https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:26:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/perfect-ten-25-text-based-mmos-and-muds-that-are-worth-playing-in-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/perfect-ten-25-text-based-mmos-and-muds-that-are-worth-playing-in-2023/#comments Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435150 Wanderlust hits even the most content MMO adventurer from time to time, and while there are worlds a-plenty to visit, sometimes it is easy to feel that one has “seen it all.” When those times arise and you’re feeling a little bit stale with current offerings, there’s always a different type of massively multiplayer title […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/perfect-ten-25-text-based-mmos-and-muds-that-are-worth-playing-in-2023/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/warframe-of-mind-a-sneak-peek-preview-of-warframes-the-duviri-paradox/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/warframe-of-mind-a-sneak-peek-preview-of-warframes-the-duviri-paradox/#comments Wed, 26 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434269 After years of TennoCons, folks can see that Digital Extremes is no stranger to introducing new concepts to Warframe, from fishing to flying to what’s behind the frames. However, The Duviri Paradox surpasses all previous updates: It literally changes the way players can start and play the game. First off, it takes the warframes right […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/warframe-of-mind-a-sneak-peek-preview-of-warframes-the-duviri-paradox/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-gos-may-lineup-embraces-niantics-bugs/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-gos-may-lineup-embraces-niantics-bugs/#respond Tue, 25 Apr 2023 17:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436868 As I noted in my last Massively on the Go column, for the entire month of May, this column will not be covering Pokemon Go, as Niantic is continuing to refuse to address the ongoing trainwrecks in the community. My expectations are low, but I am hoping to use this break to at least help me reassess how […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-gos-may-lineup-embraces-niantics-bugs/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/choose-my-adventure-endgame-in-neverwinter-nearly-rocks-my-bards-face-apart/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/choose-my-adventure-endgame-in-neverwinter-nearly-rocks-my-bards-face-apart/#comments Tue, 25 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436812 So as that headline suggests, I made it to level 20 in Neverwinter. That’s not really too surprising to regular players, I imagine – the leveling curve in this game has been smoothed to the point of being a pinball – but it did mean that I got to see just how well my favorite […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/choose-my-adventure-endgame-in-neverwinter-nearly-rocks-my-bards-face-apart/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-takes-aim-again-with-ice-inteleon/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-takes-aim-again-with-ice-inteleon/#respond Mon, 24 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436864 First we had an archer Mightiest Mark ‘mon, but The Pokemon Company and Game Freak are turning things up by upgrading to Ineleon, the secret agent-themed pokemon with the (finger) gun for the next tera raid event in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Akin to the last Bond’s icy blue eyes, Inteleon’s gone Ice-type, but since […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-takes-aim-again-with-ice-inteleon/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/wisdom-of-nym-we-dont-need-another-final-fantasy-xiv-we-already-have-one/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/wisdom-of-nym-we-dont-need-another-final-fantasy-xiv-we-already-have-one/#comments Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436862 First of all, this one’s for Bruno. He usually doesn’t read these, but maybe he’ll like this one. So we all know at this point that Final Fantasy XIV is an impressive financial success and a critical darling, and has been for several years. This is very good news for anyone who was hoping for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/wisdom-of-nym-we-dont-need-another-final-fantasy-xiv-we-already-have-one/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-disappointing-first-season/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-disappointing-first-season/#comments Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435940 It’s now been a few weeks since the launch of New World‘s first season, Fellowship and Fire. I wanted to give it some time to settle, but I think I’ve now had enough experience of it all for my opinions to crystallize, and overall, I am sorry to report I do feel more underwhelmed than […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-disappointing-first-season/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/22/lotro-legendarium-making-sense-of-lotros-virtue-system/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/22/lotro-legendarium-making-sense-of-lotros-virtue-system/#comments Sat, 22 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436507 If you look at how your character gains power and progression in Lord of the Rings Online, you’ll see four major categories. There are levels, which automatically bestow stats upon you. Then there’s the acquisition of gear (including legendary items and essences) to bolster those stats. We can look to talents for additional ways to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/22/lotro-legendarium-making-sense-of-lotros-virtue-system/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/20/four-winds-the-artist-has-become-my-favorite-support-class-in-lost-ark/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/20/four-winds-the-artist-has-become-my-favorite-support-class-in-lost-ark/#respond Thu, 20 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433385 