ncsoft posts

One Shots: From the clouds

by Krystalle Voecks Sep 2nd 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

Ever wondered what it might look like if you could get high above some of the various parts of your favorite MMO? Well, if you're today's rather resourceful contributor, Stone, you might well find a way! Not content to simply run around in Guild Wars and enjoy the various locales, he found a way to get today's eye-catching overview that he calls "Canthan boat." Stone writes in to explain it a bit further: "Because most people only redo the Shing Jea tutorial to get a little more of the map uncovered for the Canthan Cartographer title, they tend to miss the beautiful scenery in the area. Even on my fifth time through the tutorial, I still find little niceties that the ArenaNet team put in."

Have you found a new perspective on an area you may have seen many, many times? If so, why not share it with us! We love to see what our readers are doing, and One Shots can always use more screenshot love. Just email your images in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. You never know -- yours could be the next one we post here on Massively!

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

Tags: arenanet, guild-wars, gw, ncsoft, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots, stone

ArenaNet plans "PAX to the MAX"

by Rubi Bayer Sep 1st 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, News items, Guild Wars 2

PAX Prime is nearly upon us -- attendees (and Massively staffers) from all over are packing their suitcases and confirming hotel reservations, and a large part of them have Guild Wars 2 at the top of their must-see list.

The newest entry on the ArenaNet blog is what those fans have been waiting for: the PAX schedule. The list shows three busy days for ANet staffers, and plenty to do for those attending. A book signing, panel, and party at the Hard Rock Cafe combine with a series of demos and prize giveaways to fill the schedule. An important note here is that both the panel and the party require passes which can be acquired at the ArenaNet booth or through quiz show giveaways. Check out the entire list and we'll see you at PAX!

Tags: anet, arenanet, arenanet-blog, guild-wars-2, gw2, ncsoft, pax, pax-2010, pax-prime, pax-prime-2010

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Because you demanded answers

by Eliot Lefebvre Sep 1st 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

It's been another month, and you all know that means it's time for more questions and answers regarding City of Heroes. It's pleasing that I've been getting an ever-greater number of questions, but that also means that more and more I have to just pick a few of them to answer. So, if your question was not among those chosen, fear not; we'll get to it in due time. For now, let's move on past the preamble and into the meat of the column.

Superfan asked: "Will hazard zones ever become co-op?"

I'm going to do the unthinkable and attempt to predict the future here. Yes, hazard zones will become a place where both heroes and villains (and rogues and vigilantes, really) may group together, with nary a care for the alignment of their brothers in supernatural armor. City of Heroes will grow to embrace all of its players inside of these horrifying lands of insane spawns and maddening geographic layouts. While it might sound like I'm treading into ridiculous sarcasm, I'm really not.

Tags: archetypes, city-of-heroes, city-of-heroes-going-rogue, city-of-villains, coh, content, cov, cox, epic-archetypes, expansions, featured, going-rogue, gr, hazard-zones, hazards, ncsoft, new-content, new-gameplay, new-stories, opinion, paragon, paragon-studios

Party down with the new City of Heroes Party Pack

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 31st 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Galleries, Trailers, City of Heroes, City of Villains, News items, Roleplaying

It's time to get down and party in City of Heroes. No, not just partying up to clear some of the remarkably difficult content available in Praetoria, although that's also a fine idea. The team at Paragon Studios has just announced the Party Pack, a collection of several emotes designed to enhance your game experience. No new costume parts, no new powers -- just a solid collection of fun emotes to break out in any situation.

Sound ridiculous? Maybe a little, but who can deny the enjoyment of breaking out some new dance moves in the middle of a party, or even kicking a soccer ball in Atlas Park? It's not for everyone, but the breadth of emotes available should be sure to impress several players, and it's only $7.99 for the pack. Take a look at the gallery, and there's a trailer past the cut showing the new emotes in action -- a fun addition for any dedicated City of Heroes player.

[Update: This is just for the announcement of the Party Pack,. It will go live on September 14th.]

