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WRUP: You're doing it wrong
Welcome back to Massively's What Are You Playing, the game where we tell you what we're playing this weekend and you tell us how we're doing it wrong. This week, we're bidding a fond farewell to some (but not all!) legendary Massively staffers thanks to budget cuts across the AOL Tech and Joystiq networks, so today's WRUP will celebrate the Massively crew, past and present. Clanket sold separately.
WRUP: Collectible card job edition
My wife has been getting super into collectible card games lately, so I've designed the world's first collectible card job. You perform thankless tasks that you hate for several hours, and then bad things happen if you don't have enough cards to avoid them. So after four hours of shuffling and meticulously cleaning off all your cards and aligning them in a perfect pile... oh, no. You didn't earn enough cards. Now you lose all of your cards and I take your television. I think it'll be a real winner. If you want to work another few rounds, you might be able to keep your pets. Or you could just skip on ahead to WRUP, which is the usual assortment of Massively staff members planning for the weekend. As always, let us know what you'll be up to down in the comments below.
Looking for Guild: In preparation for Wildstar
So I guess people are pretty excited about WildStar. Once again, all entries for this LFG column consist entirely of players looking for a guild in the upcoming WildStar, and they may just have the right idea. If you're a guild leader looking to populate your guild with the smartest and possibly best-looking readers of the best MMO blogsite in the universe, you've come to the right place. Follow along after the jump for the complete list of players looking to catch the early guild train in WildStar.
Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part three
For this week's Ask Massively, longtime reader Avaera has asked us to do another round of "why we cover what we do," and I am happy to oblige. Avaera wrote, Can I ask (with what I hope is genuine curiosity) what guidelines you generally try to follow when choosing which news stories to cover? I do understand that it just isn't feasible to cover every update, patch, developer's announcement, press release, expansion, research paper, Kickstarter project, or success/failure story relating to the thousands of MMORPGs out there, but sometimes the criteria seem opaque to me. As an example, since the start of 2014, I counted 22 news articles exclusively focused on Brad McQuaid's Pantheon Kickstarter. In contrast, the active and available MMOs that I am most interested in don't seem to make much of a splash at all. Is this just a reflection of the gaming community's hunger for something new and original, of hype and promises being much more satisfying and desirable than the tangible and playable worlds from which the curtain of hopes and dreams has been stripped away? Is it a reflection of the personal interests of the Massively team, who certainly can't be expected to take up much time with games that simply don't do anything for them? Or is there something unfortunate about the gaming media that unknowingly feeds the hype and disappointment cycle through disproportionate reporting of developer plans and marketing over actual development? Complicated questions demand complicated answers. What do we consider when deciding whether something is newsworthy?
WRUP: Adopt a train edition
You. Yes, you, reading this right now. Have you adopted a train? Are you going to go give your money to a train to make sure that it's taken care of? You selfish monster. There are trains across our great nation that aren't able to afford so much as a single roof-mounted machine gun and accounting calculator, but you're sitting and reading on your solid gold computer about them. You make me sick. Adopt a train. Give the trains all of your money. We have no other hope against the car uprising, people. What's that? Oh, yes, it's time for WRUP, in which there are no trains, just the Massively staffers talking about their plans for the weekend or something. You can say what you'll be up to over the weekend down in the comments, but I really hope your plans involve a whole lot of adopting a train. Bring it into your home and make it a nest.
WRUP: Objective edition
This is a set of data stored in a computer that tells your computer to render pixels into letters, which in turn allows you to read these data as an article. Above this text is a different set of pixels forming a reproduction of a photograph of two elephant seals. Elephant seals are a type of aquatic mammal. They possess a set of visual characteristics that some human beings find pleasant and others do not. The subject of this article is a statement of what the Massively staff members plan to play over the weekend. It is titled "WRUP" as a shortening of "what are you playing," intentionally misspelling the words "are" and "you" to the phonetically identical "R" and "U." Clicking the "Continue Reading" button below will allow you to continue reading. Comments may be left below the article by clicking the "Submit Comment" button. Readers may wish to submit comments refuting the central point of the article or carrying on in the theme.
Ask Massively: Vanguard's CE, Pandaria, and region-locked servers
It can be easy to forget how awesome MMO players are when we're knee-deep in troll-infested comment threads, but a note from a reader named Joshua this week served as the perfect perspective-reorientation: I was helping my brother demo and clean his father-in-law's home today and stumbled upon what appears to be a mint-condition Vanguard limited edition (collectors edition?). It looks to have all the goods, so I was wondering whether anyone at Massively would like to have it. Knowing how easy it is to get attached to these games, I figured someone would want it for sentimental reasons (I still have my DAOC boxes and books!). I don't know whether our staff will take you up on it, but just the fact that you thought of offering it to our bereaved fans instead of making a beeline for eBay warmed my heart.