Here’s a thought experiment: How would have Anakin Skywalker turned out if he had grown up on planet covered in paint rather than coarse, hateful sand everywhere? The answer will surprise you! He probably would’ve still turned out to be a Sith Lord, but he would also be an Artist main in Lost Ark. Star […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/20/four-winds-the-artist-has-become-my-favorite-support-class-in-lost-ark/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/20/vague-patch-notes-if-theres-any-sort-of-metaverse-its-already-here-and-its-not-what-you-think/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/20/vague-patch-notes-if-theres-any-sort-of-metaverse-its-already-here-and-its-not-what-you-think/#comments Thu, 20 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436387 We’ve had a lot of fun here having a good little giggle about the whole saga (if you want to call it that) of the metaverse, the bugbear of so many half-baked projects that don’t seem to be really going anywhere. It’s also become the favorite talking point of a lot of people who insist […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/20/vague-patch-notes-if-theres-any-sort-of-metaverse-its-already-here-and-its-not-what-you-think/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/19/perfect-ten-10-ways-world-of-warcraft-feels-like-a-dead-mall/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/19/perfect-ten-10-ways-world-of-warcraft-feels-like-a-dead-mall/#comments Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436157 There was a time that I lived next to a very small mall that’s tucked kind of out-of-the-way in a part of my state. It was already kind of a low-rent location even when I went there in middle school, but as time went by it only got more dead over time. By the time […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/19/perfect-ten-10-ways-world-of-warcraft-feels-like-a-dead-mall/feed/ 109 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/18/massively-on-the-go-splatoon-3s-eggstra-work-could-be-fun-if-it-entailed-less-social-work/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/18/massively-on-the-go-splatoon-3s-eggstra-work-could-be-fun-if-it-entailed-less-social-work/#respond Tue, 18 Apr 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435675 Splatoon 3 players recently got to experience the first weekend of Eggstra Work, and it’s controversial to say the least. The very basics are that the mode is like Time Trials for Salmon Run, extended to five waves (up from three), but there is no online matchmaker. So for today’s Massively on the Go, we’ll go […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/18/massively-on-the-go-splatoon-3s-eggstra-work-could-be-fun-if-it-entailed-less-social-work/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/18/choose-my-adventure-rocking-my-way-to-max-level-bard-play-in-neverwinter/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/18/choose-my-adventure-rocking-my-way-to-max-level-bard-play-in-neverwinter/#respond Tue, 18 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435801 The journey in Neverwinter continues with pure, unadulterated focus on my Bard, as suggested by the voting public. And I promise, I won’t ask the same question a third time. No, seriously. I’m pretty much on-rails at this point, there is no divergence available to me, and I am bereft of choices for polls for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/18/choose-my-adventure-rocking-my-way-to-max-level-bard-play-in-neverwinter/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/17/wisdom-of-nym-everything-is-broken-a-tale-of-final-fantasy-xiv-post-calamity/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/17/wisdom-of-nym-everything-is-broken-a-tale-of-final-fantasy-xiv-post-calamity/#comments Mon, 17 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435809 “Marise? Are ye up there, girl?” The answer was yes, but she didn’t much feel like answering. Actually, she didn’t feel much liked doing anything but sitting their scrunched up against the wall and waiting for tears to come as they resolutely refused to do so. So she sat there, and she scowled, and she […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/17/wisdom-of-nym-everything-is-broken-a-tale-of-final-fantasy-xiv-post-calamity/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/15/lotro-legendarium-is-the-burglar-lotros-least-loved-class/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/15/lotro-legendarium-is-the-burglar-lotros-least-loved-class/#comments Sat, 15 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435300 In most MMOs that I play, I confess a certain attraction — if not affinity — for seeking out the least-played and -loved class that title has to offer. It can be a lot of fun walking down the path less traveled, especially if it’s with a role that is underrated by most folks. For […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/15/lotro-legendarium-is-the-burglar-lotros-least-loved-class/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/why-i-play-pokemon-go-and-why-i-shouldnt/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/why-i-play-pokemon-go-and-why-i-shouldnt/#comments Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=430063 I won’t lie: Many, many problems with Niantic often cause me to re-evaluate why I continue to play Pokemon GO, especially in recent weeks. Maybe it’s the sunk cost fallacy at work, but I think there’s more to it than that. In fact, at this point, I think it should be obvious that The Pokemon […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/why-i-play-pokemon-go-and-why-i-shouldnt/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/storyboard-when-is-an-mmo-story-real/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/storyboard-when-is-an-mmo-story-real/#comments Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435542 So we’ve had some fun with talking about MMO stories that are player-driven and MMO stories that are pre-scripted. Both of them have advantages and drawbacks. But there is also very specifically something I did not mention as a benefit or drawback of either, and today I want to talk about that a bit more. