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Final Fantasy XI's Celestial Nights celebrates faithfulness
Final Fantasy XI is well known by its players for providing unique holiday offerings. From the Taru-heavy celebrations of the Starlight Celebration to the Moogle-hunting antics of the Starbreeze holiday, Square/Enix has done a great job of taking real-life special events and tweaking them into Vana'diel-specific jubiliations.June 27th marks the beginning of the Celestial Nights event, a sort of summer celebration of togetherness. In past years it's been marked as probably one of the most unique in-game events in any MMO because of one very out-of-game requirement. In order to succeed at the event, players have to write poetry. Real poetry, not clicking on an object and watching for a 'write poetry' cooldown. FFXIclopedia might just be able to answer some pressing questions about the event, with some lore text to lay on you as well.Celestial Nights will be ongoing through July 8th, and you can talk to the Moogles in Northern San d'Oria (D-8), Bastok Markets (G-8), and Windurst Waters (F-5) for details on how to participate.
World of Warcraft's Midsummer Fire Festival starts today!
Rejoice, Azerothians everywhere! Yet another outstanding in-game holiday is upon us, as the World of Warcraft continues to change before our eyes. The Midsummer Fire Festival is rolling out today, with numerous changes incorporated into this year's festivities. Unlike the lackluster event of years past, Fire Fest '08 incorporates some of the best elements of Brewfest, the Lunar Festival, and the last overhauled holiday: Hallow's End. Players can participate in a number of holiday-themed activities. These include: frolicking around a fire pole, visiting a number of bonfires scattered around the world, torch tossing, and a boss encounter deep in the heart of the slave pens. Taking part will earn a special event currency, called Burning Blossoms. Blossoms can be turned in at merchants for special seasonal rewards. The rewards range from some simple particle effects all the way up to a mini-pet, the Spirit of Summer. The fest should already be in full swing, so get yourself into town and light that fire!
The Star Wars Galaxies dev team looks back on five years of gaming
Late this month, on the 26th, is an auspicious day. Five years ago exactly Sony Online Entertainment and LucasArts released the Star Wars Galaxies massively multiplayer game. There were bumps and hobbles (this blogger's first character was wiped when the servers went down), but the early days of SWG were met with guarded enthusiasm. It was a very different kind of game, and offered a unique take on the Galaxy Far, Far Away. In honor of the upcoming anniversary, the current members of the SWG development team have offered up some brief memorable moments from their time with the game. It's interesting to read along noting the reaction of former players vs. long-time developers. QA Supervisor Taylor Haley best recalls the launch of the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, for example, and the success of that rollout. Community Manager Kelly Knox, on the other hand, most vividly recalls her unnerving first encounter with the Emperor. You can check out some memories from fellow players at the official thread, but we're interested in your take: what's your best memory from the last five years of Star Wars Galaxies?
70 Orc Hunter running for Connecticut legislature
More politicians are coming out of the WoW closet. Jeanne Stevens is a WoW player -- with a 70 Orc Hunter, a 58 Troll Shaman, and a 53 Blood Elf Rogue -- and a Republican running for the Connecticut state legislature. And she freely admits it in a new interview with Wandering Goblin, as covered by our sister site, Massively. Her hunter is balanced between marksman and survival, her shaman specs elemental (close to my heart!), and her rogue climbs the assassination talent tree. Will she be able to master the beasts in her political race? (Okay, you go ahead and insert your own shaman or rogue wordplay here.) Maybe she'll hold some in-game speeches or rallies. She could hold forth on top of Orgrimmar's bank, or maybe lead a raid to Stormwind as a metaphor.Is it surprising that a Republican chooses Horde? I think you could make a case for either faction going with either political party. Personally, I love to see that she's middle-aged and a woman, which defies Blizzard's assumptions about the majority of WoW gamers. She also chooses pirates over ninjas. I'm not sure there's a political comment there, but I'm sure someone will show me the light.[Thanks to Wandering Goblin via Massively.]
Exteel's Unofficial Full Metal Mayhem Tournament announced
The announcement was made recently that NCsoft developer HawkSteel has assembled his own unofficial Exteel tournament, without the official support of NCsoft. The idea behind this tournament is to get teams of players to battle each other in a round-robin style format to determine the overall winner by accumulating Tournament Points (TPs). Each team battles another team per round in three separate matches in the following battle modes: Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch and Territory Control.There are no prizes, as the tournament winners will only feed off of the prestige and honor of being the best of the best. Be sure to check out the extensively-detailed rules over at the official site for more information. May the best laser-gun-wielding-robot win!
