EVE Online's Faction Warfare system was released almost one year ago with the Empyrean Age expansion and was initially a complete success. It provided a stage on which thousands of players waged war. From fleets of over a hundred players to gangs as small as two or three pilots, everyone found their own place in the conflict. After the initial wave of success, questions began to arise on the lack of rewards to offset the cost of losing ships in PvP. In addition, while the point of faction warfare initially revolved around capturing systems, holding an enemy system provided no benefits beyond bragging rights. Almost a year on from its initial release, faction warfare has barely changed, prompting very real concerns from players that EVE's developers CCP have entirely abandoned it. These issues have even made it as far as the Council of Stellar Management.

In this article, I take a retrospective look at how faction warfare has (or hasn't) progressed in this past year and ask the question "Has Faction Warfare been abandoned?".

EverQuest II's Game Update 52: Monument and Might is almost ready to roll out on the Test server, and the official community site has put up a preview of some of the highlights of the patch. There seems to be a focus on the Rise of Kunark areas for this update. Here's what the preview tells us is coming:

• The player-written books we had a look at last month
• A new zone called the Emperor's Athenaeum in Charasis
  
• A group instance called Kurn's Tower: Breaching the Void
• A x2 raid zone also based on Kurn's Tower
• Research Assistants that can upgrade spells and combat arts
• Over 80 new quests in the overland zones of RoK

We spotted a post from Kiara on the forums saying that these things are planned to be on Test next week if possible, so it won't be long until we know a lot more.

Stealth bombers were originally advanced frigates aimed at an ambush predator role. They launched cruise missiles at foes from a distance and dealt very high damage to small ships like cruisers and other frigates. With the changes in the recent EVE Online expansion, they've been re-focused into an anti-battleship role. They now fling massive torpedoes that deal impressive damage to large targets but poor damage to smaller ships. In addition, they were switched from an ambush predator role intended to use normal cloaking devices to a pack hunter role able to warp while cloaked using a covert ops cloaking device.

It's all very well to speculate, but how well do the new stealth bombers actually perform? I took a gang of stealth bomber pilots out on the town for a tense PvP test drive. In this gallery article, I show a visual record of our adventure and go on to give my opinion on the new stealth bombers after a night of EVE PvP.

Perhaps you've tried your hand at guild recruiting before, but things didn't exactly turn out as expected. You've found what you believed was the perfect tank, but he developed into a nightmare guildie. He had all the skills, all the experience, but who knew his emotional state would have the stability of a Twitter server.

This is where WoW Headhunter comes in. WoW Headhunter works in the realm of guild recruitment, making it easier for guild leaders to find qualified candidates based not only on skill and credential but also on personality. This works both ways, for guild leaders seeking the perfect members, and for players seeking the perfect guild fit. Not sure how something like that could happen? Keep reading after the cut below for more info and exclusive guild leader interviews explaining the service.

Hola mi amigos! Hoy es la dia de Vana'diel! *clears throat* Ahem, sorry about that. Hello adventurers, and welcome to another edition of Starting out in Vana'diel! Today's topic is actually one that I find quite cool about Final Fantasy XI, especially when you compare it to other MMOs. It's the mechanic that puts the fear of Promathia into every adventurer's step.

Today's column is all about the different monster aggro types -- yes, there are different types. You want to find out more? Come, follow me, and let's find out more!

Of course we laugh about a topic like this one. Games aren't suppose to be serious, that's why they're games! They're suppose to be fun and enjoyable. If you're not having fun, then you're doing something seriously wrong. For the most part, all of this is true. Yet, there are small segments of the games that we play that actually can require everyone to sit down and "get serious."

We see it in raiding tactics, player vs. player tactics, loot distribution, and many other areas (including the entire universe of EVE Online, which seems to be played very seriously.) We've even dedicated a segment of our culture to this type of behavior -- the "hardcore" crowd.

So, let's go forward and look at the question, "Are games getting too serious?"

You might see where this is going now...