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/storyboard-when-is-an-mmo-story-real/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/12/perfect-ten-10-reasons-new-world-deserves-a-second-look/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/12/perfect-ten-10-reasons-new-world-deserves-a-second-look/#comments Wed, 12 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432588 If you were one of the many, many players who skipped off New World after giving it an initial try, well, we don’t blame you. The launch was a bit of a mess, the subsequent months were a morass of unsteady development, the population plummeted, and an aura of uncertainty seemed to hover over Amazon’s […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/12/perfect-ten-10-reasons-new-world-deserves-a-second-look/feed/ 42 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-typhlosion/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-typhlosion/#respond Tue, 11 Apr 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434959 Good news for players who enjoyed the Hisuian pokemon typings in Pokemon Legends: Arceus: The next tera raid event for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has been announced, and it will be the original Typhlosion with the Mightiest Mark, but with a Ghost tera typing, making it somewhat like its Hisuian version. The bad news, though, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-typhlosion/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/choose-my-adventure-the-songblade-makes-neverwinters-bard-rock-even-harder/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/choose-my-adventure-the-songblade-makes-neverwinters-bard-rock-even-harder/#comments Tue, 11 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434784 Most of the time when I’m beaten over the head by an MMORPG’s meta, I tend to thumb it in the eye and tacitly ignore it. In the case of the Neverwnter Bard and the overwhelming player opinion of choosing the Songblade paragon path, I would have made the same choice and gone with the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/choose-my-adventure-the-songblade-makes-neverwinters-bard-rock-even-harder/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/wisdom-of-nym-this-is-how-final-fantasy-xiv-wants-you-to-play-even-if-it-doesnt-say-so/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/wisdom-of-nym-this-is-how-final-fantasy-xiv-wants-you-to-play-even-if-it-doesnt-say-so/#comments Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434982 It is not a surprise that Final Fantasy XIV wants you to play the game a certain way. There are mechanics in place to make that happen. If the developers do not want you to pull beyond a certain point in a dungeon, they know how to put barriers in place to ensure that you […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/11/wisdom-of-nym-this-is-how-final-fantasy-xiv-wants-you-to-play-even-if-it-doesnt-say-so/feed/ 25 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/10/casually-classic-20-tips-for-surviving-the-wow-classic-communitys-hardcore-mode/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/10/casually-classic-20-tips-for-surviving-the-wow-classic-communitys-hardcore-mode/#comments Mon, 10 Apr 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434658 “Just one more hour of WoW Classic. One more hour, then I’ll go and play something serious. Or be a productive member of society. Promise.” I’ve been saying a lot of this over the past few weeks as time and time again, I’ve been logging into WoW Classic to play the community’s highly addictive hardcore […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/10/casually-classic-20-tips-for-surviving-the-wow-classic-communitys-hardcore-mode/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/08/the-game-archaeologist-pirates-of-the-caribbean-online/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/08/the-game-archaeologist-pirates-of-the-caribbean-online/#comments Sat, 08 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432733 In 1967, Disneyland opened one of its most iconic attractions: a dark boat ride called Pirates of the Caribbean. A large fandom surrounding the pirate-themed attraction sprung up, prompting the company to make several other copycats in its other parks across the world. The property was quite ripe, then, for a jump to the silver […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/08/the-game-archaeologist-pirates-of-the-caribbean-online/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/07/storyboard-pros-and-cons-for-scripted-narrative-stories-in-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/07/storyboard-pros-and-cons-for-scripted-narrative-stories-in-mmos/#comments Fri, 07 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434528 Last week, we looked at the pros and cons for stories in MMOs that were purely player-driven, or at least using player actions and interactions as the primary driving force. This week, we’re doing the inverse and looking at stories that are pre-scripted narratives. Obviously, as I alluded to in the prior column, this is […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/07/storyboard-pros-and-cons-for-scripted-narrative-stories-in-mmos/feed/ 19 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/07/interview-spellcrafts-game-director-on-the-first-public-alpha-and-intense-gameplay/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/07/interview-spellcrafts-game-director-on-the-first-public-alpha-and-intense-gameplay/#respond Fri, 07 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434523 A good weekend is in store for anyone who loves to play the latest, hottest, fresh-off-the-press-est multiplayer games the moment they pop up. That’s right, this weekend – right now in fact – you can login and join the open alpha access to play Spellcraft on Steam. It’s a brand-new multiplayer title in development by […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/07/interview-spellcrafts-game-director-on-the-first-public-alpha-and-intense-gameplay/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/06/vague-patch-notes-e3-is-gone-but-its-only-half-a-victory/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/06/vague-patch-notes-e3-is-gone-but-its-only-half-a-victory/#comments Thu, 06 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434375 So E3 is dead, and we’ve already shared some of our thoughts on the matter earlier this week. But as someone who literally wrote a whole article about how much I loathe trade shows, I have even more I want to say on the matter. And that starts with an extension of the premise floated […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/06/vague-patch-notes-e3-is-gone-but-its-only-half-a-victory/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/massively-on-the-go-its-pokemon-no-time-again-for-pokemon-go-players/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/massively-on-the-go-its-pokemon-no-time-again-for-pokemon-go-players/#comments Wed, 05 Apr 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434185 Niantic is the master of drip information, and most of it is both poor and incomplete, which is why we relegate most Pokemon GO news to monthly event roundups here in Massively on the Go. Those who have been following our April guide or social media won’t be terribly surprised by this, but Niantic once again […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/massively-on-the-go-its-pokemon-no-time-again-for-pokemon-go-players/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/perfect-ten-ten-mmo-promises-that-are-not-filling-me-with-confidence/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/perfect-ten-ten-mmo-promises-that-are-not-filling-me-with-confidence/#comments Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433995 Every game’s development – and this includes MMOs – involves certain promises being made that the developers probably half-knows are not going to wind up being true. With a little bit of luck, the audience also knows that this is untrue. Yes, you plan to have monthly content updates without fail. Very nice, Guild Wars […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/perfect-ten-ten-mmo-promises-that-are-not-filling-me-with-confidence/feed/ 24 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/04/fight-or-kite-starborne-frontiers-is-an-autobattler-with-plentiful-monetization-schemes/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/04/fight-or-kite-starborne-frontiers-is-an-autobattler-with-plentiful-monetization-schemes/#comments Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433662 When Starborne: Frontiers was first announced back in June of 2021 (which, wow, I can’t believe it was that long ago), I was extremely excited to play an MMO in the world of Starborne. The original game was absolutely captivating for me. It essentially ate up every waking (and in some cases, sleeping) moment of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/04/fight-or-kite-starborne-frontiers-is-an-autobattler-with-plentiful-monetization-schemes/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/04/choose-my-adventure-the-neverwinter-bard-continues-to-rock-even-as-the-challenge-level-rises/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/04/choose-my-adventure-the-neverwinter-bard-continues-to-rock-even-as-the-challenge-level-rises/#respond Tue, 04 Apr 2023 15:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433796 This week in Neverwinter could be best described as broken up into two halves: a half of chicken time and a half of regular gameplay time. In case you missed my stream, I made my first foray into the April Fowls’ Day event of the MMORPG, and then I continued on with normal Tiefling Bard […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/04/choose-my-adventure-the-neverwinter-bard-continues-to-rock-even-as-the-challenge-level-rises/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/#comments Mon, 03 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433372 In the first part of this Why I Play retrospective on Diablo III, I discussed the early issues that accompanied the game’s record-setting debut. And while that rocky period is likely something many gamers remember well, it was certainly not the end of the story. In the second and final chunk of this series, we’ll […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/wisdom-of-nym-what-we-know-so-far-about-final-fantasy-xiv-patch-6-4-the-dark-throne/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/wisdom-of-nym-what-we-know-so-far-about-final-fantasy-xiv-patch-6-4-the-dark-throne/#comments Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433817 I realize this means more to me than it does literally anyone reading this, but gosh, Square-Enix has gotten kind of terrible at dealing with its press site. It used to be that we’d get all of the promotional screenshots uploaded promptly within hours of the Final Fantasy XIV live letter, but now it’s a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/wisdom-of-nym-what-we-know-so-far-about-final-fantasy-xiv-patch-6-4-the-dark-throne/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/01/lotro-legendarium-eight-features-id-love-to-see-added-to-lotro/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/01/lotro-legendarium-eight-features-id-love-to-see-added-to-lotro/#comments Sat, 01 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433226 Opinions, as they say, are like social media accounts: Everyone’s got at least one and probably a dozen ready to ruin your life. This is especially true when applied to the field of MMOs that we play. I mean, it’s almost impossible to be engaged with a title not to form strong opinions about what […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/01/lotro-legendarium-eight-features-id-love-to-see-added-to-lotro/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/#comments Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431917 It’s hard for me to believe that Diablo III’s May 15th, 2012, release