Gallery: City of Heroes Party Pack emotes

Tags: city-of-heroes, city-of-villains, coh, cov, cox, emotes, galleries, microtransactions, ncsoft, new-emotes, paragon, paragon-studios, party-pack, super-booster, trailers

Aion: Assault on Balaurea zone trailer -- Gelkmaros

by MJ Guthrie Aug 31st 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Aion, Expansions, Interviews, Previews

Last week, NCsoft gave us a peek at one of the new zones in Aion's upcoming Assault on Balaurea expansion; today, we tour the Asmodian occupied land -- Gelkmaros. With fissures ripped in the very land itself and areas devastated by ancient battles (including the ancient city of Maravas), the Asmodians will find their stronghold treacherous, but not without surprising new allies.

Stranded in Balaurea since before the Cataclysm, the Reian tribe knew nothing of the war between the Asmodians and the Elyos until recently. These Daevas who stand watch over Subterranea, home of the evil Dragonbound, enter into a tentative alliance with their lost brothers and sisters from Asmodae.

As hostile as the land and creatures may be, the Asmodians must be ever vigilant to defend both the Vorgaltem Citadel and Crimson Temple against the assaults of the Balaur and Elyos forces, lest they lose the ability to travel with in their enemy's stronghold.

Once again, Massively asked Chris Hager, Producer of Aion, NCsoft West, a few questions about this new area.

Fly past the cut and through a video tour of Gelkmaros, then check out Chris' answers.

Tags: aion, aion-game, assault-on-balaurea, balaur, balaurea, chris-hager, featured, flight, Gelkmaros, interview, nc-soft, nc-soft-aion, ncsoft, ncsoft-aion, ncsoft-west, pvp, siege, sieges, sieging, video, video-tour

Flameseeker Chronicles: Back to (the other) basics

by Rubi Bayer Aug 30th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

I had originally planned this week's Flameseeker Chronicles to be a detailed overview of Gamescom and the necromancer. By Friday afternoon, I decided that the subject had been done to death and that more words on it would just be repetitive clutter. There's enough of that on the net already, thanks.

Instead, I took my thoughts in another direction: the extreme hype of Guild Wars 2. Guild Wars 2-interest is at an all-time high, thanks in large part to Gamescom and PAX, and more people are beginning to take notice every day. The majority of those people are unfamiliar with Guild Wars and ArenaNet, and they've got a lot of questions.

Most of them are the same questions that veteran fans feel like they've answered a hundred times, and since I covered the basics of Guild Wars a few weeks ago, it seemed only fair to give the same kind of attention to Guild Wars 2. I love my fellow crazed-fans, and I promise that next week's column will contain all sorts of treats from PAX, but this week is for the newbies.

If you are new to ArenaNet's world and wondering what the deal is with Guild Wars 2, welcome -- I'm so glad you're checking this game out. If you've been around for a while, pass this on the next time you see someone asking what the deal is. There are several good -- and very detailed -- informational sites for the game in existence, and I'll wrap up with a bit of info on those. This one is intended as a starting point to cover the basics, complete with links for proof where needed, because the really extensive ones can get a bit overwhelming.

Follow along after the jump and let's get you started.

Tags: anet, arenanet, faq, featured, flameseeker-chronicles, forums, guide, guild-wars, guild-wars-2, gw, gw2, ncsoft

Wings Over Atreia: Daevas of Our Lives

by MJ Guthrie Aug 30th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Culture, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

Like sand through the hourglass, so are the Daevas of Our Lives...

The lovers sat under the trees in central Sanctum, purple leaves drifting about them, lost in each other's eyes. "Oh Pwnzoo, you are my hero!" coos the cleric, fingers resting lightly on her companion's +8 pauldrons.

"For you, my darling, I will slay Vile Judge Kromede a thousand times over!" The gallant knight puffs out his chest a little more. "I will fly to the ends of the Abyss, I will..."

