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MMO Blender: Eliot's Copernican dream
When I tried Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning for the first time, I fell in love. Not with the story, and not with the art, but with several elements of the actual game itself. The idea of having all of that brought into the MMO space filled me with a lot of excitement, but I had a feeling that we'd never actually see it come to pass. For those of you who missed out on what happened with 38 Studios, possibly because you read the internet on some bizarre time-lapse system, here's the deal: We're never going to see Project Copernicus come to pass. Oh, sure, we might wind up with something that vaguely resembles that game, but odds are low. More likely the franchise is going to be sold off by the state of Rhode Island for a pittance, and if the game ever resumes production, it'll bear only the faintest traces of its origins -- some art assets and little else. I'm not shedding tears over the world, though. In fact, I'm not going to shed tears at all because I think there's something to be built upon from the ideas of that single-player game, ideas that could make for an excellent MMO. And like any good gestalt, it reaches out to be something much more than the sum of its parts.
Ryzom gets ported to Linux as a native application
If you're looking for MMOs that run on a Mac, you face an uphill battle. If you're looking for MMOs that run on Linux, the battle is so steeply uphill that it more closely resembles a vertical cliff. But Ryzom has joined those small ranks, with the release of an official Linux client for the game. This goes hand-in-hand with the game's move to open source earlier in the year, which allows players unhappy with the official client the freedom to make a number of alterations. To celebrate the official Linux release, Winch Gate is holding an in-game contest running through January 11th, 2011. Players are tasked with finding seven Linux Steles scattered around the world and answering their riddles, with a ZaReason Linux Terra-HD netbook (or cash equivalent) as a grand prize for entrants. Whether or not you intend to start playing Ryzom on Linux, it's a nice prize and an excellent incentive for players to celebrate the new release.
One Shots: Life can be better down where it's wetter
Even in the oldest of MMOs, bugs still crop up from time to time. Sometimes you'll find yourself stuck in the terrain, while other bugs may actually cause you to fall through the world and wind up wandering a strange landscape of unfinished textures and jagged polygons. Thankfully, while today's One Shots shows off a strange occurrence, the end result was quite nice to look at. This image comes to us from Kollasu D., who explains her recent experience in Ryzom. She writes: "Sometimes you get a once in a lifetime bug that allows you to see something no other homin has ever seen. Recently I was crossing a lake in Enchanted Isles in Ryzom, and I discovered I was walking underwater! Naturally I started taking pictures! Here I am in the unseen world of the fishes!" Every MMO from big to small is welcome, but we need you to send those MMO screenshots in. Pop them into an email and send it to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out here for everyone to check out, and of course we'll give you the credit. %Gallery-85937%
New Ryzom patch enhancing PvP and other social functions
PvP is a tricky matter to balance in a game with players in all sorts of different gear levels, not to mention accounting for different player skills. Ryzom has tackled the age-old bugbear with its latest patch, attempting to extend and expand the PvP system in the game to everyone. The system has modified the rules for attacking, flagging, and supporting other players, with a small chart in the patch notes explaining who is allowed to do what to whom and when. In case skewering other players isn't your thing, however, you can invite them into your personal apartment now as well as take advantage of the newly added variable tags for the chat system. There are also enhancements to the apartment customization focusing on getting involved with the community team and as usual a smattering of bugfixes and general performance improvements. If you're part of Ryzom's dedicated audience, take a look at the patch notes to see what 1.10 brings to the game.
Ryzom patch adds new boss, occupations
Yumeroh, Community Liaison for the science-fantasy MMORPG known as Ryzom, writes in to tell us about the upcoming 1.9.0 content patch. The game, which recently made headlines when the developers decided to make the source code and art assets freely available under the open source GNU Affero General Public License, continues to update and expand the commercial client as a service to existing customers. The new content patch will introduce a marauder boss called Dante the Teaser, as well as a new game mechanic called Occupations. Occupations bring a bit of structure to the game's traditional sandbox skill-building system, and were designed to further roleplay opportunities, introduce new player goals, and allow for progression via regenerative items. Players will need to perform collection and processing tasks specific to each of the new occupations (examples of which include Butcher, Magnetic Cartographer, and Florist) in order to obtain and progress with the new regenerative items. The items then act as temporary stat boosters when consumed. You can check out all the details on the official forums.
