Interesting times are just over the horizon for Age of Conan, and whether it's due to the Dreamworld game engine upgrade or the recently announced Blood and Glory PvP servers, Funcom's sword and sorcery epic isn't standing still as it moves toward its third anniversary in May of 2011. On the heels of the PvP ruleset announcement, we sat down with Funcom executive producer and AoC game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison for a chat about ruleset specifics, PvP balance, grind, and what we're likely to see once Dreamworld hits the live servers. Join us after the cut for all that and more.
Double XP returning to Aion, kicks off February 23rd
Every day is a good day for double XP, particularly in grind-heavy games like NCsoft's Aion. Even though players of the Korean import enjoyed a week of bonus experience just recently, the powers-that-be are turning a benevolent eye towards Daevas yet again. In addition to the progression double dip, Aion will feature a Gateway Getaway event that will enable players to enter instances regardless of faction fort ownership. If you've been unable to run Besh for awhile due to those nasty Asmodians/Elyos hogging the ground forts, you'll be happy to know that from Wednesday, February 23rd through Wednesday, March 9th, you're free to enter Silentera Canyon (and Upper Abyss forts and Abyssal Splinter) whenever you darn well please. The double XP runs through the same dates, so mark your calendars and check out the official Aion website for all the details.
EverQuest devs talk progression server on new Live Cast
Ladies and gentleman, start your time machines! Today marks the launch of EverQuest's Fippy Darkpaw progression server, and SOE has a trio of new Live Cast videos with the dev team available for viewing on its YouTube channel. The discussion is hosted by Eric "Piestro" Cleaver and features lead designer Adam Bell, designer Ed Hardin, and lead programmer Steve Klug. Topics covered include the hows and whys of a progression server, the world and zone revamps, and the XP curve (which the team says will be slowed down quite a bit relative to the live game). "There are no 'hell levels,' but it will still be slower than it is on a normal server," Hardin says. The team also talks about how certain races and classes, and even the game's tutorial, won't be available from launch, as they're locked to certain expansions and will only become available as the progression server ages. Speaking of progressing, the devs have implemented a brand new voting system with a dedicated in-game UI in order to afford players the opportunity to choose when the server should move to the next expansion. As far as who gets to vote, Bell says that "you'll need to be on the progression server and at least level 30 in order to vote to unlock the next expansion, and we may raise that level as the expansion unlocks continue." Head past the cut to view the entire Live Cast in three parts.
Rise and Shiny recap: Perfect World
Perfect World International, brought to us by Perfect World Entertainment, is a beautiful game -- I'll give it that. I am not sure whether the newbie area I was playing through (which consisted of a race of mermaid- and mermen-type creatures) is newly made or recently redone, but the scenery, special effects, and characters are downright gorgeous. While near-realism (with a huge touch of pointy fantasy) is definitely not my favorite art style, I can see how much hard work went into the game. Props to everyone on the team! Still, a beautiful game does not guarantee a fun game. PWI is obviously very successful and boasts a massive population, but does that translate to a friendly community? I wonder, also, what the average age of players is. I would put hard-earned money (playing video games, so it's fitting) on the table and say that the numbers would surprise us. In fact, that could sum up a lot of how I felt about PWI while I played it: surprised -- a lot of the time. Click past the cut and I'll tell you more.
NCsoft offers Aion double XP olive branch over server outages
The thunderous roar you just heard was the sound of thousands of Daevas clapping their hands, stamping their feet, and beating the air with their wings in unison. You may have even heard a few huzzahs and hell-yeahs tossed in for good measure. Why all the fuss? Double XP is returning to Aion. In fact, it's already here, as NCsoft turned on the firehose this morning at server restart. The bonus runs through next Wednesday, and instance timer lockouts have also been reset (i.e., if you ran Taloc's Hollow last night, feel free to run it again today rather than 46 hours hence). The sudden rash of goodwill stems from the server outages this past Wednesday, many of which occurred during prime time and forced Daevas to seek their entertainment elsewhere. You can read the official announcement on the Aion website.
TERA's first level 50 player interviewed
How long does it take enterprising players to reach the mythical endgame of Bluehole Studio's new TERA MMORPG? If you're a Popori Berserker named Dog, the answer to that question is not very long. The Korean version of TERA officially launched on January 25th, and Dog has already scaled the level grind summit to become the world's first max-level TERA toon. In an interview at TERAfans, Dog speaks to the leveling curve, the PvP, and the ease of the overall experience. He also admits to putting in "42 hours or so at the beginning before I have to sleep or before my guild forces me to sleep." So how about that endgame? The interview states that he hasn't seen much of it as of yet and offers no insight into TERA's super secret political system. Dog does indicate that he ran every dungeon in the game at least once during his whirlwind leveling journey and is "a little worried about how easy they are." We'll add the usual this-is-the-Korean-client qualifier here, and we'll also direct you to TERAfans for the full interview.
Free for All: The difference between East and West
Like many gamers, I find myself going through stages of obsession. Once in a while, I'll get on a PvP kick, followed by having a thing for immersion, then I'll be consumed by running dungeons or grinding. Lately I have been investigating older Western MMOs, games like Asheron's Call, Ultima Online, Anarchy Online, and EverQuest. While I have already played all of these titles at one time or another, they can become different games between visits. This recent kick of mine started me thinking about the first free-to-play MMOs I enjoyed, as well. The first one was either Flyff or Rose Online, around six or so years ago. I've chatted with a developer who used to work on Flyff, and she claimed that those were some of the very first free-to-plays to see success in North America. What are the differences between the two, Western and Eastern? Is there a difference? If there were, are there still differences between Eastern free-to-play games and Western games? Click past the cut and we'll take a look.
