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EverQuest II previews new live event: A Goddess Risen
EverQuest II only just released its latest expansion, Age of Discovery, but already it's gearing up for its latest in-game live event, A Goddess Risen. To help ring in the event, Sony Online Entertainment has decided to give players a behind-the-scenes look at what the event will entail. Game designer Nathan "Kaitheel" McCall explains that the event will take place within the Shard of Love, but it's not the same Shard of Love that players may know from past visits. Things have changed within the Shard, but what does it have to do with A Goddess Risen? Kaitheel says we'll just have to head to the Shard of Love when the event goes live tomorrow to find out for ourselves. In the mean time, click on past the cut for the full video.
Some Assembly Required: EQII's Festival of Discord
Over the last few months, Some Assembly Required has covered features within games (such as quest-building tools, music, and housing) as well as overviews of full games themselves, not to mention some existential ranting on the life and times of the sandbox genre. This week, we focus on another aspect: player events. Most player-created events range from RP tavern nights to full-blown tests of skill to races and scavenger hunts. These events are smaller affairs involving either a group of close friends, a guild, or perhaps even a mixture of a few guilds. However, there are occasions when events can grow larger... much larger. Such is the case with EverQuest II's Festival of Discord. Not only is this a server-wide festival designed and hosted by players, but it is fully supported by Sony Online Entertainment. And let me tell you, SOE has pulled out all the stops! Want to see what this festival is all about or (better yet) make some of these events on EQII's Antonia Bayle server in person? Grab your cloak and join me past the break for a rundown of the festival, its history, and even events yet to come!%Gallery-139023%
Fallen Earth kickstarts its second anniversary live event a week late
"At Fallen Earth? Our events are fashionable. We have fashionable events," the latest Fallen Earth blog begins. "How fashionable, you might ask? So fashionable that they arrive fashionably late." When the servers go back up today with the new patch, Fallen Earth's second anniversary live event will be ready to go. The six factions are duking it out over New Flagstaff and looking to recruit all the clones they can in order to win the war. Players can sign up for PvP or PvE service in any of the sectors and do their part for the glory of their faction (and be awarded a nifty novelty item for their participation). The live event will occur on Wednesday, October 5th, at different times for European and North and South American players. The patch contains a number of changes to the gathering and crafting systems in the game and also puts in place the new cosmetic appearance system. Unfortunately for the fashion-conscious, you can look at the wardrobe but not touch -- until October 12th, that is. When Fallen Earth goes free-to-play on that date, GamersFirst will flip on the switch for the wardrobe... and there will be much rejoicing.
[Updated] Gods & Heroes developers preparing for another live chat!
[UPDATE: The Heatwave team has learned that the Ustream site is down for maintenance and may not be up in time for the live chat, so it's been postponed until next Tuesday, the 22nd, at 1:00 p.m. EDT] We've been hearing more from the Gods & Heroes team as development progresses, and now that the NDA has lifted, the devs are feeling chatty. Massively will be co-hosting a live chat with the developers on their Ustream channel, a chat similar to the one we did back in December. This time they'll have lots more to talk about, but they want to hear from you too! You can submit questions today through the Gods & Heroes Facebook page, through Twitter, or in the game forums, and the team will answer them during the live chat. Not sure what to ask? The developers will be talking about GDC, expectations for estates, social media features, and much more -- so use those topics to get some ideas and send your questions in today! The live chat begins tomorrow, the 15th, at 1:00 p.m. EDT on the Gods & Heroes Ustream channel. We'll see you there!
Wings Over Atreia: Shakespeare in Aion
OK, OK, maybe Shakespeare is a bit melodramatic, but the idea of taking on a role and playing it out on a stage is not a foreign idea -- even in Aion. It just so happens that this stage is not under your feet but in virtual space instead. Besides, I happen to love Shakespeare, so props to me for mentioning him in a gaming column! Now, I am the first to admit that NCsoft doesn't make it easy for a gamer to roleplay in Aion; there are scant few tools to support this style of play. But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Despite this dearth, there is in fact a whole community comprised of legions both large and small as well as individuals. These players use personal connections and a player-created chat channel in-game as well as external tools such as the Aion Roleplayers website to bind themselves together and support the community as a whole. So what exactly is roleplay, and how viable is it in the world of Atreia? Exit stage left (past the cut) to define RP, debunk some RP myths, and explore RP in general Aion.