Why I Play: Neverwinter
I have to say that for all of my yapping about needing to play MMOs that allow me to freely roam and to explore a virtual world and live a virtual life, I sure am a fan of linear themeparks. Who isn't? In fact, show me someone who now claims to be the enemy of all things themed, and I'll show you someone who at some point enjoyed the benefits of a good themepark, most likely World of Warcraft. I'm not sure why there's any shame in admitting that one enjoys a good romp through a virtual storybook, but I sure do. In fact, I often depend on it in order to get me over lazy sandbox slumps. Neverwinter is one of my favorite themeparks out there. There are quite a few reasons it works so well, many of them obvious. I'd like also to point out some of the reasons Neverwinter might work so well for certain types of players.
WRUP: Long hamsters edition
Long hamsters are a popular housepet in both America and Europe, available for sale at many larger pet stores. They are known to be friendly and sociable but extremely energetic, and they have a powerful scent that some people regard as unpleasant. These noble creatures are sometimes misidentified as ferrets, despite the fact that "ferret" is a common nickname for weasels thanks to their habit of ferreting out small objects. If you're interested in some long hamsters of your own, consult the internet. This week's WRUP past the cut is awfully conspiratorial. I wonder what's up with that? We're probably planning a crime or something. Go ahead and read our own vague allusions to what we're doing below, then let us know about your weekend plans down in the comments. Also, feel free to let us know if there are any facts about long hamsters that we neglected to mention.
WRUP: And now the conclusion edition
We've had a lot of fun with WRUP, but it's time to finally wrap up all of the long-lingering plot threads that we've had running. In this conclusion, Eliot and Bree will finally come to a mutually satisfying conclusion to a debate, at which point both of their heads will explode. Justin will consume a cup of the world's ultimate frozen yogurt, while Matthew and Matt will insist that Jasmine choose between them to decide who gets the last Hot Pocket. Then the entire staff is slowly eaten by hyenas. So now we... oh, wait, that's next week's episode. So please try and put all that out of your head as you read this week's WRUP about what we're going to be playing, and leave your own weekend plans down in the comments. You'll note that I left several other people's fates ambiguous, so guess your own conclusion! (Here's a hint: It's hyenas.)
Why I Play: Defiance
As I did with RIFT when it was announced, sent to beta, and released, I gave Defiance a bit of a hard time. Sure, I dug the shooter aspect of it, but its attachment to the television show and (what I took as) promises of interactions between both the game and show had me giving the game the side-eye. Yeah right, I thought, this will be some sort of "revolutionary" game. Well, I was half right. That means I was also half wrong. The game is not really revolutionary in many ways, but it does do many things that have never been done before. The more I play it, the more I see that the game developers and producers of the show sold the entire thing the wrong way from the start, but "the show will grow on ya, don't worry" would not make for a good tagline, and "the game is damn fun and does away with all of that level-based stuff that plagues RIFT" would probably not look too great on the game's website. Either way, I'm glad I've stuck with the game and the show. The game, especially, has provided me with hours of entertainment. In order to illustrate how I enjoy the game, I think it would be easiest to detail a typical evening of play.
Looking for Guild: WildStar
In this week's Looking for Guild column, we have a WildStar beta player looking for a home. The game may not be officially launched yet, but the videos and guides from other beta players are getting many fans excited for what's to come. Are you looking for a guild in a new game? Even if you're just looking to try a different guild in an old game, the Looking for Guild column can help. Follow along after the jump to read more on how to get listed.
Ask Massively: You get a gold star
Since the introduction of the new "featured comments" highlighting in Massively comments section, several community members have inquired about how it works, who selects the comments, and what the point is other than to give seemingly random people a mild internet ego boost. These are excellent questions whose answers do affect our community, and I posed several of them myself in a meeting with a Livefyre rep just a few weeks ago. Let's talk about how it all works in today's Ask Massively and create a convenient link to add to our growing site FAQ.
WRUP: Can't tell you what this bird is edition
Sorrow weighs heavy upon my bosom, dear readers, because I cannot tell you about this bird. When I discussed my original idea for this installment of WRUP with Bree -- I like to keep her abreast of my thought process -- she immediately declared that I was not allowed to use its name in the title or body of this work. As a result, the supple curves that originally market this installment of the feature have now sagged into nothingness. We'll do our best to bounce back, however. This week's installment still features the Massively staff's plans for the weekend to nip any confusion in the bud, and you are more than welcome to leave your own plans down in the comments. So while I can't name the bird or discuss its fantastically fluffy chest, I'm sure that your own enjoyment will remain firmly supported as you run down our planned diversions.