The beauty of MMO fashion shows
As our MMOs get more immersive in regards to graphical environments and especially character models, it is an inevitable progression to introduce fan-driven beauty contests into the mix. Fansites and forums are always finding new ways to boost the community in our MMOs, and competition is a natural element of our favorite games anyway, so why not combine the two? This type of community-based event showcasing the beauty of in-game graphics tends to be something that can most effectively be done in an MMO, and works quite well as a distraction from the typical killing, looting and questing.So are these in-game character beauty contests an extension of roleplaying, or are they focused more on the competitive aspect? Do you think they're trying to over-compensate for real-world qualities as a form of escapism? Are they simply good-natured fun, and a way to pass the time? Regardless of the reason, they're becoming more popular with each new MMO. In fact, we anticipate one of these in Age of Conan very soon.What becomes even more fascinating though is the conversion from in-game character beauty contests to real-world costume contests. Many players are willing to take it that extra mile for the love of their game, and this certainly isn't a new phenomenon. We've seen this for decades with Star Trek and Star Wars conventions, but are MMOs replacing this type of event?Check out the gallery below for a walk down the runway of MMO fashion shows.%Gallery-22997%
Help a kid this weekend: Children's week in World of Warcraft
It's always fun to talk about in-game MMO holidays. Christmas events give you a chance to get into the holiday spirit even if real life isn't that jolly. Trick-or-treating in-game is more rewarding that walking around in the cold and dark on October 31st, and won't make you feel as foolish. And most games have implemented at least one holiday that's all about drinking - hard to argue with that!This weekend World of Warcraft's top-drawer holiday events roll on with the original event Children's Week. This event, which began on May 1st and will run through May 7th, gives Horde and Alliance warriors alike the chance to step back from questing and PvP. There's a kid in an orphanage that really just wants to get out and see the world, and you're their ticket to fresh air and good time. Our sister site WoW Insider has a pair of gallery guides up that will lead you through the quests in Shattrath City. They're lucrative and fun, each netting about 50 gold and almost 2000 Lower City faction. The quests for Orgrimmar and Stormwind are still up, of course, and you can earn some factional rep that way as well. Both questlines result in one of three unique pets - a tough choice but one well worth making.Gallery: Children's Week: Shattrath City -- Horde Gallery: Children's Week: Dornaa's quests
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Guild Wars
Player-driven in-game events are a sign of not only a healthy MMO community, but also a solid game. This is always the case when it comes to Guild Wars and its largest guild and alliance community: LaZy Nation, who is throwing their very own Cinco de Mayo celebration this week.Most appropriate for an event such as this, celebrating Mexican heritage, is the environment of the Asuran Lands which most-closely resemble those of the Incas in Mexico. For this reason, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations in-game will take place in Rata Sum, International District 1 on Saturday May 3rd, 2008 from 4pm to 6pm Eastern. Come show your support for not only this event, but also LaZy Nation for being one of the most charitable and community-driven guilds and alliances in the game.
Guild Wars celebrates its third birthday!
Yesterday MMO newcomer Lord of the Rings Online celebrated its first birthday with celebrations and a brand-new patch. This weekend Guild Wars is celebrating its third tumble around the Sun, and they have the festivities to show it! Fireworks are now lighting up the sky, and birthday cupcakes are dropping from world monsters. Starting at noon Pacific time today, the Shing Jea boardwalk will be open for business. If you're a looking for a little Rollerbeetle Racing or Dragon Arena, they can help you out with that too. Just head to Lion's Arch, Shing Jea Monastery, Kamadan, or the Great Temple of Balthazar. The festivities should be going on all weekend.Then, starting at 12:01 am pacific time on Monday, adventurers will begin to see their third anniversary mini-pets (like the handsome lion right) show up in their inventory. These pets only show up on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd anniversary of your character's creation, so you may have to wait a while depending on when you rolled your handsome ranger or saucy elementalist. Make sure to have fun a the party, and I hope you get a good drop for your birthday!
Final Fantasy XI Feast of Swords event begins April 28th
Those rapscalion Moogles are at it again. The Feast of Swords event, a chance for the children of the three kingdoms to get some culture, has once again been endangered by relic thieves! This time the Moogles were ... sort of ... ready for them. They actually sent the thieves information tipping them off to the Samuari armor's location, making sure they'd steal the relics in a timely fashion. They've given us, the adventurers of Final Fantasy XI's Vana'diel, plenty of advance warning that these thugs are coming.So be ready! April 28th marks the start of the event, which will run through May 7th. During that time you can take place easily by grabbing a ibushi shinai (a special wooden katana) from Moogles in the three Kingdoms. Speak with another Moogle in one of the many early zones to appropriately tune your character to the content. The Feast is a fantastic holiday as characters of every level can take part; even if you play a max-level monster your avatar will be dropped to level 1. The full details on the event are available at the official FFXI site. The lore surrounding last year's Feast might be of interest for contrast, and the FFXIclopedia has a guide covering the 2006 experience. Make sure to arm yourself properly, and good luck fighting the bandits!
