The ultimate massively multiplayer online role-playing game news source
Archive for July, 2009
Final Fantasy XIV: Making an Appearance at GamesCom
Jul 28th
Formerly known as Leipzig, GamesCom in Cologne, Germany will be host to several big events in the MMOG genre: the first public demo of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the reveal of the first Age of Conan expansion, to name a few.
Adding to the what is already sure to be an interesting event, will be the presence of Square Enix’s sophomore MMOG outing: Final Fantasy XIV.
There are no solid details on what to expect out of Final Fantasy XIV at this year’s GamesCom, but to be conservative I would just expect the E3 trailer to be shown again. On the other hand, you never know with Square Enix.
GamesCom will run from August 19th to August 23rd, and will take place in Cologne, Germany.
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures: Servers ’Booming’ With Activity
Jul 27th
From the sounds of it, the re-evaluation program has been a success so far.
Erling Ellingsen, Funcoms director of communications reports to Videogamer.com:
"The results of the campaign are really good with server activity booming, and entire guilds have made their return to the game," said Ellingsen. "The feedback from returning players has been really good so far, and it seems that the game’s massive changes since launch is making a big difference for them. We’re very excited to see the renewed interest among former players!"
Via Videogamer.com
Have you noticed your servers activity pick up since the re-evaluation program commenced? Let us know in the comments!
Lord of the Rings Online: Orion’s Belt: Radiance Gear and Raids
Jul 27th
Orion, a developer on The Lord of the Rings Online, addresses the concerns of many with regards to the issue of Radiance gear and raids in this latest update to his blog, "Orion’s Belt".
The problem is this: Radiance gear is required for raids, and acquiring that gear requires completing instance Hard Modes, which also happen to have really confusing objectives.
Orion basically took some time out in the blog to state that they fully appreciate and understand this issue now, and it is something they are actively working on sorting out, though he unfortunately isn’t able to provide a timetable for these changes.
Go here for the full blog entry.
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures: Craig Morrison: What’s on the Menu?
Jul 27th
Craig Morrison, Game Director on Age of Conan, makes use of restaurant metaphors to illuminate what he feels are some of the challenging aspects of MMOG development in this latest entry to his personal blog.
The entry, entitled "What’s on the Menu?" mainly covers the fears that tend to direct the focus of MMOG development, and even the transparency of developers communicating to their customers once a game has gone live. Mr. Morrison hones in on the common practice for many developers to chase the mythical broad audience and please as many people as possible, as opposed to focusing on doing a few things exceptionally well.
According to Mr. Morrison, most games tend to simply do many things adequately, and this doesn’t really end up exciting many people in the end. The reasoning behind this pursuit of a broad audience is the desire to not basically turn anyone off to their game before the game even launches.
This is where the restaurant metaphor comes into play: Mr. Morrison asserts that no one would go into a Chinese restaurant expecting Italian food on the menu, and so why should a MMOG need to have everything and appeal to everyone? What’s wrong with targeting an audience and executing More >
Beta: Prizes for Stress Testing
Jul 27th
Tonight, the 27th of July 2009, Turbine will be holding yet another stress test for it’s Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited servers.
Only tonight, there’s a catch.
Five lucky players who log in between 8pm and 11pm Eastern will be receiving an ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics card for their troubles.
Ten lucky second place winners will be taking home a poster signed by the Turbine team.
And all you have to do is log in. By my Pacific Time count, this starts in 30 minutes!
Der zweite Wind – Hyborian Adventures
Jul 27th
Der zweite Wind
Mehr Kampf, mehr Abenteuer, mehr Ruhm!
720p
Letzte Beiträge
- [19.11.2009] – CROMCAST #15 – Der November hat ein neues Gesicht!
- [12.11.2009] – Computerbildspiele interviewt Craig ’Silirrion’ Morrison
- [11.11.2009] – Besondere Abonnement-Angebote und doppelte Erfahrungspunkte im November!
- [10.11.2009] – Interview mit Waldgeist auf MMOSzene
- [05.11.2009] – CROMCAST #14 – The Lenny is back
Warhammer Online: WAR Fiction – A Fistful of Choppas: Chapter 3
Jul 27th
Wait! Read Chapter Two first!