WRUP: Very edition
WRUP this week is -- wait. Oh, you're all waiting for me to do the meme, right? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't just a doge post. Shiba Inus are a noble breed, and they deserve our respect. Unfortunately, most people just know about these animals from the doge meme. Can't blame them, but still. Here's a Shiba, anyway. What a good boy! Really makes you want one, doesn't it? Universally smart and precocious though they are. Probably a bit much for a first-time dog owner. My desire for these puppies is still strong. Unsurprisingly. Can't let animal pictures get in the way of WRUP, though. Here we've collected the Massively staff's plans. Why? Education. Edification. Kindness? Er, not so much. Nothing all that kind about it. Don't focus on my rambling, though. Make your way past the cut. And do you have plans? Neat! You should share them in the comments. Please. Lets us know we're appreciated. And we need that. No lie.
Ask Massively: Giveaways, zombies, and capturing the spirit of Ultima Online
This week in Ask Massively, we're answering questions about eerily quiet games, giveaways, and capturing the spirit of classic sandboxes and The Walking Dead. Holden asked, "Why has Perpetuum dropped off the map? I never hear about it anymore. The only time I even remember it is when I am doing searches for (more) robot/mech desktop wallpapers. Once monoclegate blew over, it was as if Perpetuum fell of the face of the earth, but it seems that it is still around from glancing at the website." This was such a good question that we went digging for an answer before we even added it to Ask Massively. It had been a long time since we'd reported on Perpetuum because it had been a long time since Perpetuum had made a big splash in the news. Readers speculated that the game's playerbase has shrunk over the last two years, but in fact over the winter holiday, developer Avatar Creations posted a dev blog detailing plans for a newbie tutorial island intended to bolster the new player population. Hopefully Holden and other fans of the game will enjoy this "island of noobs" (Avatar's words, not mine!).
WRUP: Bree does not know numbers edition
After years of service, Bree's central numeric unit appears to have finally broke down as of Friday. At first it was incidental things, like mentioning Torchlight III or 28 Studios or Final Fantasy XVI. Then it got worse when she said it was 28:34 in the morning and that it's currently the 65th of November. With a smell of smoke, the unit finally failed working altogether, and she started replacing numbers with the names of vegetables. On the plus side, I'm getting a raise to potato for my salary. Since it's the weekend, it's time for our latest edition of WRUP, in which the Massively staff shares its plans for the weekend and you get to share your plans down in the comments. For Bree's sake, please try to avoid using numbers in your comments, as it's hard enough to moderate the comment thread without introducing that can of worms.
Looking for Guild: Mixed bag
As we recover from the holiday insanity, we can now concentrate on getting back into some serious gaming again. This week's LFG column is a mixed bag of players looking for guilds and guilds looking for players. Hey, maybe they could help each other out! While most of the submissions are from Final Fantasy XIV players, we also have one from an Elder Scrolls Online guild leader looking to get set up properly before launch. Follow along after the jump for the list and complete rules on how to submit your own LFG entry!
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's year in review
I started this column early in December of 2012, which means that as of now I've been writing about WildStar once a week for a little over a year. It's also nearly the end of the year, which makes it an ideal time to write about the changes that we've seen to the game over the past year. So I'm just going to go ahead and ignore the slight discrepancy and use this column for both year-in-review elements. Obviously it's not exactly possible to look back at the changes to the game over the past year, since we're talking about a game still in the midst of its testing cycle. But we started the year without even knowing about one of the game's factions beyond a vague mention, much less the game's lore and classes. So let's look back at the last year of news and the last year of columns in their entirety.
WRUP: Look guys I finally found another picture of a man with a hat edition
I'm a complicated man, and no one understands me but my fellow searchers for pictures of men wearing hats. Three years ago, I found a picture of a man with a hat, and for a brief moment all seemed to be right in the world. Since then, despite a tireless complete lack of searching, I had not found another picture that matched my simple criterion of "man with a hat that I wanted to use as an article header." But now I've found another picture of a man with a hat! Although his hat isn't all that great. Are you going to spend your entire weekend looking for pictures of men with hats to leave in the comments? Or are you just going to look at what the Massively staff will be doing in WRUP just past the break and then inform us of your plans? If you're unsure, consider the problems of men wearing hats.
