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Blizzard scraps Diablo III PvP mode, starts over
December 27, 2012

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Blizzard scraps Diablo III PvP mode, starts over
You want the bad news first? Here it is: Blizzard has decided that the long-in-production Team Deathmatch mode for PvP in Diablo III isn't living up to its standards and has scrapped the entire system.

Lead Designer Jay Wilson wrote a dev diary in which he explained the concept of PvP in Diablo III and why Team Deathmatch wasn't working. He said that arena combat put too much of a focus on class balance that the team doesn't want, that there wasn't enough incentive to fight more than a couple matches, and that feedback from players was mixed.

You still waiting for the good news? Here you go: Wilson said that the team is implementing dueling in the new year and has started work on a completely new form of PvP for the game. This new mode will focus more on objectives and "possibly even integrate PvE elements and rewards."

MassivelyBlizzard scraps Diablo III PvP mode, starts over originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pathfinder Online addresses the Escalation mechanic
December 27, 2012

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Pathfinder Online addresses the escalation mechanic
We know that many of you are passionate about Pathfinder Online and its current Kickstarter campaign, so today we're happy to point you towards a new developer video and links to a series of dev blogs that tell more about the game's creative process.

Lead designer Lee Hammock and game designer Stephen Cheney address the topic of Escalations in this latest video, explaining that each area of the map will have creatures that need to be dealt with or their power will escalate over time. These unchecked monsters will eventually burden the zone's resources and make it more difficult for a settlement to thrive in that area. But if the threat is dealt with completely, you will earn bonuses for your settlement.

Be sure to watch the entire video after the cut for more on Escalation cycles and how they work.

[Source: Pathfinder Online Kickstarter update email]

Continue reading Pathfinder Online addresses the Escalation mechanic

MassivelyPathfinder Online addresses the Escalation mechanic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The War Z executive producer blames problems on the game's success
    December 27, 2012

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    The War Z executive producer clears the air
    Sergey Titov, executive producer for The War Z, sent out an email to the controversial MMO's playerbase today addressing the recent problems with the game and the public's opinion of the game.

    Titov states that there are "hundreds of thousands of players" on the game's servers each day and blames the overwhelming early success of the game for its eventual negative impressions. "I was too focused on how great we are and how a small independent team got their first game to over 700,000 users in a two-month period," Titov says in the email.

    Admitting that the team made many mistakes in communication and rushing the game out before the holidays, Sergey says that they'll soon be hiring additional community managers and moderators to properly respond to any problems that might arise in the future.

    You can read the email in its entirety after the cut.

    Continue reading The War Z executive producer blames problems on the game's success

    MassivelyThe War Z executive producer blames problems on the game's success originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Keep celebrating Christmas with this RaiderZ event trailer
      December 27, 2012

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      Celebrate Christmas with RaiderZ event trailer
      The official holiday with stockings and gifts nestled under a tree may be over out here in the real world, but the Christmas celebration is continuing in RaiderZ's Kingdom of Rendel. Players can participate in plenty of additional festivities through January 2nd, 2013, including a special quest to hunt the Ice Queen and collecting Christmas cards to exchange for assorted winter gear. Folks should also be on the lookout for a snowman invasion at the port city of Ingen.

      Get a glimpse of the winter festivities in the screenshots below and the trailer after the break. You might even see some familiar faces from the Diago server!

      [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]

      Continue reading Keep celebrating Christmas with this RaiderZ event trailer

      MassivelyKeep celebrating Christmas with this RaiderZ event trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        City of Steam fans treated to dev humiliation video for reaching goal
        December 27, 2012

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        City of Steam fans treated to dev humiliation video for reaching goal
        Whether it was out of love for the game or just a wicked sense of humor, City of Steam fans banded together and supported the steampunk browser game enough to earn their first special dev humiliation reward on the Steam-o-Meter. So what type of public humiliation were the devs subjected to? How about FemGab and AndrewYunk starring in a live-action trailer of the beta itself!

        Check out the humorous -- yet eerily accurate -- depictions of character creation, the tutorial, looting, and PvP in the video after the break! And if you want to see how well the devs have lived this humiliation down, then tune in to Massively TV this Friday, December 28th, at 9:00 p.m. EST for a dev-filled stream spectacular.