"Ooh, darling, hold that thought, I have to log... " [logs to character select, then back on]

"Ooh, there you are, my sweet prince Castfast!" The ranger leaps into the arms of the sorceror waiting at the Mystic Spring of Anathe. "I have dreamed of the moment we can be together... Oh, whoops, I'll be right back." [logs out again, then back on]

The lithe spirit master peeks around the columns in Eltnen Fortress. "I have been awaiting our time together breathlessly, Ninjaarrow," she drawls as she bats her eyes at the dashing ranger across the way. "But our time is short, I am needed for a run at Kysis soon..."

For any who dare to deny that MMOs (Aion included) are drama-laced soap operas in-and-of themselves, I propose that they A) have never played in a guild/legion/kinship/corporation, B) have played in a very special solo bubble all of their online days, or C) are just plain delusional. Even those who eschew drama to the very core of their being see it around them like generator plasma balls in Dark Poeta and must employ superior evade skills to dodge it.

Stay tuned past the cut for some amusing episodes of Aion's own prime-time drama, along with some strategies for dealing with it.

Tags: aion, casual-gamer, drama, drama-king, drama-queen, DramaQueens, featured, ncsoft, pvp, RolePlayers, RolePlaying, RP, soap-opera, SoapOpera, Wings-Over-Atreia

Aion: Assault on Balaurea zone trailer -- Inggison

by MJ Guthrie Aug 26th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Aion, Expansions, Interviews, Previews

Today, NCsoft unveils a video tour of Inggison, a new zone introduced in Aion's upcoming expansion, Assault on Balaurea. No longer confined to Atreia on the interior of the planet, players will venture forth to the lands on the outside. Filled with a variety of new plant and wildlife, Inggison is the Elyos foothold in Balaurea.

Even as they bask in direct sunlight (a treat not possible in the sundered lands of Asmodae and Elysea), Daevas in Aion will encounter new foes -- such as the Balaur-worshippers of Undirborg -- and fight old ones, as the Asmodians try to claim the Temple of Scales and Altar of Avarice Fortresses.

After watching the video, Massively asked Chris Hager, Producer of Aion, NCsoft West, a few questions about this new area.

Check out the video after the cut, as well as Chris' comments.

Tags: aion, aion-2.0, aion-assault-on-balaurea, assault-on-balaurea, balaur, balaurea, chris-hager, elyos, featured, fortress, fortress-siege, interview, ncsoft, ncsoft-west, trailer, video-tour

Guild Wars 2 necromancer revealed

by Rubi Bayer Aug 25th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Classes, Wallpapers, Guild Wars 2

This is not your ancestor's necromancer. Much like the ranger, the necromancer in Guild Wars 2 is bigger, badder, and deadlier than her Guild Wars counterpart.

The Guild Wars 2 necro was officially revealed today, and though we've pretty much known it was coming since Killeen made fallen soldiers dance in the sewers of Ebonhawke, it's still nice to see descriptions, videos, and screenshots straight from ArenaNet.

Follow along after the jump as we take a look at the necro and all of her glowy green skills and abilities.

Tags: anet, arenanet, featured, gamescom, gamescom-2010, guild-wars-2, gw2, nc-soft, ncsoft, necro, necromancer, screenshots, trailer, video, wallpaper

Lineage II's Freya expansion hits today

by Jef Reahard Aug 24th 2010 at 2:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Expansions, News items

Fans of NCsoft's long-running Lineage II title are no doubt aware of the game's free (and extensive) expansions, and the latest, Freya, is coming to a server near you today. The titular Ice Queen is now handing out presents to players who visit her in towns, including vitality maintenance potions designed to give your character a temporary kick. Additionally, heart-warming gifts found while hunting may be presented to Freya in exchange for gift boxes bearing a number of scrolls, potions, and gemstones. These Freya Celebration Items will only last through September 7th, so don't delay.

As for the expansion proper, it adds a number of features to Lineage II's expansive game world, including new weapons, armor, abilities, and several new adventure areas including overland zones and dungeons. Take a look at the update notes on the official site for more details.

