winter-holiday-2010
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NCsoft hypes Aion double crafting XP and holiday events
Happy Solorius Festival, Daevas! Yes, the Atreian equivalent of Christmas is back, and you can join the ongoing Aion celebration through January 5th. You'll find new quests in both Sanctum and Pandaemonium, as well as rewards that include decorative hats, gift bundles, and buff consumables. Mid-winter and New Year's marks the Year of the Ribbit celebration, and festivities include even more quests and rewards (including new ribbit outfit pieces). The party starts December 22nd and lasts through January 12th. Finally, NCsoft is turning on the double XP spigot again, this time in honor of Atreia's crafters. Friday, December 17th through Monday, December 20th is a prime time for catching up on any artisan activities you may have been neglecting, as double XP for crafting, essence-tapping, and aether-tapping will be in full effect.
DOFUS brings the holidays to players, then blows them up
The colorful world of DOFUS seems well-suited to a holiday celebration, especially with the amount of character embedded in the game's graphics. And one is taking place on Kwismas Island, beyond a shadow of a doubt. But there's still something else for players to look for, something that's far less merry than the dungeons of the island (whose merriness is already a rather dubious quality). It's the newest class of the game, the Rogue, a class focused on guns, explosives, and the use of both in tandem. Capable of summoning a variety of elemental bombs as well as making elementally charged pistol attacks, Rogues are the 13th class in the game, available as a premium feature now. All DOFUS players can enjoy Kwismas Island, however, previewed in our gallery just below. Take a look at the Rogue teaser video past the cut, and consider the possible combination of holiday dungeons and heavy explosives. (It beats fruitcake and caroling.) %Gallery-111466%
Updated: On the third day of giveaways, Icarus gave to me...
[UPDATE: All winners have been selected and contacted. Congratulations!] On the third day of giveaways, Icarus gave to me... three months of gameplay! On the second day of giveaways, Hi-Rez gave to me... two gift packages! On the first day of giveaways, Turbine gave to me... a lifetime VIP! Today we continue Massively's 12 Days of Giveaways! During this 12-day event, you'll find presents galore, courtesy of some of the best MMOs out there. Every day until December 24th, we'll post a new contest for you to enter. We've got a huge pile of goodies to give away, so they're going to be fast and furious -- you'll have 24 hours from the time the contest is posted to enter. Don't worry, though, because we're going to do our best to accommodate everyone -- you'll simply have to leave a comment to be entered in the random drawing, and we'll be posting each contest at a different time of day. Today's holiday gifts are courtesy of Icarus Studios, the developer behind Fallen Earth. This post-apocalyptic sandbox game has been through some staff changes lately, but that hasn't prevented the team from planning some fun holiday events. The devs have included Massively in on the fun, so peek behind the cut to see what we have for you!
Zu Online: The Blood Demon's Assault coming December 27th
Expansions are no fun with just one or two new features, which is why Zu Online is bringing a dozen of them to bear with its new update. On December 27th, this martial arts MMO is planning to launch The Blood Demon's Assault, and Zu Online players will have their hands full. The Blood Demon is a big bad who was slain in battle but lives on as a malevolent spirit. In an attempt to return and rule over the three worlds of the game (physical, celestial and ghostdom), the Blood Demon has ordered his troops to conquer the vital Hexad Region. Fortunately, the good guys got wise to his plan and are marshaling their own armies to forestall his return. Blood Demon's Assault includes new instances and systems for players to master, although IGG has even more planned than the company is telling. The update has been in testing for months now and should prove to be a nice belated Christmas gift for the community.
Ring in the end of the year with Warhammer Online's Keg End
Warhammer Online players have things to be thankful for this year, not the least of which being the 1.4 patch. And as the end of the year approaches, it's the traditional time for players to celebrate the passing of the old year in the game via copious amounts of liquor and the usual helping of ultraviolence. That's right, it's time for another round of Keg End, with Order and Destruction alike taking part in the festivities and competing for chances at the coveted Golden Stein. Aside from the boastworthy exploits of the festival, players will also have giants to face off against, with special rewards for those capable of felling these enemies. There are also rare world drop items for players to look for, including your own personal keg handler or a battlebrew backpack. Warhammer Online players are encouraged to take a look at the official preview of the holiday event, which runs until January 4th to ensure that everyone has plenty of time to ring in the new year with a proper toast. Or a proper inebriated violent rampage, one or the other.