The pounding of Ghurlak’s flat feet along the canyon floor sounded like the beat of a war-drum as the runty Orc came thundering down the mountain towards Bagrash Runtchucka’s cave. The choppas he’d looted after the fight with the stuntie war party felt good in his gnarled hands; Ghurlak slashed at the air as he ran, exulting at the hungry, whickering sound they made. He hacked at the scraggly trees growing from the canyon walls, just to feel the solid thunk of impact and hear the splintering of wood as the crude weapons sheared through trunk and limb. When the rock walls pressed close he swiped at them as well, striking arcs of orange sparks from the stone. By the time he reached the fire-lit cavern at the feet of Black Crag, the edges of the iron blades were jagged and bright.
Bagrash’s cave was a low-hung seam carved deep into the side of a canyon wall, its granite brow stained black and yellow with the greasy smoke of Orc cook-fires. Filth of every description covered the rocky floor, pounded into a squishy carpet by the tread of dozens of heavy feet. Squeals and angry More >
ConanVault: Update 5 Guide List – Hyborian Adventures
Jul 27th
ConanVault: Update 5 Guide List
ConanVault has just released a series of Update 5 guides on the recent changes
<img
src=”http://community.ageofconan.com/conan/frontend/files/CONTENT/aocvault_180x209.jpg” alt=”" class=”featureImage”
/>
We’ll be highlighting these a lot in the coming weeks as these guides help convey a lot of new information on the game. These guides will cover the new changes to the systems including items, classes, gems, and many more! So if you’re just getting back to the game and seeking some informative articles on how to utilize the best of the recent update then drop by ConanVault and check out the guides below:
<img
src=”http://vnmedia.ign.com/conanvault.ign.com/fms/images/screenshots/331/1248218412_fullres.jpg” alt=”" width=”437″ height=”262″
/>
Systems- Itemization
- Gems/Crafting
- Stats & Parameters
- Tarantia Commons
- Attilius Mansion (Inside Tarantia Commons)
- Crows Nest (Inside Tarantia Commons)
- Demonologist
- Guardian
- Necromancer
- Priest of Mitra
- Tempest of Set
You can find the full list of guides exclusively on ConanVault!
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures: Details on Update 6 in Director’s Letter
Jul 24th
Game Director Craig Morrison shines some light on what to expect in the upcoming Update 6 to Age of Conan in this latest Letter from the Game Director.
One of the first things Mr. Morrison touches on is the inclusion of a Veteran Rewards system. Recently, we reported on Mr. Morrison’s comment that the PowerPoints veteran reward system announced last summer was scrapped, but that we could expect some other form of a veteran rewards system in the near future. Well, today, we’ve got our answer! The new veteran reward system will give veteran players access to special vendors that dole out items that make gameplay more convenient, such as exp potions, but not items that make your character more powerful. The items will basically serve to thank fans for their dedication, but also keep things on an even keel for newer players.
The real highlight of the director’s letter is the announcement of the Guild Renown system. It’s hard to talk about this system without mentioning Warhammer Online as it is so similar. So, anyone who has played Warhammer Online, you’ll be able to draw some easy comparisons here.
Guilds will now level up and will earn Renown for every member who contributes. More >
Brief des Game Directors Juli 2009 – Hyborian Adventures
Jul 24th
Brief des Game Directors Juli 2009
Es ist Juli und wie immer gegen Ende des Monats richtet unser Game Director Craig einige Worte an die Spieler und spricht diesesmal etwas über Update 6
Während die Sommermonate hier in Norwegen eine kurze Ruhe- und Erholungsphase für das Entwicklungsteam bedeuten, möchte ich in diesem Brief die Gelegenheit nutzen, um allen für ihre Unterstützung in diesem Jahr zu danken. Außerdem möchte ich nach unseren bisherigen Andeutungen nun langsam den Schleier lüften und ein wenig über die Neuerungen erzählen, die die nächste Update-Runde bringen wird!
Rückkehr nach Hyboria
Zunächst danke ich sowohl unseren Spieler-Veteranen als auch den zurückgekehrten Spielern, dass sie während unserer Wiedereinstiegsphase so zahlreich gespielt haben.
Obwohl natürlich noch jede Menge Arbeit vor uns liegt und wir unser Bestes geben, um das Spiel noch weiter zu optimieren und um noch mehr großartige Inhalte zu erweitern, sind wir sehr glücklich darüber, dass so viele von euch Spaß an dem Spiel haben und ihre Abenteuer in Hyboria fortsetzen. Es war der Höhepunkt all der Bemühungen des Entwicklungsteams, dass wir einen Punkt erreicht haben, an dem wir den Spielern einen guten Eindruck davon vermitteln konnten, was das Spiel ist und was wir in Zukunft daraus machen werden.
Veteranen-Belohnungen
Hinsichtlich der More >