One Shots: The Emperor Family Academy
As shown in a recent One Shots, there was a gathering of Amarr in memoriam of a thousand days passing since the death of Emperor Doriam II in EVE Online. This is another image from that in-game gathering, sent to us by Rodj Blake, that we wanted to show off today. The large structure in the center of the planet is the Emperor Family Academy, where the memorial was held, and if you look at the full-size image, you can make out some of the approximately 70 ships in attendance as a semi-circle of dots on the right-hand side of the station. (And to think -- most of the "dots" are larger-sized ships!) Do you have a screenshot of an in-game event that you attended? Perhaps just some fun RP event that you and your guild sponsored? If so, send those screenshots in to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Yours could be featured next!%Gallery-9798%
Tabula Blogger's birthday bash
If you could have any birthday wish, what would it be? Would it involve something extra special like an in-game event in Tabula Rasa? How about if the NCsoft European Community Coordinator showed up too? And what if she spawned countless high level Bane within Foreas Base for you and your friends to have their own special shooting gallery within a safe zone? It sure beats Pin the Tail on the Donkey!How many MMOs do you know that would do something like this for a fansite owner? I'm sure you could count them on one hand, but even in an unofficial appearance, it was extremely generous of Avatea to attend this small event for John, the owner of Tabula Blogger. Be sure to check out Tabula Blogger's post concerning more information on the event, including screenshots and an exciting video of the party-goers taking down some high-level Bane inside the base!
SOE promotes player-run events
Socialization is the key ingredient in any MMO, I think we can all agree with that. So why is it we don't hear about more in-game events run by the players in our favorite MMOs? Everquest's Community Manager Lydia Pope has recently made a plea for the players of any SOE game to advertise for their special events and let the world know about them. She also states that if the SOE community runs more events, SOE will find new ways of supporting them. This includes SOE's help in spreading the word for you, and even the chance for someone at SOE to attend these gatherings.If you're interested in doing something like this, but you're wondering what type of event to do, there are many fine examples cited. For example, you could create a scavenger hunt across a wide area of your favorite game map, or hold a performance where players can act out their favorite scene from a play. The possibilities are almost limitless, but no matter what you decide, be sure to check out the EQ guide entitled Tips on Player-Run Events. As with any MMO, be sure to also contact the appropriate community manager for more information or advice on running your very own event.
GW weekend event: Gaile's farewell party
As we reported last week, ArenaNet's Community Relations Manager, Gaile Gray will be switching roles at the company. So this weekend was her final farewell. She appeared in-game in Guild Wars to celebrate her last days with the players, as did the infamous Frog on his farewell tour as well. Every 3 hours, The Frog appeared in each district of Kamadan, Lion's Arch and Shing Jea Monastery, granting special party buffs for players who attended and performed certain emotes at his request. It was very reminiscent of the Mad King's appearances during the Halloween events, complete with that unique humor we can only find at these events. I'm sure the Sugar Hill Gang would be proud of The Frog's rendition of Rapper's Delight.While this special buff was active, players would earn double the points for using party items towards their Party Animal title. This led to an overall heightened festive mood for the entire weekend with bottle rockets, sparklers and champagne poppers flooding our screens. We wish Gaile and The Frog all the best in the future.
ArenaNet's Community Manager stepping down after 7 years
We were hoping it was just a cruel April Fool's joke, but it turns out Gaile Gray, ArenaNet's Community Relations Manager will be stepping down from her heralded position, and relocating within the company. This will officially take place on April 7th, so in celebration of her time with the company, there will be a special in-game event which begins at Noon Pacific (-7 GMT) on Friday, April 4, 2008 and will run all weekend, ending at Noon Pacific (-7 GMT) on Monday, April 7, 2008. There will be games, treat giveaways and much more.Gaile Gray has been with ArenaNet from the beginning, over 7 years now. She's redefined what it means to be a Community Manager, often times seen within the game to relay news or simply hang out with the players. As a result of this, she's gained a status that approaches celebrity, as she's admired by many. But that said, a high-profile job like hers in a game that has exploded in popularity as much as Guild Wars has, would certainly take its toll after that many years. We certainly wish her the best in her new position at ArenaNet. Be sure to check out her wiki page where she gives her own personal farewell note to the players.GG Gaile, you'll be missed.