One Shots: The midnight march of the Bodoc
With an announcement coming from the Ryzom team in just a few days (according to their developer blog), there are a lot of current and previous players that are curious as to just what could be in store. Will we see the game getting new funding? Perhaps a change in the model? An expansion? Something else altogether? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, we have today's gorgeous Ryzom One Shots from regular contributor, Steven K., who spins us another imaginative tale of his recent adventures: "The autumn nights are lengthening, and the oncoming chill of winter must be on the minds of these herbivores as they migrate to warmer climes. Most simply pass me by, making sure to keep close to the Bodoc in front of them, so as not to become easy prey for the ever-opportunistic Gingo. Still, every once in a while, curiosity must get the best of one of these beasts, as it will stop near me as if to say, 'Come now! Don't just stand there. There's delicious grass on the other side of the bridge.' " Are you adventuring in a faraway world that deserves some eyes? If you'd like to tell us of your adventures, all you have to do is to snap a screenshot and email it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing in the image. Your tale could be the next one spotlighted out here on One Shots! %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Your skill has increased by 1
For all of the people who clamor that there isn't nearly enough realism in MMOs, we'd like to dedicate today's One Shots to you. Even if this is purely a tale, there are certain aspects of life that we'd prefer being able to skip in our MMOs. With that said, today we have a funny report in from the lands of Ryzom, sent in by Steven K. who loves nothing more than to show us some of the more umm... diverse... aspects of this world. "Buy a Mektoub, see the world!! You've heard the sales pitch. I know I have. And I grew tired of having to traipse all around the Witherings on foot, especially in these poor excuses for boots." "So I spent nearly every last dapper I had on this beast. Seems ol' Vao Pa-Sang conveniently left out a few important details of ownership. For starters, these behemoths eat more than a starved Gingo, and unlike Gingos, they drop dead in a hurry if you don't keep 'em fed. Of course, the end result (pardon the play on words), is that I get to spend about every 500 meters cleaning up...if you know what I mean." We love to see funny moments in your MMO gaming. All you have to do to share them is to email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. Please make sure they are at least 1024px wide, and have little to no visible UI elements. It might just be the next one we showcase here on Massively! %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: A strange escort
While Ryzom may not have the largest game population out there, they do have a passionate group of players who enjoy all the unique and interesting things that the world of Atys has to offer them. Today, we have another interesting tale sent in to us by Steven K. who likes to keep us up to date on his adventures in Ryzom. He writes in: "I was out hunting with a few guildmates, when we stumbled across these odd creatures. Totally docile herbivores, trying to eke out an existence amongst the nasty Kitin that continue to terrorize the local grazing population. The most peculiar thing was that they surrounded me, as if to guard me, and continued to do so for the entire afternoon. I made the decision at that point to not hunt these creatures, regardless of the potential benefit their hides and bones might bring me." Are you spending time in a game we may not see that often? Would you like to tell people about your adventures? Why not take a few minutes, grab a screenshot, and send it in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com! Make sure you include your name and the name of the game along with your screenshot and story. Also please ensure your image is at least 1024px wide and has no visible UI elements. Your story may be featured next here on One Shots. %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Just when you thought the snows were over
With a recent patch offering some much appreciated code updates (including Win7 support) Ryzom is still rolling along, thanks to its devoted player-base. However, it would appear that much like the waves of winter in the Northern hemisphere, Atys is experiencing snowfalls that keep coming back as well. Our Ryzom regular, Steven K., writes in to explain this wintry shot: Having my fill of another snowfall this morning, and not in the mood to brush the snow off the roof of my small home in Yrkanis, I went searching for some inspiration. I found it sitting in an unlikely spot. So I quickly plopped down my easel, and my bum, and scribbled this painting out before the sun melted the snowflakes off the overhanging trees. One Shots is all about you -- so we need you to send in your screenshots. All you have to do is email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post them out here on Massively and give you the credit. How cool is that! %Gallery-85937%
Ryzom launches 1.7 patch
Ryzom might be a five-year-old game, but despite the few hiccups it went through, it remains an attractive and diverse game with a number of features still not widely found in the genre. Having celebrated its anniversary earlier this year, the game continues to roll along at a steady clip, exemplified by the newly-released patch 1.7. The patch's title, The Kitin's Lair, alludes to one of its central elements: a new zone, the first part of the aforementioned lair. Kitins are one of the game's central adversaries, and so the patch's warning to avoid entering the lair alone is no doubt well-advised. That's hardly the only feature in the latest patch, however -- the game has also added an overhauled mail system, in-game forums for roleplaying and guilds, and the ability to enter viewable character biographies built in to the game's engine. The game has also adjusted the level display system, now using numbers to indicate the target's level only when it is close to that of the player. The addition of official Windows 7 support makes Ryzom more accessible, so the game's players would do well to take note of what the patch brings, and those of you who've never heard of the game may want to give it a fresh look.