This is a hard concept to explain, yet it's the concept that drives all social games, real-life based or online based. If you're taking the game so seriously that you're not having fun, then you've found the line where the problem begins.

"Serious business" sounds like a joke, but all games have some degree of seriousness in them. The only ones that are truly unbound by this rule are the ones that are entirely luck based, like The Game of Life, Chutes and Ladders, or Trouble, where the dice determine the progress of game play. Players have no true input into the game, thus no true focus is required.

"So are games getting too serious? Nope. They're doing the same things they've always been doing."

Once decision making is introduced, strategies begin. Once strategies are introduced, players will formulate efficient ways to win and those winning methods will always win unless luck determines otherwise or a more efficient strategy is found. Regarding our MMO games, which require player movement, button presses, and (to some degree) luck, you will need players who are focused. If players aren't standing in the right places or if the right skills aren't being used, then loss will almost constantly occur. Players don't gather in raids to lose, they gather in raids to win.

A football team and a raiding party are actually closer than one might think. Both get together to overcome a challenge presented to them, whether it be the Blue Mountain Eagles from the other side of the county or Patchwerk of Naxxramas. The fun comes from the work of overcoming the challenge; from "winning" the game. Sure, there might be rewards involved, like trophies or purple loot, but there is also going to be work involved. So are games getting too serious? Nope. They're doing the same things they've always been doing.

So next time you're in that raid group, or next time you're on that PvP team, or in that corporation war, or sieging that city, remember that focusing is not being overly serious. It's about working to get the task done, not screaming at one another. It also means that perhaps you might want to save your list of jokes and gossip for another time.

There's always more time to kid with friends. But right now is one of the few times you may be standing in front of Malygos.

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Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who is still forced to make decisions he totally doesn't want to. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's rambling on his personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow him on Twitter through Massively, or through his personal feed.

Hello again adventurers! Ready to go on another tour of Vana'diel? So, ok, you're in Valkurm Dunes. You're enjoying the luxurious beaches, the warm weather, the beautiful sandstorms, the nasty crabs that use defense buffs, and fish that fly in the air and attempt to impale you. It's all par for the course down here at Valkurm.

Yet, I know what you're saying to yourself. You're saying, "Well Brennan, when are you going to tell me how to get that sub-job, so I don't look stupid around the other players?" Perhaps you're not putting it so nicely in your head, but you get the drift.

For those of you who have thought that, then you'll be pleased to know that today's topic is getting your sub-job. Sure, the quest is pretty straightforward, but I have a couple of tips that may help you get through it that much faster. This way, when you get to level 18, you'll have a second job next to your name before your house moogle can say "Kupo~!"

Hello there adventurers! It's Thursday, and that means more tips for those of you who are new to Vana'diel.

This time around we have some less documented topics to talk about -- the controls of Final Fantasy XI, how to get into groups and how to run groups, and answer one of the questions presented by reader Green Armadillo in last column's comment area.

I know these topics may seem weird for a recurring feature that is suppose to be a guide to starting out in Final Fantasy XI. You would think I would be tackling more game play issues or tips on how to level. However, these topics play right into getting the most out of your FFXI experience. Knowing these things is going to help you tremendously in Vana'diel, so let's stop talking about it and get down into it.

What's better than playing an MMORPG by yourself? Playing one with friends of course! Realizing this, SOE just rolled out a Recruit-a-Friend program for EverQuest II. This is one of the better Recruit-a-Friend programs we've seen lately considering the quality of incentives.

Anyone with an EQ2 account in good standing, active or inactive, can invite their friends to take a free 14-day trial of EQ2 content up to the Rise of Kunark expansion. There does not appear to be any limit to how many friends you can invite. While grouped with a friend, you will (both?) receive a 3x experience bonus. Mentor the friend and he or she will receive an additional 10% adventure experience. If you friend decides to stick around (i.e., register an account), you will receive a free month subscription added to your account up to a maximum of 25-months. You will also receive a free exclusive mount. Additional rewards include two free Legends of Norrath Oathbreaker booster packs and 250 Station Cash for the first friend you convert to the game

Massively multiplayer online games operating on the free-to-play business model are definitely a mixed bag in terms of quality. As such, they get a mixed reception in the West. Those who like more variety in their gameplay choices than the standard subscription model offers them tend to be more open to alternative business models. Staunch supporters of the AAA subscription model typical of the industry in Western markets have some serious misgivings about what the new crop of free-to-play titles could mean for the industry climate.