Wookiees, witches and (Star) Wars: SWG breaks out Game Update 19
It's a busy day for Star Wars Galaxies, as Game Update 19 jumps to lightspeed with a trio of exciting events. First up is the return of Wookiee Life Day, "a time to reflect on the renewal of life and to remember those who have passed on." Wookiee Life Day was first introduced in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special and has become a beloved fixture of SWG since its inception a few years ago. New features to the holiday this year include the ability to plant a Life Tree anywhere you like, four new paintings, a Wookiee Life Day robe, a collectible badge, and an R2-D2 ornament. Game Update 19 also brings the next chapter of the Witches of Dathomir, which began a little over a month ago. Players can travel to the planet of Dathomir and decide which clan of Force-sensitive Witches they'll align with: the Nightsisters or the Singing Mountain Clan. Finally, a new expansion pack to the trading card game is available, titled The Price of Victory. You can read up on Game Update 19 at Star Wars Galaxies, and travel back in the Massively time machine to revisit our chat with SWG's Teesquared on the patch.
Spread some holiday smiles in Final Fantasy XI
Any game with holiday events could do far worse than taking inspiration from Final Fantasy XI. With each event having eight years of refinement, there's always plenty to do for adventurers in Vana'diel, and the latest round of the Starlight Celebration is no exception. But there's a brand-new wrinkle, since the keepers of all holiday events in the game (the Moogles) have continued their high level of service (they've screwed up again) and provided adventurers with a delightful new game (that involves racing goblins on chocobos). In keeping with tradition, this year also includes a bit of fiction to go along with the event, and the rewards and frills from previous celebrations will be available as well. Players can take a look at the guide from last year for an idea of what to expect, but even with that knowledge, this year's new card-hunting game promises to be unique. Final Fantasy XI has seen its last major patch this year, but there's still going to be plenty to do for the holiday season.
Updated: On the second day of giveaways, Hi-Rez gave to me...
[UPDATE: All winners have been selected and contacted. Congratulations!] On the second day of giveaways, Hi-Rez gave to me... two gift packages! On the first day of giveaways, Turbine gave to me... a lifetime VIP! Today we continue Massively's 12 Days of Giveaways! During this 12-day event, you'll find presents galore, courtesy of some of the best MMOs out there. Every day until December 24th, we'll post a new contest for you to enter. We've got a huge pile of goodies to give away, so they're going to be fast and furious -- you'll have 24 hours from the time the contest is posted to enter. Don't worry, though, because we're going to do our best to accommodate everyone -- you'll simply have to leave a comment to be entered in the random drawing, and we'll be posting each contest at a different time of day. Welcome to day two! Today is all about high-tech armor, jetpacks, and agency vs. agency battles as we look to see how Global Agenda is celebrating the season. You've heard that great minds think alike, right? It holds true in this case, as Hi-Rez is giving players a chance to earn the "12 Drops of Christmas" in Global Agenda. The developers have included us in the fun by offering two Massively readers one of these special drops, well before anyone else in game has access, as well as some bonus gifts! Peek behind the cut to see what they are!
Familiar faces and holiday places in Final Fantasy XIV
While Friday saw a massive news bomb dropped for players of Final Fantasy XIV, life in Eorzea continues, albeit with a touch of a specter hanging overhead. Still, one can only hope that the first Starlight Celebration in the game will help alleviate some of that sense of doom and gloom. To the surprise of nearly no one, the celebration features a number of gifts for players, as well as a three-piece set of thematic attire that can be either crafted or received via helping needy children. It's also one of the first glimpses at the game world's backstory beyond those tantalizing glimpses in story quests. But perhaps you couldn't care less about the celebration and just want to go toe-to-toe with something more dangerous than a marmot. The December update should be good for what ails you, with the most recent preview offering up several new notorious monsters as well as two returning enemy groups. Flans, of course, have been a staple of nearly every game in the series -- but goblins are a welcome returning foe from Final Fantasy XI, complete with the same design and mercantile nature. Final Fantasy XIV players don't have a definite date for the update just yet, but it should be in the very near future, possibly even this week.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Reminiscing on holiday events
There's been a lot of event play-time in Runes of Magic lately. The pumpkin festival carried on for a lot longer than was originally anticipated and transitioned into a short -- and smaller -- autumn banquet. Now, Christmas is right around the corner. I've been drooling over the Christmas trees that are already for sale in the cash shop. RoM has seen a full year's cycle of events come and go twice now, and we are approaching the third Christmas. Now that long-term players have seen all the offerings, I wanted to peer into the place these holidays have in the world of Taborea and see how they add to our virtual lives. In this article, I want to share how I look forward to events and explore some of the great reasons to have them. 'Tis the season, and all that jazz. Let's take some time to look back and reminisce on RoM's holiday events and why we take part in them.
