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The Daily Grind: Is there an ideal patch schedule for games?
Guild Wars 2 is very proud of its every-two-week patches, but I find that those frequent patches wind up being so small that they're not really engaging. This is no fault of the developers, really; two weeks is not much time to design anything substantial. It's fast, but is that enough? By contrast, Final Fantasy XIV packed a lot into its first major patch post-launch, which is a good thing, as it was released nearly four months after the relaunch and came when a lot of people were pretty burned out by the options in the game at that time. Having gotten most of the relevant content into farm mode myself, I can say that the next update definitely needs to come along faster than the last one. That put me to thinking: Is there an ideal patch schedule for games? Is there a sweet spot with enough time to develop new content and not enough time for people to get bored with what's there? Should it be all about the content when it's done, or should it be a fast cadence even if things need to be tweaked later? 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!
Marvel Heroes brings Asgard in with update 2.0
One constant to the Marvel universe is that no matter how big your last enemy might be, there's always someone waiting in the wings to make things even worse. Sure, the players of Marvel Heroes have defeated Victor Von Doom and shut down his nefarious plans... but someone was waiting to take all of his power just offscreen, someone with just as much of a chip on his shoulder. Now it's Loki's time to shine. Yes, the next major installment for Marvel Heroes is here now, and it's focusing on all of the Norse goodies you would imagine. That means new items, new enemies, new areas, and the Trickster himself as a playable character. You can log in right now to start adventuring across the Bifrost Bridge into Asgard proper, but if you're at work or something similar, you can ease the wait by taking a look at the new trailer past the break.
Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep launches on November 18th
It's the news every Lord of the Rings Online player has been waiting on for what seems like a long while. Helm's Deep is launching on November 18th, bringing with it new regions to explore, an increase in the level cap to 95, and of course the eponymous battle itself. And there's even a new trailer to get players all pumped to wage war against a whole lot of orcs. Now that the launch date is announced, Turbine is also willing to take your money for the expansion. The base edition costs $39.99 and includes a cosmetic chestpiece, a title, and 1000 Turbine points, while also providing a new mount and experience booster usable right now. The Premium edition costs $59.99 and offers everything in the base edition along with another title, a full suit of cosmetic armor, 10 extra quest log slots, another 1000 Turbine points (so 2000 total), and an item to add a Legacy to your weapon. Oh, and a special cloak to use right now. Click on past the break to see the trailer, and get ready for the siege starting in November. [Source: Turbine Entertainment press release]
The Daily Grind: Do you set aside evenings for special game events?
Sometimes something special happens in a game. A new expansion launches. A major patch drops. A beta starts. Whatever the case, whether it's in Final Fantasy XIV or Ultima Online, it seems to be the sort of thing that calls for a little celebration. You take some time off from your usual activities. You get takeout. You try to make sure that whatever's starting tonight, you're there on the front row to enjoy it. Or maybe you don't. Maybe you just make a point of popping in whenever and you don't worry about deviating from your normal routines for something as silly as an in-game moment. Let us know either way! Do you set aside evenings for special game events? Or do you think the very idea is ridiculous? If you've set aside evenings in the past, either alone or with friends, what did you do to celebrate? 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!
February 26th sees the inclusion of trading post previews for Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 gives you a fair amount of control over the appearance of your character's armor and weapons, but it's still heartrending to spend a bunch of money on the trading post only to find out that you've bought a Merciless Jacket of Searing Ugliness. But fret not, fashion-minded players! Starting with the game's next major patch on February 26th, you will be able to preview armor on your characters straight from the trading post! Are there other features in the patch? Well, technically, yeah. I mean, you can choose your daily achievements instead of having to fulfill an arbitrary set, which will work nicely with the existing Laurels rewards. And there's new team vs. team matchups in PvP, guild missions in PvE, and further elaboration of the large meta-storyline started back in January. There's even a new PvP map. But who cares about any of that? The important part is previewing items off the trading post. [Thanks to Jesse for the tip!]