was over a decade ago. And despite its reputation of being the black sheep soulstone of the mainline games, it’s gathered a loyal following over the years. With Diablo IV just on the horizon, the unfortunate reality is that a chunk of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/storyboard-pros-and-cons-for-purely-player-driven-story-experiences-in-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/storyboard-pros-and-cons-for-purely-player-driven-story-experiences-in-mmos/#comments Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433392 What is the right way to tell a story in an MMO? That is a silly question, like asking what the right way is to tell a story in a film. There are lots of potential answers, and all of them depend on a number of factors, like the kind of world the developers want […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/storyboard-pros-and-cons-for-purely-player-driven-story-experiences-in-mmos/feed/ 16 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/path-of-exiles-april-7th-update-crucible-gives-weapons-their-own-skill-trees/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/path-of-exiles-april-7th-update-crucible-gives-weapons-their-own-skill-trees/#respond Thu, 30 Mar 2023 19:35:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433331 Spring has sprung, and a new Path of Exile league is about to bloom. Next week — April 7th for PC and April 12th for consoles — Crucible will launch. And as a perfect complement to the season, the unique aspect about this league is that it helps your weapons to grow in power by […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/path-of-exiles-april-7th-update-crucible-gives-weapons-their-own-skill-trees/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-go-april-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-go-april-2023/#comments Thu, 30 Mar 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432922 While there’s always hope for a good April Fools’ Day prank, Pokemon Go’s April Schedule doesn’t have one listed, at least not yet. Unfortunately, Niantic’s made it kind of hard to get excited about April this year; very little information has been released. There’s no new Mega ‘mon this month, and the few potential new […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/massively-on-the-go-pokemon-go-april-2023/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/vague-patch-notes-can-anyone-really-cover-games-objectively-when-theres-suffering-built-in-to-them/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/vague-patch-notes-can-anyone-really-cover-games-objectively-when-theres-suffering-built-in-to-them/#comments Thu, 30 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433202 In July of 2021, we started a roundup tag in our tag cloud that most of us probably didn’t expect to still be using nearly two years later. It’s just “blizzard-scandal,” but that kind of says everything we need to. I wrote about it at the time, but since then it has only gotten worse. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/30/vague-patch-notes-can-anyone-really-cover-games-objectively-when-theres-suffering-built-in-to-them/feed/ 46 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/activision-blizzard-and-netease-split-up-over-long-brewing-disputes-and-alleged-threats/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/activision-blizzard-and-netease-split-up-over-long-brewing-disputes-and-alleged-threats/#comments Wed, 29 Mar 2023 18:30:19 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433110 One of the biggest MMO and gaming stories capping off the end of 2022 and spilling over into the start of 2023 was the dissolution of the Activision-Blizzard-NetEase partnership that governed the publishing of Blizzard’s games in China. The companies’ inability to reach a new agreement at the end of their multi-year contract resulted in […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/activision-blizzard-and-netease-split-up-over-long-brewing-disputes-and-alleged-threats/feed/ 22 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/perfect-ten-10-features-that-take-star-trek-online-out-of-this-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/perfect-ten-10-features-that-take-star-trek-online-out-of-this-world/#comments Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=430966 In returning to Star Trek Online after a couple of years away, I did something brand-new this time around: I brought my Star Trek-obsessed teenage daughter with me to experience the fun. For the first time, the two of us are playing an MMO together, and I’m glad to get to share with her the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/perfect-ten-10-features-that-take-star-trek-online-out-of-this-world/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/not-so-massively-second-impressions-of-diablo-iv/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/not-so-massively-second-impressions-of-diablo-iv/#comments Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432949 My initial impression of the Diablo IV open beta was lukewarm at best, but I did hold some hope that the second beta weekend might change things. This second beta opened up two more classes, the Necromancer and the Druid, and those also happened to be the classes that most appealed to me on paper. