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EverQuest gearing up for more content despite SOE layoffs
In the wake of last week's layoffs, fans are no doubt wondering which of their favorite Sony Online Entertainment MMOs will be feeling a possible staffing pinch. The company's venerable EverQuest title is apparently safe -- and none the worse for wear -- according to a letter by producer Thom Terrazas that was posted last night on the game's official forums. Not only will EQ business continue as usual, but the original incarnation of Norrath will be receiving even more content than it has in the past. "We're going to bring you high-level and enjoyable content throughout the year, even more than we have in past years," Terrazas explained, before mentioning the dev team's plans for more frequent seasonal events and the desire to "beef up the gameplay experience" during the spring and summer months.
Fallen Earth takes us to Terminal Woods in a new video
Some folks like to get away from it all, step out of the bustle of the big city and relax in untouched nature. Perhaps you're one of the people who like to do that in your MMORPG. Well, too bad! The forests of Fallen Earth are swarming with feral fauna and grotesque ghouls born out of the apocalypse. Patch 1.8 introduced the survivors to Terminal Woods, an all-new area of the wasteland. Crafters are introduced to a new ecosystem, recipes, and gear. For those who prefer more combat in their MMO, Terminal Woods grants them new bosses, missions, and more action combat. Massively's Edward Marshall wrote about his experiences in the update for the post-apocalyptic MMO in a recent Wasteland Diary, and we snagged a new video displaying some of the changes for the patch. Follow after the break for the full video featuring the music of Kataklysm.
Exclusive Dev Diary: Designing the task forces for City of Heroes Issue 20
City of Heroes traditionally packs quite a lot into its large content patches, and Issue 20 looks to be no exception. Aside from the two new Incarnate Trials meant for endgame players, the update is going to see two new mid-level task forces added for players between levels 20-40. With one force for heroes and another for villains, everyone will have a chance to enjoy some new storytelling about the war against Praetoria outside of the earliest invasions. But of course, new task forces don't just materialize out of thin air. It takes some hard work and a solid set of design principles to make them rewarding, something that Paragon Studios has been steadily improving since launch. John Hegner, Lead Mission Designer for City of Heroes, took the time to share with us what went into the construction of these new task forces and what they should mean for the player, so click on past the break for our exclusive developer diary on the design of the new content.
LotRO March Producer's letter offers glimpse of fun to come
It's been a busy month for Lord of the Rings Online, with Update 2: Echoes of the Dead going live, tons of players checking out all the improvements and new content available to them, and the popular Spring Festival already underway. However, Turbine isn't resting on its laurels. According to the March Producer's letter by Kate Paiz, Executive Producer for Lord of the Rings Online, there are even more cool things planned for the not-too-distant future. Not only does Paiz touch on all the great content just introduced to the game in Update 2, but she notes that LotRO's fourth anniversary is coming up in April, that will see the addition of a new in-game Anniversary Festival celebration. Along with that, players can look forward to an unnamed treasure-hunting event, which will "likely be open for play periodically over the year." There are also some more tasty tidbits on Update 3, with a note that we'll hear more details about Isengard a little later down the road. In all, if you call Middle-earth your MMO home, you'll want to pop by the Lord of the Rings Online site and check out all the details the newest Producer's Letter has to offer.
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).
The Daily Grind: How do you feel about recycling content?
When World of Warcraft announced that it was bringing back two older dungeons as new content, people cried foul for many reasons. Some were upset that Blizzard seemed to be trying to steal the thunder of RIFT's launch, but others were unhappy that the "new" content was the same as pre-existing content with a slight twist. Of course, one could argue the boss fights are new, the rewards are new, and the overall mechanics are new, meaning the only real points of similarity are the maps and the boss names. Depending on the individual, it's either a shameless re-use of older assets or a nice trip down memory lane. Some players are happy to see recycled content -- it's a chance for players who missed the original to experience a part of the game's history, and veterans get to go back to an area they're already familiar with. Other players are angry to see the old content turned obsolete in the first place, or they just don't like that the "new" material is just a retuning of something they've already done and moved past. What do you think? Do you like seeing recycled and remade content, or do you want your new material to be all-fresh? Or do you want to see a mixture of both in the update queue? 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!