Happy Easter? Not in Tabula Rasa
I think it's safe to say we've grown accustomed to certain holiday events in our MMOs these days. Most of these are global, non-denominational events, or at least try to be. Guild Wars' Wintersday is a prime example of this. We have an event celebrating the battle between two powerful deities in the GW world, peppered with the old recognizable favorites like candy canes and snowmen. It's full of win in every possible way. Recently though, NCSoft decided not to make an in-game Easter event in Tabula Rasa, which concerned many players. In fact, even the default wintertime event was notably lackluster. Was this a huge mistake on NCSoft's part? Or are we just spoiled with our other online MMO holiday events? Some have speculated that the setting and lore of Tabula Rasa would prevent such events to take place, but we would think the opposite would hold true. Will this type of thing end up becoming a larger concern for players than the devs realize? We believe the players of any MMO would thoroughly enjoy their holiday events, and overlooking their importance in an online community setting could prove to be a big mistake.
Tavern guide for EverQuest 2's Brew Day Festival
The EverQuest II team sent over a guide for players looking forward to this year's fantastic Brew Day event. The Festival starts today, and runs through to next Friday, the 21st. Players who participate can snag themselves a Tumpy Tonic bottle for their house, and talented videomakers who create a feature for the Brew Day video contest could win a real Tumpy Tonic glass!To make your Brew Day extra special, check out the official Tavern Guide, which lists player-run restaurants and bars. These establishments will be celebrating the event in high style, so check out the guide or read below the cut for directions to a bar on a server near you.
Tabula Rasa Roleplayers host AFS Memorial
As noted yesterday in our article "A time to remember," Remembrance Day is very meaningful within Tabula Rasa lore. Well, the "soldiers" over at Tabula Rasa Roleplayers have no intention of letting December 21st slide by unnoticed as they'll be hosting a Memorial Service to honor all that was lost when the Bane invaded Earth. Via the TR Roleplayer website: On December 21st, 2012 life changed, we changed. The Bane took away our homes, our loved ones, and our comfortable lives. But we have not given up; we have not laid down and surrendered.Let us not forget what we have lost, and those who we left behind. Let us remember our purpose, our goals, and what we are fighting for. Let us put our differences aside, and stand together as one in remembrance. And lest you think this is no big deal... the General British will be attending. For more information, be sure to check out Tabula Rasa Roleplayers.
Winter has arrived in CoX
The CoX Winter Event went live yesterday. After getting some quality hands on time with the newly revamped festival of snow and lights... color me impressed! Along with all the same stuff from years gone by, the newly added ability to obtain medals for the fastest time down the ski slopes is absolutely addicting. Aside from earning bragging rights (complete with your name listed on the leader board - until you get dethroned at least), you also get badges based on your times down the slope. Last night I managed to obtain the Speed Demon (gold), Accelerated (silver) and Qualified (bronze) badges - all of which can be found under the Accomplishment badge tab.Finding and opening the Gamesters presents has always been fun, and a bit tedious when trying to obtain the associated badges. So it needed a little somethin' somethin'. Candy Canes are a new type of salvage that you can get from successfully opening up presents. Sometimes you'll get a temporary power, a Candy Cane, or both. Unsuccessful openings get you some frosty snowmen to battle. While the goodies aren't shabby, they're things that have been available in past events. For instance, 10 CC's will get you a Jingle Jet temporary power. Twenty stripped canes will buy you Renewal of Light, a temporary resurrection power. In total there are 6 goodies to pick up.All in all it appears this year's Winter Event will be the best one yet. Besides the constant plethora of free updates to the game, NCsoft always comes through with in-game events for their players. Just one more reason to live in the City of Heroes (and Villains)!
Winter is coming to the City of... Universe
According to w00t Radio another winter storm is fast approaching Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. This year's City of Heroes/Villains Winter Event will have all the fabulous features from winter's past, including access to the Ski Chalet (from Pocket D), and the Father Time mission to save Baby New Year. But it will also have some new and wonderful additions.When players log in they'll receive the Gifted Badge (for all those badge ho ho hoes who haven't added it to their collection yet), and a swanky set of Fuzzy Earmuffs (available at the costume shop). Additionally each player will receive two temporary powers. One is called "Holiday Spirit" and grants 48 hours of reduced (by 25%) Debt Protection (always helpful when taking on cronies of the dreaded Winter Lord); the other is "Holiday Cheer," which lets players physically give a random mystery gift to another player.The Gamester is also back and has left every zone littered with gifts. As always some hold wondrous treats (inspirations, enhancements, or temporary powers) while others may unleash a troupe of Snowbeasts upon you.Ya, ya... old news to veteran CoX players, so what about the new stuff? This year's even will include a new type of salvage called Candy Canes. Each successfully unwrapped present (one that doesn't drop a lump of coal) earns players a Candy Cane which can then be turned in to the Candy Keeper inside Pocket D for yet another mystery gift!But there's more! Veteran players know that you can ski down the slopes near the chalet, but this year the slalom course will be timed! That's right Heroes and Villains... Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalist Badges can be earned this go around. Exact dates have not been released, so stay tuned to the official forums for further information. You don't want to get left out in the cold do you?