February's Star Trek Online Ask Cryptic is all about May
Star Trek Online players have questions, and Cryptic Studios has answers. The latest installment of Ask Cryptic for the month of February mostly gives the same answer to several questions, however, and that answer is May. More specifically, it's something contained in the May update, which some fans are speculating will include a playable Romulan faction. Producer Dan Stahl does not come out and say as much, but he does agree that previously issued hints strongly suggest Romulans and that the design team is holding back iconic Romulan ships for a playable faction in the future. Beyond those updates, players can look forward to seeing a revamped and streamlined character creation process in May, as well as an overhaul to the game's existing trait system for characters. New equipment that allows for a socketing system is also en route. And there may well be a new tribble to unlock, if you like having a sentient furball sticking around. For more answers covering topics such as ship appearance, ship weapons, and Earth-based pets, read through the full list of answers.
The Daily Grind: What game do you still hope will be revitalized?
I do not play Warhammer Online any longer, but it holds a special place in my heart. I greatly enjoyed playing the game when it was selected for Choose My Adventure back in the day, and I still hold out hope that the game will emerge from its slow stagnancy to be some sort of WAAAGH-based phoenix. The odds of that happening are low, but I'd love to see it happen just the same. Games have a life cycle, and after a certain point, even the most beloved online title slips into a maintenance mode. But we all have titles that we'd love to see get updates once again, allowing us to relive the glory days. This isn't about games that had been shut down; this is about games that are still running but are no longer at the forefront of the gaming zeitgeist. So what game do you still hope will be revitalized, even if you don't expect it to happen? Would you like to see Ultima Online get another day in the sun, or do you just hope that Champions Online will get a big expansion and some development love? 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!
Korean analysts predict Guild Wars 2 expansion in 2013
Considering that Guild Wars 2 runs on a similar business model to the original Guild Wars, we suspect it's inevitable that an expansion is in the cards. But when? According to Korean securities firm KDB Daewoo, it seems likely that one will launch within the next year, a tidbit the analysts slipped into a recent report regarding NCsoft's performance for the most recent financial quarter. The firm notes that Q4 was an excellent quarter for the company, with a big upswing in operational profits mostly credited to Guild Wars 2. The firm goes on to predict that the market in North America and Europe will be the most lucrative for the company, and based on a recent visit to NCsoft's headquarters, the analysts believe there are signs that the game may be due for its first expansion before too long. It's not an official update from ArenaNet, but fans of the game can feel free to start speculating on what the new year will bring.
Final Fantasy XIV launches patch 1.22
Feel as if the last major Final Fantasy XIV patch just had too much to absorb at once? Well, you're going to be a bit stuck today if that's the case because patch 1.22 has just gone live and brought with it another host of improvements, updates, and changes. The good news is that this patch doesn't contain the same number of system changes as the previous patch, but that's because of the sheer amount of new content included. The patch adds another four ranks to the Grand Companies, another set of quests, the new Garuda battle, the first of the hamlet defense points, and more besides. Players will also be able to obtain new items from crafting, gathering, and victory in the Garuda fight, and they'll be able to see the first hints of what will happen to the world as the era draws to a close. Servers are expected to be back online later tonight, and players will no doubt have plenty to explore once they can log in again. [Thanks to Alex for the tip!]
DC Universe Online giving players a little more R&D
There's nothing like a little crafting to spice up a game. In the wake of what appears by all accounts to be a successful free-to-play transition, DC Universe Online is giving players a new way to enjoy a little crafting in the form of the Research & Development system. A preview of the system has just arrived, showing off how to get started as well as what can be uncovered by patient research. Once a character hits level 10, he or she can begin to gather Exobits, which can in turn be forged together into Exobytes at R&D stations. Using plans either found in the world or bought from specialized vendors players can then combine Exobytes into equipment mods or consumables, both of which can help boost players beyond their current levels of power. The system is set to debut along with the other features of Game Update 8, so there's only a little more time until players can get their hands on the materials and see what develops.