Final Fantasy XIV's patch 1.16 goes live with a new producer's letter
As we learned yesterday, patch 1.16 for Final Fantasy XIV has gone live today, bringing along a much-awaited infusion of new content and mechanics. The full patch notes are fairly meaty, with the new sidequests and several improvements to local levequests topping the bill. Players will also see slower gear deterioration for appropriate equipment, enlarged enemies with visible aggro warnings, new targeting modes, constant regeneration of MP while in passive mode, and a variety of general improvements. If that's not enough, Naoki Yoshida has chimed in with another producer's letter, this one discussing the results of the second player poll. Players have responded positively to the questions, and Yoshida interprets the results in great detail, with the ultimate conclusion that small-scale PvE content is in the works for groups, while solo leveling and solo content remains high on player agendas. It's a busy day for Final Fantasy XIV's fans, but given the recent development pace, it doesn't look to be slowing.
New quests coming to Final Fantasy XIV on Thursday
The rapid update schedule for Final Fantasy XIV's post-launch patches continues, with the next one slated for release tomorrow, March 3rd. It should be a welcome piece of news to fans eager to dive into the biggest proimised feature, the addition of new sidequests separate from main story quests and the repeatable levequests. The addition has been previewed in the latest announcement on the official site, giving players a quick overview of what to expect from the new ventures. Various NPCs throughout the major cities will offer sidequests, denoted by the nigh-universal symbol of the questgiver, an exclamation mark. As usual, there are minimum class and rank prerequisites, and the update promises that quest content will be unique in focus, implying that the tasks will not fall under the "kill X" formats of levequests. Local levequests will also undergo adjustments to make the difficulty grade more uniform, addressing a long-standing discrepancy between rewards and difficulty of the task. Players can expect to see the changes in Final Fantasy XIV go live tomorrow, which should be good news for all of the players looking forward to the new content.
Catwoman is on the prowl in a new DCUO video
The February update in DC Universe Online is live! In addition to participating in the strange Valentine's Day event, players also have the option of hunting down Catwoman and finding out a bit more about her place in the overall DC Universe Online story. However, you'll have to be quick, as she's a finicky feline who isn't too fond of being curtailed during cat-burglaring. The newest DCUO video from Sony Online Entertainment offers a better look at all the ways players can expect to encounter Catwoman in DC Universe Online. Players will race across the rooftops of Gotham in pursuit of her; as her story opens up, it'll be up to you to follow her into a strange museum instance. Upon arrival, you'll have to not only deal with a slew of cursed guards but eventually face off against a malevolent magical-Egyptian-artifact-empowered version of Catwoman. If PvE isn't your thing, you can work toward unlocking Catwoman for Legends PvP. Curious about more details on Catwoman's presence in the February update for DC Universe Online? Then quit pussy-footing around and check the video out behind the break!
First DC Universe Online patch goes live tomorrow!
Players have been anxiously awaiting the promised monthly patch from DC Universe Online, and tomorrow it will be here. Sony Online Entertainment has released DCUO's complete patch notes on the game forums, and boy, do they have a lot to say. At a glance, it appears that every power set and weapon type has been adjusted, but that's not the reason most people want to read through these notes. The very top of the notes displays the new content we can expect to find when we log in Tuesday morning. The Dark Knight opens the Batcave for an eight-man raid; Catwoman leads heroes and villains on a chase across the rooftops of Gotham; and Aphrodite needs super-powered humans to help her resolve the battle between devotion and scorn. However, the change most anticipated by players has to be in the social and chat systems. Although most of the UI changes are a bit vague -- "Improved the layout of Voice Chat options on the Social UI" -- certain items like "Pressing '/' (forward slash) on the keyboard will now open quick chat mode and automatically add a slash to the text field" may be specific enough to satisfy players. Be sure to log in tomorrow and let us know whether it was enough for you!