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/not-so-massively-second-impressions-of-diablo-iv/feed/ 42 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/28/choose-my-adventure-neverwinters-bard-rocks/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/28/choose-my-adventure-neverwinters-bard-rocks/#comments Tue, 28 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432566 Neverwinter is another one of those MMORPGs that I just put on the shelf and walked away from after being generally bored by it. I don’t remember the combat being that great. I don’t remember the setting being compelling. And I definitely don’t remember the classes that I experienced being too dynamic or interesting. All […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/28/choose-my-adventure-neverwinters-bard-rocks/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/wisdom-of-nym-recurring-final-fantasy-xiv-systems-we-could-probably-get-rid-of/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/wisdom-of-nym-recurring-final-fantasy-xiv-systems-we-could-probably-get-rid-of/#comments Mon, 27 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432565 At this point, Final Fantasy XIV has had a long time to get into a pretty reliable cadence that has not changed substantially beyond the fringes. If you do not like alliance raids, normal raids, expert roulettes, trials, and frontline matches… well, at this point it’s just fair to accept that this is not the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/wisdom-of-nym-recurring-final-fantasy-xiv-systems-we-could-probably-get-rid-of/feed/ 39 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/not-so-massively-wolcens-endgame-is-one-of-online-gamings-all-time-worst-blunders/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/not-so-massively-wolcens-endgame-is-one-of-online-gamings-all-time-worst-blunders/#comments Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431559 Speaking as a long-time fan of the game, I think the post-launch management of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem has been an absolute mess. There have been long content draughts. The game moved to a seasonal content model called Chronicles, only to never release a second Chronicle. Wolcen Studio went years without concluding the cliff-hanger the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/not-so-massively-wolcens-endgame-is-one-of-online-gamings-all-time-worst-blunders/feed/ 16 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/#comments Sat, 25 Mar 2023 16:00:31 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431216 Most MMO players will admit to feeling the need to step away from the multiplayer genre from time to time. This seems especially true for those enjoying PvP games, which are typically filled with adrenaline, quick reflexes, and at times toxicity and varied amounts of salt. It recently occurred to me that I’ve been indulging […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/24/activision-blizzards-diversity-and-inclusion-goals-are-out-of-sync-with-its-corporate-action/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/24/activision-blizzards-diversity-and-inclusion-goals-are-out-of-sync-with-its-corporate-action/#comments Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:30:01 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432363 Activision-Blizzard has released a full-year review of its diversity, equity, and inclusion stats for 2022 this week, and the first thing readers will notice is that the data aren’t notably different from the data released a quarter ago, which included all but December from the year 2022. The key addition is further breakdown by race, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/24/activision-blizzards-diversity-and-inclusion-goals-are-out-of-sync-with-its-corporate-action/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/24/vague-patch-notes-the-objective-truth-of-objectivity-in-games-journalism/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/24/vague-patch-notes-the-objective-truth-of-objectivity-in-games-journalism/#comments Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432306 All right, folks, real talk: Originally there was going to be a much more sober and depressing column this week, but then this week happened, and while I don’t really want to talk in detail about my personal life, it took a lot of the wind out of my sails. Not in the sense that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/24/vague-patch-notes-the-objective-truth-of-objectivity-in-games-journalism/feed/ 20 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/casually-classic-how-permadeath-runs-are-revitalizing-wow-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/casually-classic-how-permadeath-runs-are-revitalizing-wow-classic/#comments Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432214 While I don’t have any hard data on the subject, just observing the World of Warcraft Classic scene (and ABK’s financials) over the past couple years leads me to the conclusion that this massive phenomenon from 2019 to 2021 has started to slow. Enthusiasm is down, engagement seems to be following the law of diminishing […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/casually-classic-how-permadeath-runs-are-revitalizing-wow-classic/feed/ 24 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/for-science-crit-rate-is-another-survey-driven-attempt-to-match-gamer-personalities-to-games/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/for-science-crit-rate-is-another-survey-driven-attempt-to-match-gamer-personalities-to-games/#comments Thu, 23 Mar 2023 15:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432202 I have to admit I almost deleted the press release for this story without reading it, but my finger twitched, and let me tell you why: One of the most common Reddit threads I see and one of the most common emails we get here at MOP can be boiled down to “what MMO should […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/for-science-crit-rate-is-another-survey-driven-attempt-to-match-gamer-personalities-to-games/feed/ 16 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/wisdom-of-nym-what-will-a-new-producer-mean-for-final-fantasy-xi/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/wisdom-of-nym-what-will-a-new-producer-mean-for-final-fantasy-xi/#comments Thu, 23 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432154 So we were pretty surprised yesterday when Square-Enix announced Akihiko Matsui would step away as the producer of Final Fantasy XI after a decade working on the title. It’s a far cry from what happened the last time we had a new producer on the game; that was when Tanaka stepped away from the game […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/wisdom-of-nym-what-will-a-new-producer-mean-for-final-fantasy-xi/feed/ 2