Wings Over Atreia: All's fayre in vanity and war
This past week in Aion saw an event that I hope marks a new trend. It wasn't so much the actual event that got me excited as the fact that NCsoft jumped in and created a small, personal-type event that involved players on more than a "go kill X mob 20 times for a neat gift" level. It had personal GM interaction and invited participation from the community, showcasing creativity and even roleplay. So what exactly was this event that made me sit up and take notice? The Vanity Fayre Season One. Yes folks, it was a fashion show! OK, OK -- I see some of you rolling your eyes over there! It may be just a fashion show on the surface -- and I admit, I wouldn't normally be one to participate in said event (possibly because my toon would rather be skinning some furbacks than be caught in a dress) -- but that doesn't stop me from whole-heartedly cheering that an event transpired and giving my support to it. See, the real kicker is that this wasn't just a player-created event; it was a GM-hosted affair. A GM, as in... one was actually there and interacting with players! You have to admit, that's more rare than a Trioran greatsword drop! A portent of things to come? Only time will tell, but sashay across the cut to get all the details of this event and explore the dream of more live GM interaction in Aion.
Gods & Heroes lead designer and art team hosting live community chat
Normally, pre-release fan communities are overflowing with questions for a game's developers. Whether they're specifics on combat, crafting, or any of the traditional ingredients that make up our favorite genre, queries and concerns abound during the information void that usually accompanies an MMO's beta stages. Gods & Heroes is looking to rectify this situation with a live Q&A event featuring the game's lead developer and members of the art team. Heatwave Interactive is hosting a USTREAM chat today at 6:00 p.m. CST, and the devs will be fielding live questions from the streaming audience as well as those submitted prior to the broadcast. Get in on all the action by visiting the Gods & Heroes USTREAM channel, and don't forget to submit your questions ahead of time via the game's forum, Facebook, and Twitter pages to increase your chances of being heard.
Dark Age of Camelot keeps its eyes firmly fixed on RvR for 2011
"Realm vs. Realm combat is what keeps you here year after year," Stuart Zissu concludes in the Dark Age of Camelot's January newsletter. Because of this fact, Zissu reassures players that Mythic is firmly committed to strengthening and focusing on DAoC's RvR in 2011. Zissu first addresses a number of important issues that the team is tackling, such as lag ghosting. Realm abilities are also being adjusted to include several additional levels. While these new levels won't add to the overall strength of the abilities, they do allow players to fine-tune just how much (or little) of these abilities they want to have. A few of the realm abilities will be improved on a case-by-case basis, however. He also highlights the next upcoming live event, which will revolve around the return of demonic invasions. Those wacky demons -- like frat boys out of control, they are! You can read the full newsletter over on the Camelot Herald.
Demonic live events returning to Dark Age of Camelot
It's been a while since demons ran rampant over the lands in Dark Age of Camelot (last summer to be exact), but Mythic's Andy Belford has posted a notice on the game's official website that the live developer events will be returning shortly. "The scholars studying the artifacts and objects left behind by the demons have made some startling discoveries. Rumors have begun to make their way across the realms, whispers of dark portents, rituals, and objects. The rumors have not gone unnoticed," proclaims the cryptic blurb. Belford also mentions that players on the Mordred shard will have the opportunity to take on Mythic devs in PvP, and he gives us a heads up as to the official live event schedule: Glamorgan: Tuesday January 11th, 8:00 a.m. EDT, 2:00 p.m. EDT, 7:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. CET, 8:00 p.m. CET, 11 p.m. CET) Mordred/Gaheris: Wednesday January 12th 2011, 2:00 p.m. EDT, 8:00 p.m. EDT, 11:00 p.m. EDT. Ywain: Thursday January 13th 2011, 2:00 p.m. EDT, 8:00 p.m. EDT, 11:00 p.m. EDT.