Zentia pushes patch 1.2 live
If you've been looking forward to the big expansion patch for Zentia, you're in luck. The patch has recently gone live, giving players a chance to enjoy a plethora of content -- including the marriage system, a rather apropos addition that allows players to have both a ceremony and a reception to commemorate the happiest in-game day of their characters' lives. And if you're not quite feeling in the spirit of Valentine's Day, the newly increased level cap should still offer you plenty to work toward. East Island, a level 70-80 zone, has also been added to the game, complete with mounts and pets to locate. There's also a new Discipline system in place to allow players to focus on new class-based combat skills, helping to distinguish characters and focus specialization. Between that and a variety of new items (including some additions to the cash shop, as could be expected), Zentia players have more ways than ever to enhance a character and plenty of new content to enjoy.
LEGO Universe releases Crux Prime update
Pirates or ninjas? That is the age-old question. As of today we know where the LEGO Universe team stands thanks to the new Crux Prime update. LEGO's Ninjago line is the star of NetDevil's latest content patch, and players can participate in a new storyline that involves the search for Sensei Wu. It seems the reclusive Wu is a master of Spinjitzu, the only skill that can stand up to the hordes of skeleton enemies descending on Crux Prime. The patch contains a substantial amount of new content including over 100 missions and achievements, over 100 new pieces of gear, and four rare armor sets to collect. Finally, the Crux Prime update brings multiplayer team functionality to the fight against The Maelstrom, and groups of up to four friends can join forces to save the Nexus Tower and do battle to protect the Imagination Nexus. Get a glimpse of the new Crux Prime trailer after the cut.
Archlord reveals 2011 update plans
2011 is shaping up to be a busy year for Archlord, the free-to-play PvP-centric MMO from Webzen. In a press release earlier today, the company announced plans for various updates over the course of the year including a level cap increase, new battlefields, and tweaks to the game's racial balancing. A new title system is also on the way, as well as a new map for high-level characters (both in the first half of the year). For the second half, Webzen is aiming for new boss monsters and a new Battle Square called the 3rd Challenge where players are pitted against one another with a chance to obtain rare items. Archlord launched in 2006 in Europe and North America and features a unique crafting system as well as the ability for players to become the Archlord, a singular (and incredibly powerful) ruler who reigns over the server in four-week intervals. Learn more at the official site and check out our new gallery below. %Gallery-114527%
LEGO Universe unveils newest zone for flipping out and killing people
The LEGO brand is nothing if not a universe of heterogeneity -- race cars, aquatic explorers, space police, and even Batman have long existed side-by-side. The newest kid on the metaphorical block is the just-begun Ninjago line, and it's being celebrated in LEGO Universe with the addition of the newest zone, Crux Prime. But the zone has more to offer than just a cavalcade of ninja, with brand-new gear, weapons, and decals for players to unlock as they progress through the zone's new content. Players will be tasked with finding the long-lost Sensei Wu amid the ruins of the Ninjago Monastery to learn the powerful skill known as Spinjitzu. They'll need it, too, with Maelstrom Skeletons attempting to steal the beacon of Imagination from the tower in Crux Prime. With over 100 new missions for players to undertake and an ongoing story that promises to unfold over time, LEGO Universe players should find plenty to like about Crux Prime. Take a sneak peek at the zone in the gallery below as well as the trailer past the cut. %Gallery-113923%
Perfect World shows off new dance moves plus Forsaken World class video
The devs at Perfect World Entertainment are busy little bees, and today they've brought us a pair of videos to show off what's new in two of the company's flagship free-to-play titles. First up is Forsaken World's second dev diary video, and in it, PWE marketing director Jon Belliss shows off the fantasy epic's eight playable classes as well as the 14 secondary occupations that make up the job system. Not to be outdone is Perfect World International, and its upcoming Genesis expansion will be featuring the usual expansion suspects such as a new race, new classes, new zones, and more. In addition to all the new content, PWE is throwing some fluff into the mix via a slew of new character dance emotes that amp up the style and complexity of the game's existing moves. All of the game's original races will be able to perform the maneuvers, and many of them will be activated via special clothing sets. Check out the Forsaken World dev diary video and a sneak peek at a new Perfect World International dance after the cut.