One Shots: And the moon looks down
While they say that life is tough on Atys, it certainly is very eye-catching as well. This alien science-fantasy shot from within the world of Ryzom shows off both terrain and something strange in the skies. It almost resembles an eye to us. That said, we'll let Vendayn explain the scene: I'm Vendayn, otherwise known as Vendeyn in Ryzom. The visuals continually impress me in the game. The planet can be considered one giant plant. Here you see the planet with a ring around it, with the planet's roots going overhead. [There is also] a peaceful view of an island. We love to see MMOs from small to large, but we need you to send in screenshots of your adventures! Try as we might, we just haven't perfected that time machine so we can play everything we want to. If you'd like to help us out (with the screenshots - unless you have a functional time machine, in which case we'd take one of those too) send your images to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Be sure to add in your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it up here and give you the love. %Gallery-9798%(Of course, if you send a functional time machine, we'll meet you last week and buy you a round.)
One Shots: Happy 5th anniversary, Ryzom!
While we work very hard to bring you tons of excellent daily MMO coverage, occasionally something will slip by that we don't catch in time. Thankfully we have some truly excellent readers who send us tips - or occasionally will drop us a screenshot from a celebration! Take, for example, this great image captured by our friend Petter Mårtensson, who writes over on Gamereactor Sweden and is a huge fan of Ryzom. Here's his note: I thought I'd share this lovely picture from the 5th anniversary event which took place in Ryzom [yesterday]. The GMs set up a race in the Zora jungles, but gave it a bit of a twist and shrunk all our Mektoub mounts. (You can see some ordinary sized mounts loitering in the background.) It felt quite silly to race through the jungle on a mount almost smaller than yourself, but it was a lot of fun. The event ended with some giant monster slaying and a party in a secret oasis which normally isn't available to players. Everyone there had a wonderful evening, celebrating the birthday of a great and very different MMO!If you know a game we don't get to look at often - or happen to catch a celebration - we'd love to see some screenshots from it. Just email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick blurb about what's going on. We'll post it out here and give you the love for sending it in. %Gallery-9798%
Ryzom switching to billing 'soon'
While the players of Ryzom have enjoyed playing for free for the last while, it appears that the time is approaching for that to end. An announcement on the Ryzom forums indicates that they're working on changing the game back over to being under a pay-to-play monthly subscription. After initially seeing the game taken offline last year, then bouncing back, It's been a hell of a ride for the Ryzom faithful. While this most recent reincarnation seems to be doing well, only time will tell if the move back to a monthly subscription model will help it grow further in terms of new content and players or not. That said, if you've wanted to check out Ryzom, you'd better get on the ball. From what their forum message indicates, you only have a few weeks left before its free-to-play status is history. Who knows, you might find yourself enjoying it so much that you roll to a monthly subscription when the time comes too.
