Massively Speaking Podcast Episode 36
Filed under: Culture, Massively meta, Massively Speaking
Massively Speaking Episode 36 continues our 'week in the news' return, tackling yet another busy week in MMO gaming. Dan O'Halloran (co-lead of WoW Insider and Massively staffer) joins Michael and Shawn for a heaping helping of news fallout. We're still dealing with last week's big announcements, with chat about SWTOR, Warhammer, the SOE microtransaction system, and tons more. Join us for all the discussion you can shake a stick at!Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot us an email to podcast AT massively DOT com. Maybe we'll read your letter on the air!
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Read below the cut for the full show notes.
Show Notes For Massively Speaking Episode 36
Hosts:
Topics:
- First Star Wars: The Old Republic video
- Picking apart the first Old Republic video
- We interview the HeroEngine head
- Warhammer Patch 1.1a goes live
- The devs weigh in on RvR changes, new careers, and the future expansion
- Massively's Unofficial Station Cash FAQ
- New staff slated to be added for Station Cash only
- Our interview with John Smedley all about Station Cash
- World of Warcraft launches character re-customization
- The trillion-ISK EVE scandal
- Massively's guide to the LotRO Yule Festival
- Star Wars Galaxies server transfers announced
- "Vanguard Forward", by Michael Gordon Shapiro. Used with permission.

















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Abriael said on 3:28PM 12-17-2008
personally i think you guys are reading a tad too much in the "no new classes for a while". You don't know hiow much that "a while" is, it can be 2 years, of it can be 3 months.
Mark jacobs stated several times that their schedule for major (free) content updates is once every three months, and he posted on the vnboards that he was already reviewing material about the third of such major content updates (if they keep their schedule, 6 months from now).
It's very possible that we won't see new classes until such third content update, but it doesn't mean that they won't introduce new content at all.
going with what MJ has always said, we can pretty much expect something major, content-wise, coming in around 3 months. maybe Capitals? Can't really say. But i definately think the "no new content for a long while" i heard in this podcast and in previous massively article is a strong generalization and an exaggeration of what has been said.
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silverwraith said on 6:18PM 12-17-2008
change your race loose your class
change your class loose your race
Think that might be part of the reason they didn't go all the way Zenke?
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moo said on 8:01AM 12-18-2008
Micro Transactions do not make a game more accessible to new players because a new player does not spend money on in game items and doesn't generally know how to. I don't join a new mmorpg and decide I'm going to buy all these items because I'm not sure if I want to be there long term, thats an investment. Someone who needs an mmorpg to be more accessible hasn't played mmorpgs before and are even less likely to buy the new items.
Micro Transactions are designed for the veteran players because theres a mentality in mmorpg players that they want to collect and have all the kool stuff for their character. Like in SWG wit the TCG, some people put $400 into getting all the loot cards and still didn't get the ones they wanted and kept trying. They want the best items and they don't care how they get it.
These arn't services like a character transfer but they are put in there to feed off of the mmorpg gamer mentality. Also server transfers should be a service that comes under your subscription because thats what you pay your sub for. It should be like 1 server transfer a month and if you want more then oyu have to pay.
I'm just fedup of paying my monthly fee and getting ripped off with all these services that should be part of that fee and all these micro transactions that should be part of the game.
The items in TCG for SWG are some of the best items int he game and the only way to get them is via loot cards. You have to wonder how much resources it took away from the live team to model these new items and program them into the game. considering the SWG team is tiny now I bet it took alot of them away for it. While what are we paying our subscription for? Having to give SOE more money for content we should be getting in the game.
All that happens now is crafters are made even more useless.
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moo said on 8:15AM 12-18-2008
Another thing I don't understand is why you want to be charged $15 to change your characters appearance? This is a feature that should be built into the game! SWG had it built into the game and still does with the image designer.... so why can't Blizzard add a new profession for their game? It's just another thing you're being charged for that should come under the subscription or be in the game.
It's funny how they charge us all for this and yet they can't even get things right in the game. Theres not a single good mmorpg anymore, they're all far too easy and all want you to solo rush to the end game. Everyones copying WoW now and tbh I was bored of WoW when I got bored of EQ. Wheres the challenge anymore? wheres the grouping? wheres the social aspects of mmorpgs? Where are the death penalties?
I used to love SWG until SOE ruined it and I've been looking for a new mmorpg ever since.
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Abriael said on 10:16AM 12-18-2008
"Another thing I don't understand is why you want to be charged $15 to change your characters appearance? This is a feature that should be built into the game! SWG had it built into the game and still does with the image designer.... so why can't Blizzard add a new profession for their game? It's just another thing you're being charged for that should come under the subscription or be in the game."
Totally agree. DAOC for instance offered it for free. It's just a further way for blizzard to milk (or better, farm) their customer base. Given their strong position in the market, I fully expect them to devise many more such ways. The average wow player, after all, demonstrated to be quite guillible.
Hexane said on 9:02AM 12-29-2008
I really appreciate the fact that you guys are covering TOR, I thought it was insightful and a good way to get caught up with the latest. Thanks.
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