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Landmark's PvE arrives today; SOE shifts to EQ Next full-time in 2015
We've waited a long time for the chance to have our faces eaten off by vicious monsters in Landmark, and now that opportunity is almost here! After a bit of delay, the infamous PvE patch is heading into our favorite sandbox today. This is seriously going to be a game-changer. Of all the patches throughout the whole year, this one is the biggest -- surpassing the August PvP update and even the original alpha launch, at least according to Creative Director Dave Georgeson. And he's not kidding! I got to check out Landmark's new mobs, linking and triggering, armors, props, and more with Georgeson and Senior Producer Terry Michaels. I didn't think it was possible to be even more excited for this patch, but I am! Can I hear a squeeeee?! Oh, and for everyone who is waiting anxiously for EverQuest Next news, here's a tidbit from Georgeson you might enjoy: When we get to those game mastering systems [after the start of the year] that means we are working on EQN full time. Because those are the systems we need for EQN, and that's what we're building when we're building those game mastering tools. So we're so close to transitioning the team almost entirely to EQN, and then we'll take the elements that we build for EQN and port them over into Landmark, but our focus will shift almost entirely to EQN after the new year.
Global Chat: Die, DPS meters, die!
Hey you! Yes, you! Are you sick of damage meters ruining your life? Do you rebel against the virtual man by questioning such long-established gaming tropes as levels? Then have we got the column for you! In our last community blog round-up of the year, we've collected some fine pieces of discussion, debate, and introspection -- not to mention a first impression or two to tide you over until 2015. We've also got an essay about the joy of healing, what it's like to play an MMO as a bear, going back to the Isle of Refuge, and more!
Landmark's monster update delayed until Wednesday
With such a monster update coming to Landmark, SOE was open about the possibility of troubles and a delay. After keeping the community updated on progress and pitfalls over the weekend, Creative Director Dave Georgeson confirmed it: The PvE patch is delayed until Wednesday, December 17th, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Apparently the mobs themselves are scared of the introduction of players -- as well they should be! Mobs were found all clustering in a single cave. To fully fix this, SOE has to regenerate the islands. But don't worry, builders; there is no claim wipe involved, just time. Once the servers are up and running, watch for a Stream Team tour to check out the new Landmark wildlife.
Perfect Ten: Looking back at the biggest MMO news of 2014
Well, my chums, here we are at the tail-end of 2014, having achieved all of our goals and new year's resolutions. Even better, we've survived what's turned out to be one of the wildest, rockiest, and most exciting years of MMO news in recent memory. This was the year of high-profile game launches, even more popular expansions, layoffs, and some epic-level studio face-palming decisions. It's easy to sit here and say that we predicted everything that was going to happen this year, but c'mon, you have to admit that you were surprised by at least one or two events in this industry. It's incredibly difficult to sum up the biggest news of the year without coming to grips with the fact that many stories aren't one-and-done; a lot of what I'm going to be talking about in this list happened over the course of weeks or months and still may not be fully over. That's how news stories are sometimes!
SOE bracing for 'enormous' Landmark update
So next week's Landmark update is big. Real big, according to SOE's Dave Georgeson. The patch includes "caves down to the world core," salvaging, crafting tweaks, transportation systems, monsters, new loot, and more. Georgeson also cautions that SOE "fully expects this update to be problematic." He says that the firm will keep players updated via Twitter and that it will announce on Sunday whether or not the update will occur on Monday as currently planned.
EverQuest celebrates 15 days of holiday cheer
Whether you've been naughty or nice this year, SOE has plenty of presents to go in your virtual stocking. To celebrate EverQuest's 15th anniversary year, the studio is throwing 15 days of "holiday cheer" for the game's community. On each of the next 15 days, there will be some sort of event or promotion for players to enjoy. It kicks off today with double faction points and double rare spawns. After that, there will be many daily sales, including cheaper severed hand mounts (because who doesn't want to ride on one of those?) and a 50% off housing items sale on December 18th.
Experiencing Legends PvE with the DC Universe Online devs
DC Universe Online fans who've long wanted Legends PvE learned at SOE Live that the feature was finally on its way to the game. And now patience is about to pay off! Legends PvE is launching with GU43, along with plenty of other goodies like new underwater bases and a new legends character. There's even something for the PvPers: revamped arena award rules. Executive Producer Larry Liberty and Creative Director Jens Andersen recently led a media tour of this upcoming content, showcasing Deathstroke in all his Legends glory along with sharing a few other tidbits of news (like the release window for Amazon Fury Part II). As Liberty put it, "Game Update 43 wound up becoming quite a bit bigger than we initially anticipated."
Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: Biggest Story of the Year
Massively's end-of-the-year awards continue today with our award for the Biggest MMO Story of the year. We're not talking about a single article or a game's plot here; we're looking for dominant, ongoing news arcs in the MMO space that had a big impact on the genre. All of our writers were invited to cast a vote, but not all of them chose to do so for this category. Don't forget to cast your own vote in the just-for-fun reader poll at the very end. The Massively staff pick for Biggest MMO Story of 2014 is...
H1Z1 early access available January 15
SOE's H1Z1 zombie sandbox is coming to Steam early access on January 15th. CEO John Smedley posted the news to Reddit a few moments ago, and he was quite specific about who should purchase the title in its current form. "Is it going to be a finished game? Absolutely not. If that's what you're expecting, DO NOT BUY EARLY ACCESS," he wrote. "The goal here is to let you in early and help us mold it into a game you want to be a part of for quite a long time." Smedley went on to mention the entry-level price point ($19.99) and he also addressed comparisons between H1Z1 and Day Z. "Is H1Z1 going to be better than Day Z day one? No it won't. We'll get asked that question a lot and I wanted to be up front about it," Smedley explained. "We're not as feature-rich and they have a lot of really cool stuff we just don't have yet. That being said, we're also a different game. We're an MMO and our goals are to create a large scale world that gives you the incredible feeling of being a survivor in a zombie apocalypse."
PlanetSide 2 opens beta signups for PlayStation 4
It's been a while since PlanetSide 2 fans have heard much about the game making the leap to the next generation of console hardware. But that's changing today, as the game has opened closed beta signups for testing its PlayStation 4 version. As always, the closed beta signup is no assurance that you'll actually get to test the game, but it does mean that it's closer than ever to being a reality. Signups currently require nothing more than an email address, although it's probably a good idea to have a PSN ID beforehand. (And a PS4.) The last word on the beta was that it should be coming before the end of the year, according to creative director Matt Higby. We'll keep hopeful players posted as we get more information.
H1Z1 talks about the details of animations in new video
You probably don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about the animations of your favorite game, but they're still important. H1Z1's latest dev spotlight video highlights senior artist Dave Carter, the man behind motion captures and animations in the game, and he talks at length about what is in the game and how much influence animation has upon elements in the game. For example, adding zombies who can climb over vehicles and through windows is a balance issue, but it's also an animation issue; the developers can't add one without the other. Carter also discusses the existing animations in the game and some of the flow between them in the video. Although the animations aren't completely finished, the motion capture sessions have taken place and the team is fairly far along in bringing the game into motion. Check out the full video just past the break.
The Daily Grind: Have you played a console MMO?
SOE recently announced that DC Universe Online has over 18 million registered users. Even if we take that with the usual grains of salt (how many concurrent users? how many of them spend money?), it's a pretty huge number. Prior to reading it, in fact, I would have guessed that the number of console players interested in every console MMO would be well under 18 million. What do you think? Does the number surprise you? Have you yourself played a console MMO? 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!
Console popularity powers DC Universe Online past 18M registered players
Eighteen million sets of eyeballs on your MMO is no number to dismiss, and SOE is definitely glad that DC Universe Online is the subject of so much attention. The studio said yesterday that more than 18M players have registered with DCUO since its inception. The real reason behind DCUO's phenomenal growth is thanks to the reception it's been getting on the PlayStation 3 and 4, as over three-fourths of the game's playerbase is on consoles. SOE President John Smedley said that 40% of new registered users are on the PlayStation 4 these days, and they have created almost 3M superheroes to date. Even more interesting, it seems as though console players are willing to spend more on this free-to-play title than their PC counterparts. Smedley said that PlayStation sales per capita accounted for 3.5 times more than PC sales.
PvE, full caves hit Landmark December 15th
In two weeks, Landmark fans will celebrate the holidays early by indulging in a content feast! On Monday, December 15th, the sandbox will get a meaty update that includes something players have craved all year: PvE! Creative Director Dave Georgeson and Senior Producer Terry Michaels announced the upcoming content extravaganza during Wednesday's Landmark Live stream. But mobs are not the only addition on the way; Georgeson went so far as to call last August's huge PvP content patch small in comparison. Along with the PvE, the December 15th patch brings the rest of the cave system (meaning all islands will now be tiered down to the core), graveyards for player resurrection (a must for when mobs chew your face off), claim vendors, and more. Sound too good to miss? If you want to jump in and check these new features out, send an email to mj@massively.com for a seven-day beta key!