NDOORS Interactive hopes to change some of these perceptions with Atlantica Online, their strategic turn-based MMORPG. Danny "Ralsu" Gourley from Ten Ton Hammer interviewed NDOORS Interactive CEO Peter Kang about Atlantica Online and how it fits into the industry climate in the West.

The folks at GOA put together an extremely thorough strategy guide for RvR teamplay in Warhammer Online. It covers all the basics from how to form a group to suggesting various ideal career combinations, but it doesn't end there. They're just getting warmed up!

The guide discusses the pros of assigning a group leader and lays out some general guidelines a good leader should follow. It also suggests how a strong group will follow that leader while remaining alert for danger and constantly communicating with each other. Strategic offensive and defensive positioning for various career archetypes is covered in depth. The guide suggests that as important as it is for you to know the roles of you and your allies, it is equally as important to study your enemy and learn their various strengths and weaknesses. Last, but certainly not least, the author runs the reader through various group tactics as complex as you'd find on any whiteboard in an NFL team's locker room!

Warhammer Online is ultimately striving for mass market appeal, but its core is that of a realm vs. realm (many players vs. many players) gaming experience. The RvR teamplay guide is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants give this MMORPG a try but is slightly timid about RvR or PvP. It's also fantastic for any current WAR subscriber.

There's a fairly hefty set of changes to EverQuest II's hate/aggro system currently being ironed out on Test, and they aren't to everyone's liking. Due to the the complexity of the changes, developer Chris "Aeralik" Kozak has offered up a summary for players to wrap their heads around. We'll attempt to boil it down even more for you, at the cost of including some of the finer details.

The problem with the aggro system begins with the fact that hate has scaled linearly as the game has progressed, and damage has scaled exponentially with gear and new skills, making it hard for designated aggro-holders to keep control of mobs. One of the changes on Test has given taunts the chance to hit critically, just like damage spells, and there will be a base and normalized amount of threat from taunt abilities.

There's something really scary out there. Something so mean, so vicious, so terrifying that it will blow your socks from your feet. Things so horrible that people tell stories every day about them, and even devote entire websites to their needs. What are we talking about?

Your fellow MMO players.

Ok, ok, we're all not that bad, but it does raise a good question -- how often do you brave the structure of a group? Are you the type of person who groups for lots of quests, groups for dungeons only, or tries in vain to avoid the whole grouping process? Even better question, why do you like or not like groups?

Of course there are the old games, like EverQuest and Final Fantasy XI, which push people into groups to do their daily activities and leveling, but not all games are like that. So please, share with us your stories, your favorite moments, and even your tribulations of grouping in your favorite MMO.

In a post-World of Warcraft world the concept of grouping while leveling has changed. Where grouping was once essential to survival in MMOGs, today it's an optional extra. As a result, leveling up can feel pretty lonely. In most MMOGs it's no longer necessary to group unless you're running an instanced dungeon or the rare quest geared toward a specific number of players. While I love the fact that I can play WoW on my own terms and my own schedule I feel like I'm missing out on the whole "massively multiplayer" thing. Isn't that the reason we play MMOGs to begin with? Why should we wait until end-game raid content to play together?

Most people don't group while leveling because there's no real incentive to group. Soloing nets you more XP than grouping and most of the content is easy to take on by yourself. There's no waiting around for others, no sharing of loot, and no arguing about what to do when. So why bother? I'd like to see developers provide players with more incentive to level up together. In my opinion, MMOGs should always work to increase entertainment value when players work together. Read on to explore ways to achieve that objective.