Live Stream: It came from the Blog New Year's Eve bash
Welcome to <It came from the Blog's> end-of-the-year bash, pun intended. We are live, attempting to get With a Little Helper from my Friends for as many people as possible. Join us in game or in the chat room after the break. Update: The stream is now over. You can view the video replay by clicking the image above.
Gods & Heroes USTREAM: Your chance to chat with the devs! [Updated]
Are you curious about the current state of Heatwave's Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising MMO? Are you desperate for a new MMO world devoid of pointy-eared elves and blobby aliens from another dimension? Are you a classical civilizations anthropologist hoping to see your field of study desecrated in a glorious union of hack and slash? Then join Massively tonight from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST as we help host Heatwave's USTREAM chat about the game! We'll be moderating live and forwarding your burning questions to the devs... burning questions like, did Heatwave's Anthony Castoro really shave his head last weekend in response to G&H's stress-test turnout? Log in to the G&H USTREAM page at 7 p.m. EST tonight to find out! And if you have any last-minute questions, add them right here in the comments so we can pass them along! [Updated: The live chat is over, but you can still watch the show after the cut!]
Waging WAR: Tapping the keg
Mythic has released the Keg's End live event in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, and this week in Waging WAR, after falling off the wagon and bumping his head, Greg talks about all the things to see and do in-game during this holiday season. Don't worry, though -- we were able to get him to stop singing carols after the swelling went down. It's that time of year again, and most everyone is celebrating something in some fashion. Whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Festivus, ultimately, it's a section of the calendar that many of us can appreciate and look forward to. On that note, I would like to extend my warmest and sincerest Season's Greetings to all Massively readers out there, wherever you are. And as fun as it is with the gift giving, merriment and world-peace-wishing, the best part of the season is when we get hammered and smack-talk our families. Wait, you don't smack-talk your family at your house? You mean... the season really is all about warmth, love, and mistletoe mischief? Hmm... well, it seems as though my family missed that memo. Behind-the-back dirt-dishing has been a staple at my house for as long as I can remember. But enough about that, let's talk about Warhammer Online and the Keg End live event -- something I can relate to. Forget about religion, politics, and corporate pan-handling; let's get out the gourds, chug a frothy or two, and loudly proclaim our bravest victories in that barrel-chested manner we're all so accustomed to (OK, maybe not all of us, but play along, will ye?). Read on after the cut to learn about all the fun things you can look forward to with WAR's Keg End live event.
Massively's hosting a live chat with Gods & Heroes developers
Gods & Heroes is the MMORPG based on Roman mythology being developed by Heatwave Interactive. This exciting MMO pits you against the Telchine gods, who have started a heavenly war with the Olympic gods. While defending Rome against this crushing fallout, you attempt to gain favor with the gods of Olympus. Highlight Tuesday, December 21st at 7 p.m. EST on your calendar. Massively is helping to host a developers chat on Ustream. Key members of the Gods & Heroes development team will be there to answer your questions. They only have an hour to talk, so we would like to give you an opportunity to submit your question ahead of time. There are a few ways to get your question in early so it is more likely to get answered: post on the forums, send a tweet via Twitter, comment on the G&H Facebook page, or simply comment below. For more information on the game itself or to sign up for beta testing opportunities, be sure to visit the official website, and we will see you on Tuesday!
E-ON Magazine issue 21 round-up
We regularly spend money on our favourite MMOs, be it in the form of a monthly subscription fee or a microtransaction purchase. We often spend more time and money on our favourite online retreats than we spend on other hobbies, and yet few MMOs have their own dedicated magazine the way other hobbies do. EVE Online players are fortunate enough to have the quarterly EVE magazine E-ON to spread out across their coffee tables. Produced by MMM Publishing, E-ON is guaranteed to be 100% EVE from cover to cover. Even the advertisements in it are for EVE corporations and services rather than paid ads for other games. I've been slowly reading my way through Issue 21 since it popped through my letterbox and have definitely enjoyed it. This issue focuses on live events and the upcoming Incursion expansion, with a special feature on EVE's annual fanfest event in Iceland. The issue also contains guides to faction warfare militia fleets, EVE's various communication tools and the first of a series on Drones. Interviews this time around include CCP's video producer Stevie Ward and Technical Director in the fight against lag, Derek Wise. As usual, the magazine contains the latest war reports from nullsec, an awesome new piece of EVE fiction and the impressive layouts and graphics that readers have come to expect. Skip past the cut for a breakdown of what you can expect from E-ON issue 21 and my impressions of the issue.