EverQuest II plans bug bash and preps Frostfell celebrations
The EverQuest II team isn't going silent during the last month of the year; on the contrary, a new producer letter outlines several events that are scheduled throughout December and into January. The holiday event of Frostfell will go from December 11th through January 8th and promises "new content, rewards, gifts, crafted, and merchant items." The team's also coding in Ethereal armor adornment drops into Altar of Malice instances starting on December 6th and will be making past expansion house items available on loyalty merchants beginning January 6th. While it's not the sexiest item on the list, a December 9th Bug Bash is planned to stamp out pesky issues and implement player feedback, such as creating shared bank space for exile characters.
Lost Continent: Why so impatient with ArcheAge?
It's kinda silly, but I feel like giving up on ArcheAge. It's silly because the game launched in mid-September and we're currently in November. The fantasy sandpark does have more than it's share of problems, but logically I know that it's way, way too early to start piling dirt on its imaginary corpse. That said, there are so many MMOs clamoring for my attention nowadays that the idea of being patient with one of them is almost laughable. I'm not alone here, either, as many gamers I know look for the first available reason to leave an MMO and cross it off their to-do list, simply because they're wired to complete tasks and the ginormous glut of games long ago passed the point of overwhelming.
Perfect Ten: Mobile apps to enhance your MMO lifestyle
We're living in the age of smart phones, when there are more cell phones than there are people on this planet. I can't go anywhere without seeing people constantly whipping out their little rectangular companions for the constant stream of information, social connection, and Candy Crush interludes. While MMOs aren't making great headway on these devices, in part due to the limited input scheme, several wise studios have made good use of the mobile market to give players a way to keep in touch with their games even while AFK. Today we're going to count down, count up, and count sideways 10 official mobile apps that will enhance your MMO lifestyle.
Norrathian Notebook: First impressions of EQII's Altar of Malice
Although Altar of Malice has been available to All Access subscribers for two weeks, EverQuest II's 11th expansion just opened up to everyone on Tuesday. That makes this a great time to share my initial impressions of the new lands and new content. Mind you, these are literally only first impressions: I am not one to blow through the content at a break-neck speed just so I can consume it all in as little time as possible. That's relegated to pecan pie. MMOs aren't a race to me. I prefer to gradually savor the content, stretching it out so the experience lasts. I've actually also been holding myself back from doing too much so I can run through things with those who can finally join me now that the expansion is fully released. I will continue to poke though it at my pace while I continue my other endeavors (do you realize just how long it takes to decorate a house?!). As such, a full review of everything will have to come at a later date. So what my thoughts as I amble amble my way through the land of the lost... er, jurassic park... I mean, Altar of Malice? EQII's dino-riffic expansion definitely has its highlights, like offering a heaping helping of nostalgia, but it has its disappointments as well. Here's my take.
H1Z1 dev vid talks cities, barricades, and more
SOE has published another H1Z1 dev spotlight vid. Environment artist Ruby Opfer is your host, and she spends the clip's three-minute running time expounding on various fan-submitted questions. Want to know about the zombie gankbox's underwater exploration potential? What about cities and the ability for players to take them over? How about structural barricades and whether or not you can line your bunker with crafted wooden spikes? All these questions and a few more are touched on just past the break.
The Game Archaeologist: Perpetual's Star Trek Online
If you're among the legions of Trekkies, then you are almost certainly aware of Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online. Since early 2010, players have boldly gone where no one has gone before in this MMO that blends spaceship battles, ground combat, and faithful tie-ins to the long-running franchise. Star Trek Online appears to be thriving following a free-to-play adaptation and two expansions, and some see it as the only official continuation of the TV series right now. But what players encounter in Star Trek Online is not what it originally started out as. You may or may not know that STO began development under Perpetual Entertainment, which handled the game for several years until it went bankrupt and passed the license and art assets to Cryptic. It's another tantalizing historical "what if?" scenario to think about what this game would look like if Perpetual had taken it to launch and beyond. But what did this version of Star Trek Online look like? Let's investigate.