        [Source: Mechanist Games press release]

        Continue reading City of Steam fans treated to dev humiliation video for reaching goal

        MassivelyCity of Steam fans treated to dev humiliation video for reaching goal originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Summoner's Guidebook: Teaming up to fight in League of Legends
          December 27, 2012

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          The Summoner's Guidebook Teaming up to fight in League of Legends
          Grouping up to fight enemies together is a concept that is old as history itself. Numerous treatises on group warfare have been written, ranging from small unit tactics to battle strategies involving hundreds of thousands or millions of combatants. A lot of the same principles of combat that are used in warfare are applicable to games and especially to team-based PvP games like League of Legends.

          It might not be readily apparent how ideas like the mission of a Marine rifle team might apply to a five-player team in LoL, but there are more similarities than you think. The tools are different -- for example, games use different means to suppress the enemy than real soldiers -- but the tactics are surprisingly similar.

          This week, we're going to cover the beginning of a fight. Starting a fight at an advantage is important element in victory, as the opening seconds of a battle matter the most. If you can leverage an advantage early on in a fight, you can snowball that advantage into a decisive win.

          Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Teaming up to fight in League of Legends

          MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Teaming up to fight in League of Legends originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Daily Grind: Did you get yourself a gift this season?
            December 26, 2012

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            The Daily Grind Did you get yourself a gift this season
            When I was a kid, I always thought it was strange that my mother would get herself Christmas presents. It wasn't until sometime later that I realized that she did this so she'd open something she'd actually use instead of just another macaroni plate or a misshapen ash tray. Since then, I've been pretty lenient on folks who tell me that they purchased themselves a present during the holidays.

            So if you want to brag about what you got yesterday or this month, feel free in the comments below. However, I'm genuinely curious if you've decided to treat yourself to an MMO nicety for the holiday. Maybe you're giving yourself a marathon gaming session, that cash shop item you've always wanted, or a game that nobody thought to get you. It's okay to share, I give you permission!

            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!

            MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Did you get yourself a gift this season? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Big TERA content update in the works, game going F2P in Korea and Japan
              December 26, 2012

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              TERA - New dungeon content
              NHN is reportedly taking steps to convert the Korean and Japanese versions of TERA to a free-to-play business model. MMO Culture says that TERA Korea will be F2P as of January 10th, while TERA Japan will finish its changeover in mid-February.

              Free accounts will be restricted to three or four character slots depending on the region as well as longer dungeon cool-down times. Characters will be allowed 72 storage slots.

              TERA is also getting a major content update in the near future. The patch includes a revamped political system, "content centered around guilds and the community," large-scale PvP events, sieges and airships, and new dungeons. NHN has released a story-focused teaser video for the update which you can view after the cut (there are no subtitles). Thus far En Masse has not commented on any business model changes for the American client.

              [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

              Continue reading Big TERA content update in the works, game going F2P in Korea and Japan

              MassivelyBig TERA content update in the works, game going F2P in Korea and Japan originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              MMO Family: Roblox CEO David Baszucki talks mobile app, plans for the future
              December 26, 2012

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              MMO Family Roblox CEO David Baszucki talks mobile app, plans for the future
              A few months ago, we looked at Roblox, a kid-friendly MMO with an emphasis on user-generated content. With the help of Roblox Studio, players have made some amazing worlds, ranging from peaceful playgrounds to intense PvP battlegrounds. Recently, Roblox officially launched a free mobile app that lets fans play Roblox through their iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

              Massively had a chance to talk with CEO David Baszucki about the new mobile app, and he gave us some insight into how it works and what it means for Roblox. He also spoke about an exciting new change to the Roblox economy and hinted at plans for the future.

              Continue reading MMO Family: Roblox CEO David Baszucki talks mobile app, plans for the future

              MassivelyMMO Family: Roblox CEO David Baszucki talks mobile app, plans for the future originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Enter at Your Own Rift: My 2013 wish list
                December 26, 2012

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                Enter at Your Own Rift My 2013 wish list
                The end of the year and the beginning of a new one is the traditional time to take stock of the past and make plans for the future, no? I thought RIFT had a banner year, especially in pushing out a great expansion less than two years after launch. Trion Worlds has continued to get those meaty content updates out, fleshing out the now-annual celebrations and growing the game in new and often-surprising ways.

                Really, we have such a wealth of options and content on which to feast, so you'll really have to excuse me as I ignore everything the studio's done to date and talk about what I'd like to see done, changed, or added in the new year. Yup, it's time for a RIFT wish list in this Fae Yule season, straight from my fingers to Santa Crucia's home at the Death Pole!

                Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: My 2013 wish list

                MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: My 2013 wish list originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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