The invasion of City of Heroes begins once again
They've returned... the scourge of Paragon City, the greatest threat to Earth that the world has ever known, and the source of much player excitement. After a long hiatus, the Rikti invasion has returned to City of Heroes, and that means players can start enjoying the war against the invaders all over again. Running until 11:59 p.m. PDT on November 7th, the invasion will span all of the game's zones and force players to work together to defeat the alien threat. If you've taken part in one of the smaller triggered invasions that have hit the game every so often, you'll be ready for the mechanics but not the scope. If you've never seen the even before, however, it's a great chance for players to bond and take part in one of the more dynamic live events the game has to offer. Rikti attacks can take place in any zone of the game and will be running on a regular basis for the duration. And if you think you need to take your City of Heroes character through the event in style, might we suggest taking a look at our ongoing contest for the new Origin Pack?
Live from Apple's 'Back to the Mac' event
Check back at the times below! 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 02:00AM - Tokyo (October 21st)
Apple's 'Back to the Mac' event is tomorrow at 1PM ET / 10AM PT -- we'll be there live!
What will happen tomorrow? A new version of OS X? Tiny MacBook Airs? Verizon iPhone announcements? Tomorrow never knows... but Steve Jobs probably does. Even if we can't predict the future, we can at least follow along with the present, right? That's exactly what we'll be doing tomorrow at Engadget, as we bring you the best liveblog in the business! Tune in at the URL and times below for the full scoop on just what Apple is getting up to. You won't want to miss this! Here's the liveblog post you'll want to plant yourself at, and here are the start times around the globe: 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 02:00AM - Tokyo (October 21st)
Live from Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 launch event
The party starts soon! We're at the venue and about to get going, so tune back in at the times below! 03:30AM - Hawaii 06:30AM - Pacific 07:30AM - Mountain 08:30AM - Central 09:30AM - Eastern 02:30PM - London 03:30PM - Paris 05:30PM - Moscow 10:30PM - Tokyo
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 launch event is Monday at 9:30AM ET, and we'll be there live!
As you may have heard, Microsoft is having a major event Monday in NYC to announce details surrounding Windows Phone 7 launch dates and devices... and Engadget is going to be there delivering the best live coverage in the universe. In case you don't already know, Steve Ballmer and AT&T's Ralph de la Vega will be on stage to delight your senses, and there will likely be lots of new hardware we'll be getting our hands on. You can see all of the news unfold in realtime right here at our liveblog post, and the whole thing starts tomorrow, October 11th, at the times listed below. Don't miss it! 03:30AM - Hawaii 06:30AM - Pacific 07:30AM - Mountain 08:30AM - Central 09:30AM - Eastern 02:30PM - London 03:30PM - Paris 05:30PM - Moscow 10:30PM - Tokyo
The Re-Enlisters: Re-enlisting for truth, justice and the Mythic way
The Re-Enlisters are on the loose, so prepare to feel the magic and hear their roar! Hm... that might be Thundercats. In any event, the we-so-crazy folks at Mythic have put together a smashing campaign across all three of their titles -- Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online -- to attract new players and pull back in those missing in action: Ultima Online: We've already heard about the upcoming High Seas mini-expansion that's currently cutting its way through beta, but Mythic is also tempting buccaneers with a bevy of swag if they sign back up before October 11th. Dark Age of Camelot: For the next two weeks, returning players will be treated to 14 days of free game time, special bonuses, and a "Heroes of the Realm" live event. Warhammer Online: WAR is offering a similar deal of two weeks' worth of free game time for re-enlisters, and is throwing in three fun in-game items such as the skeletonizing Signet of the Cursed Company to sweeten the deal. The three MMO teams also put together a pretty funny retro-style video to promote the campaign, which you can view after the jump.