Square-Enix announces end of Final Fantasy XIV's free play and roadmap for next year
The latest patch for Final Fantasy XIV brought some major changes with it, but there are more coming. In a new series of announcements, Square-Enix announced that the unbilled period of the game will be coming to a close between late November and early December in recognition of the large-scale work done by Naoki Yoshida and the game's team. But the announcement was more far-reaching than that -- no, the entire game is going to undergo a major process of changes well through next year, including a graphical engine and UI overhaul as well as major changes to the game's maps. Several design documents have been posted along with this update, making it clear that the changes will be observed and influenced by players taking part in content during this time period. And these changes will be massive -- the new UI will not only look much cleaner but also be able to support player add-ons. With a promised redesign of maps, changes to the landscape, the upcoming PlayStation 3 version, and major updates to the battle system and armoury system, it's going to be very busy over the next few months as Final Fantasy XIV moves toward version 2.0.
Patch notes for Final Fantasy XIV's 1.19a update unveiled
Patch 1.19 is still fresh in the minds of every Final Fantasy XIV player; it was a big change for the game that ushered in a lot of welcome additions and improvements. But not quite everything was ready for prime time when the patch went live, leading to the promise of a patch 1.19a with a few more features. With the patch having just gone live, patch notes for 1.19a have understandably been released, and the latest notes should continue to make players happy with several further updates beyond the obvious elements held over from 1.19. Aside from the addition of the third beastman stronghold and the implementation of levequest history evaluations, the patch will bring the long-desired feature by which the game remembers your bar layouts when you switch classes rather than forcing you to re-arrange bars each time. There have also been several bugfixes and price reductions on several vendor-sold items across the cities. While this latest bridging patch won't be the game-changer of its predecessor, it should still be welcome when the servers come back online from the patch process.
Rusty Hearts rolls out an Awakening
Rusty Hearts might still technically be in the testing phase, but the game is already rolling out its first major content update in Awakening. And it's a big one, raising the level cap to 30, rolling out 40 new storyline quests to invest players in the game's lore, and unveiling four new dungeons. That's without even getting into the new weapons added for characters, new bosses, new non-story quests, additional items... you get the general idea. There's a lot to explore in this update, and so it wouldn't be complete without a trailer showing off all of the action-based, cel-shaded goodness. Jump on past the break to take a look at the full trailer, and you can log into the game right now to start enjoying all of the update -- or perhaps just messing around with your hairstyle without the cash shop for a while. (Yes, that's one of the update features.) [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Fallen Earth launching free-to-play conversion with a last chance at veteran rewards
As of October 12th, Fallen Earth will be the latest title to join the hybrid free-to-play business model. This also means that Wednesday marks the end of the road for players who want to be subscribed before that transition in order to be eligible for special veteran rewards. Returning and existing players will find waiting for them upon login a Spiked Chopper, a vehicle that will allow them to get from place to place while still looking as stylish as possible. Existing subscribers will be eligible for the veteran rewards package, which include monthly gifts, wardrobe spots, and a discount on the top subscription tier. But even if you're not subscribed when the change takes place, you can still benefit from the new world events being brought to the game with this update. Taking place randomly in any part of the wasteland, these spontaneous special quests will allow players to dynamically jump in and take part in the struggle to preserve the wasteland and society from the forces that threaten it. Special rewards are also available for players who take part, giving all the more reason for both free and paid players to jump back into the sandbox environment of the wasteland. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
The Mog Log: Patch 1.19
So there was a Final Fantasy XIV patch on Tuesday. Maybe you heard about it. It was only all over the parts of the internet that care about Final Fantasy XIV, and even some that don't. This was not a patch in the traditional sense; it was a huge reworking and revamping of several parts of the game. It's a big patch, that's what I'm getting at. And I've spent the past several days diving into it with all the time I've had because this is the sort of thing that really changes a lot of core assumptions about the game. So it's been a time of empirical testing, a time of leveling, a time of dropping a lot of gil on new pieces of equipment and getting ready to tell my readers whether this patch was everything promised or fell flat. And truth be told, there's too much to address even in one column. But I can at least get started.