Age of Conan producer's letter talks new content, possible movie tie-in
It's the end of the month, and if you're following Age of Conan, you know it's time for the traditional letter from the game director. Funcom's Craig "Silirrion" Morrison obliges us with a lengthy look back at 2010's AoC milestones as well as a glimpse of what's coming in 2011. In addition to continual content rollouts and tweaks of the current 2.1 build (which is set to include two new Pai-Kang 6-man instances, new tier four Jade Citadel raids, a solo daily instance, and two new auto content generation dungeons), Morrison hints at a possible tie-in with the forthcoming Conan motion picture. "Some of the things [on tap for 2011] might just relate to the return of the great barbarian to the silver screen later this year in the form of the new Conan movie. That is something we are very excited about, and means there is great potential over the coming year, with a lot of renewed interest in everything Hyborian," he writes.
The Mog Log: The directed route
First things first: I should have pimped this last week, but the Aetheryte Radio Network's community show had me as a guest for the most recent episode. If you'd like to listen to my dulcet tones alongside Steak and Fusion as we discuss the game, The Mog Log, and how much we all hate Final Fantasy VIII, you are most definitely in luck. And because we've seen the last Final Fantasy XIV update we're going to get this year, the game seems like the thing to discuss. With the most recent update, pretty much anything that players claimed was just plain broken has been trimmed up and cleaned. (Whether or not that should have been the case in September is another discussion altogether.) So we're moving into the new year with everything working and a new team primed to start taking the game forward. So what exactly will that entail? Now that the functional issues of Final Fantasy XIV are tackled, there's just the other half of the equation to deal with -- making the game more engaging for a broader playerbase. Or to be more specific: the easy part is done, and now it's time to work on the hard part.
LEGO Universe content keeps building toward the future
With nothing stopping players save for what their imagination can come up with, the worlds of LEGO Universe have been exploding with content since launch. As a matter of fact, in the last month the moderation team has approved over 86,000 different player-created spaces that offer tons of unique and interesting LEGO Universe content so it can be shared with other players in the game. Add to that Netdevil's push for new content including the Frostfell holiday area, as well as special LEGO World Builder League zones, and there's quite a bit of new content in the game since launch. According to information from the LEGO Group and Netdevil, the plans for 2011 are even more ambitious. Future content updates will offer LEGO Unvierse players the chance to interact with the LEGO factional leaders and further help push the maelstrom forces back -- unlocking new worlds and storylines in the process. The other interesting thing of note is the plan to add an all-new LEGO IP into LEGO Universe in 2011. In the meantime, check out the new screenshots and video offering a look at some of the myriad creations players are already enjoying in-game. %Gallery-49493%
Coming back for the Cataclysm
Tomorrow sees the launch of the third expansion to World of Warcraft... but odds are you already knew that. It's been hard to miss the lead-up, even if you weren't playing the game and thereby missed out on seeing the entire planet get blown apart. And it's probably been equally difficult to fight back the siren song of the game, taunting you to come back and play again... or play for the first time if you've never tried it. If you've been proud of yourself for resisting, you might want to look away, because there are many reasons to start playing again or start up for the first time. The expansion has brought with it a number of improvements and boosts to the game, some obvious and some not. If you've been considering coming back or trying the game out, there's never been a better occasion than right this moment -- whatever your reason for leaving might have been.
The Mog Log: Patching holes
Due to a general case of it's-the-blasted-holiday-season, I didn't get nearly as much playtime with Final Fantasy XIV following the November patch as I would have liked. I had to wait a couple days to really sit down and engage in a nice play session to really get a feel for all of the changes that had been wrought on the game by the update. And in a way, I'm glad I knew that I would need some time and thus focused on the community piece last Saturday, because it's meant more time to really appreciate the improvements. The short version, if you're allergic to page breaks, is that this patch solves a huge number of issues, to the point that I imagine many players who couldn't see past those issues to the core game will be better able to see what's at the root. But there's a lot of unpacking to do, so I'd still recommend hopping past the cut for a breakdown of the patch as a whole as well as a brief look for what the December update still has to do for Final Fantasy XIV.