One Shots: Sand-free drinks are important
We've often discussed how much we dig the idea of user-generated content, and while there are some MMOs making inroads into it, Ryzom has had user-generated content for some time. Today's lovely and tropical screenshot (perfect for the warm weather of spring) comes to us from Petter Mårtensson, MMO fiend and fellow games writer, who writes in: Thought I'd send you a screen from Ryzom, a game which truly deserves more attention these days. It's my fyros Anioo in her new set of heavy armor, standing outside the bar in Thesos. The bar itself is owned by the barkeep Pecus Cegrips, who always make sure that the drinks are free from sand. Which is a good thing, considering Thesos is located in the Burning Desert in the northern parts of Atys. If you're playing an MMO we don't see often - or even one we see regularly - we want to see your screenshots! Who knows - you may recruit some new players to check out your game. Just email those screens to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the game, and whatever you'd like to say about the screenshot. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in.%Gallery-9798%
Ryzom going to monthly subscription
Ryzom has been up and down, with changes in models, cancellation, and being re-launched. Recently, it's incarnation has been a free-to-play game, but word has come down the wire that to continue running Ryzom, they need to reinstitute some type of fees.The good news for those who loved Ryzom before, or who perhaps are newish to this world, is that the fee structure will be less expensive than previous incarnations. The better news is that they will continue the current free-to-play model until the end of January, in case you were considering checking it out but hadn't yet.For month-to-month, you will pay $10.95 (7.95 €, £ 7.75); for three months at a time you'll get a discount down to $10.25 per month (7.50 € of £ 6.98 per month); 6 months will cost you $9.49 per month (6.99 € or £ 6.63 per month); and finally a year's subscription will discount furthest breaking down to $8.83 per month (6.50 € or £ 6.15 per month). With as many folks who are opting to give up on extra MMO accounts due to the cost, the price break may well keep Ryzom afloat - or even attract some players who want to try out a visually exciting new world for a bit less than the $15 many MMOs charge these days. [Thanks, AterNox]
Ryzom devs describe plans, promise free play through October
Ryzom (or the game formerly known as The Saga of Ryzom), came back to life a little over a month ago. Rumors of its death had apparently been greatly exaggerated. Now the development team has published a document detailing its plans for the immediate future.The first item on the agenda is "to get profitable." Good plan! Money will surely be helpful. The second item: "To get all our new Developer Teams up to date with the Ryzom code," a task that is apparently quite difficult because there are millions of lines of code to get used to. Finally, the team is putting together a development schedule for adding new missions, content, and features to the game.Our first impressions of the re-launched game were positive. It's a bit laid-back compared to other titles. We're glad to see that some clear goals are being set for the game's future, but of course until the dev team manages "to get profitable," that future will remain uncertain. If you want to give it a try, though, the devs say it will remain free at least through the end of October.
Ryzom opens free accounts to new users
With the recent news of Ryzom's slow rebirth, allowing previous subscribers to reactivate their accounts for free, we're happy to report that free accounts are open to new players as well. This new account reactivation is happening in increments though, so if you've unsuccessfully applied previously, be patient! These activation stages will occur when each previous limit is reached, gradually bringing the populations back up in the game.This new player activation is completely free, but they say it won't last long. If you've never tried the game and were put off by the reports of its untimely death, now is your chance to see what all the buzz is about.
The rebirth of Ryzom
After the recent onslaught of bad news coming from the MMO industry, with layoffs, cutbacks and closures, it's uplifting to finally hear some good news on the return of an MMO. Nevrax's Ryzom has pulled itself up through the ashes and announced its return to the MMO playing field. For the past few weeks, they've re-launched the website and re-opened the servers to all former Ryzom subscribers with completely free VIP access. Now they've decided to open this VIP access to anyone who had an active account, including free trials. However, Ryzom is still closed to new accounts at this time, but they plan to reopen the account activation pages shortly.If you're not familiar with Ryzom and its history, now is a great time to do some research before the new account activation begins. Keep your eyes glued to Massively for all the latest information on when new accounts are allowed and the game is completely re-opened.
The Daily Grind: Which deceased MMO do you miss the most?
It's official: Flagship Studios' Mythos beta has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. It is, in fact, an ex-MMO. Hellgate London subscriptions have halted, and it might soon join Mythos in the great void. There are hopes that they'll be back under a different banner -- or that Hellgate might not close at all -- but if only the worst happens, these two games will certainly be missed by many.They are not the first ones we've lost, though. Underlight, Earth & Beyond, and Asheron's Call 2 have all gone the way of the 8-track tape. Saga of Ryzom went under as well, though it looks like it might make a comeback. Think about those games for a moment, or any others you've lost; which lost MMOs do you want back the most? Do you want them back because you played them and now you miss them, or because you never got to play them at all?Consider this the Flagship Studios memorial Daily Grind!
Saga of Ryzom forums quietly come back online
A couple weeks ago, the official website of The Saga of Ryzom mysteriously returned to operating status. The game was shut down back in February when Nevrax, the French company that operated it, experienced a financial crisis. When the site came back, nobody knew exactly what was happening. All we got was a splash page that said "Ryzom will be back soon."Well, now we have more. The official forums have come back online -- including posts and accounts from before the shutdown. It's as if they had never gone. Community manager boroshi posted a rather short note promising that "everything else" will soon follow. Note that boroshi was around before the shutdown, so it looks like the people behind the game's return are at least some of the same folks who were running it before.If you're an old Ryzom player, go ahead and reunite with old pals. Klients is back, too.