The Mog Log: A year that wasn't
So it's been a year since the release of Final Fantasy XIV. Well, all right, that's a a bit debatable, what with the differing launch times for the collector's edition and the general retail edition, but for the purposes of this article and my own memory, I'm going to go ahead and focus on that one-year anniversary right now. I remember driving down to pick the game up a year ago on Thursday. That's close enough. And there's a lot that's changed since the game was released. It's a well-known fact that I liked the game even in its initial state, but it had some pretty major issues and some points of lacking implementation. And it doesn't feel like we're a year out from launch as a result of all the things that the game has changed since launch, with each patch bringing not just new content but major overhauls to the existing game. So was there even a point to launching the game right then, considering both the reception and the fact that we're still without a subscription charge?
Final Fantasy XIV previewing beastman strongholds and UI improvements
Fans of Final Fantasy XIV are eagerly anticipating the arrival of patch 1.19, which promises to bring no shortage of improvements to the game's mechanics and content. The previews of the patch are still ongoing, and the latest round covers both the changes coming to the game's UI and the upcoming strongholds for the beast tribes. Strongholds are described as challenging content for groups of adventurers, requiring a party to fight through guards to reach a central notorious monster, with the first preview covering the amalj'aa compound known as Zahar'ak. The UI changes include the long-requested feature to make aetheryte, retainer bells, and similar environmental objects directly targetable. But that's the least of the improvements that include a UI lock feature, several adjustments to text colors to help indicate item quality and rank, and an auto-compare feature for equipment bought from vendors or retainers. While there's still no word on exactly when FFXIV players can look forward to the update going live, all signs point to "soon" for the latest major update.
Mythos Europe adds PvP features and new levels
"Lamentation" is a word that isn't associated with PvP as often as it ought to be, with the lyric "QQ" generally taking its place. But the latest update for Mythos is bringing back lamentation in style with the new Lamento PvP system in place. Players at level 50 or up can fight in 1v1 or 2v2 matches against other players, with the winner obtaining Lamento points that can be used to purchase new level 51 armor and weapons. What's that? You're stuck at level 50? Well, not any longer -- level 51 has been added, allowing players access to new pieces of equipment and another notch of power. The full list of patch changes is quite extensive, including new rewards for clearing dungeons quickly, improvements to movement speed, and new stats that can be generated when items drop. Amidst all of the new doses of power, it's for the best that PvP is coming out in force. After all, why settle for crushing computer-controlled enemies when you could be hearing the lamentations of your opponents?
The winds, they are a-changin' in Guild Wars
It's time for another major event in Guild Wars, one that's been heavily anticipated by the players -- the next installment in Guild Wars Beyond, centering around the lands of Cantha. There are changes afoot for the land, as evidenced by the title of the new multi-part event, Winds of Change. And if you want to start taking part in the history that will shape Guild Wars 2, now is a fine time to see what those winds are bringing. Players can start their newest adventure by speaking with Initiate Zei Ri at Kaineng Center, setting them down the road following the events of Guild Wars Factions. (Needless to say, you have to have finished Factions to take part in the new missions.) As was the case for the previous installment, the update brings with it new costumes for players to purchase so that the battle for Cantha's future can be done in style. Guild Wars players should get to work seeing all that the update has to offer, because the change starts now... and who knows how much will be different when all is said and done.
RIFT launches patch 1.3, but don't bank on it
After a great deal of anticipation and previewing, the latest patch for RIFT is finally on the live servers. Patch 1.3 brings with it a variety of improvements, including character transfers, a new raid, new world events, and of course the usual round of balance and general improvements. But there's a feature conspicuously missing from the whole affair, forecasted by the fact that the official patch notes simply say that more details on guild banks will be available when they are released. Yes, it looks like the patch was getting just a little too big for its britches -- guild banks were found to have a couple of lingering issues and thus have been held back from the release. There's no specific timetable on when the feature will be implemented, as the announcement states mostly that the team didn't want to hold back the entire update for one feature. RIFT players might be a little miffed at the loss, but there is a full patch to explore anyhow, for however much that helps ameliorate the temporary loss. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