Tags: dungeons, expansion, freya, freya-celebration, freya-expansion, ice-queen-freya, lineage-2, lineage-ii, ncsoft, new-armor, new-weapons, new-zones, update

City of Heroes hosts contest for player-created loading screens

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 23rd 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Screenshots, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Contests, News items

While loading screens are a reality of life in City of Heroes, there's at least the advantage of the loading screens themselves being attractive. Each screen highlights the variety of scenery within each zone, having been carefully picked out by the developers and the artists. But the developers don't want to force their opinions of the best parts of each zone upon the players, so the team at Paragon Studios has devised a contest for players to pick out their own best loading screenshots -- with the usual chance at fantastic prizes.

The official announcement includes Photoshop files for several loading templates, along with detailed instructions on assembling an eligible sceenshot. And the prizes are quite generous -- the top prize includes a six-month subscription to the game, as well as a copy of every single Super Booster. Take a look at the full list of rules and the list of eligible zones, and then log in to City of Heroes and get to work on your best Ansel Adams impersonation in-game.

Tags: city-of-heroes, city-of-villains, coh, contest, contests, cov, cox, loading-screen, ncsoft, paragon, paragon-studios, photoshop, screenshot-contest, screenshots

Wings Over Atreia: Passing the personality test

by MJ Guthrie Aug 23rd 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Humor, Wings Over Atreia

As you readers know, last month I embarked on my trek to acquire some shiny new gold gear in Aion, setting my sights on Miragent armor. Of course, all of you who have already walked this path know that it takes quite a bit of doing, and as I am on task three... well, you knew there was no way I would complete it in just one week and be able to finish the series! So in the interim, we have the chance to take a small break and delve into another topic -- one that has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

For any who has read up on the staff (isn't it fun being nosy!), you know that the social dynamics of gaming fascinates me. Oh, they alternately make me shake my head, LOL, and even groan, but I am enthralled just the same. Like a train wreck that rivets your attention, the social aspects of MMOs allow me to sit back and watch with detached awe, wondering how in the Seraphim Lords some things can actually transpire. I mean, did someone really just do that?! Indeed, the personalities that emerge whenever you gather a group of people together truly intrigues me, and I'd like to share with you some that I have seen running rampant in Aion.

Grab your Rorschach test and blot your way past the cut to check out these gaming personalities. Have a chuckle seeing where your friends and legion-mates (or maybe even you) fall. Any resemblance to actual gamers, past or present, is definitely intended!

Tags: aion, bartle, bartle-test, bartle-test-of-gamer-psychology, drama, drama-queen, DramaQueens, featured, ncsoft, personalities, personality-traits, PersonalityTraits, PersonalityTypes, pvp, Wings-Over-Atreia

Flameseeker Chronicles: The view from the cheap seats is pretty darn great

by Rubi Bayer Aug 23rd 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Classes, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Guild Wars 2

I did not go to Gamescom. I was kind of not anticipating last week at all, because I envisioned it as a week of me looking at all the wonderful things I couldn't have, much like a starving orphan outside a bakery (or maybe a homeless orphan in some player's home instance). I figured it would be very un-fun.

In fact, the opposite was true. Sure, I couldn't play hands-on, but I enjoyed all the Guild Wars 2 news flooding out of Gamescom just the same. I imagine being there would have made it impossible to take in all of these details from every direction -- it just would have been too overwhelming.

Don't get me wrong, it's not sour grapes. I would have loved to be there! But since I couldn't, I'm really enjoying my bird's-eye view, so to speak. Even from this point of view, the amount of new information we have is nearly impossible to keep track of, so for Flameseeker Chronicles this week, I thought I'd take all that we've heard this week and try to distill it into a guide on where you can find information.

It's felt a bit like trying to take an octopus and 15 of his closest friends and convince them all to fit comfortably in one small sandwich baggie, but I've done my best. Follow along after the jump to see where you can find the latest and greatest from Guild Wars 2 at Gamescom.

Tags: anet, arenanet, class-reveal, featured, flameseeker-chronicles, gameplay, gameplay-footage, gameplay-video, gamescom, gamescom-2010, guide, guild-wars-2, guild-wars-2-guru, guild-wars-2-necromancer, gw2, gw2g, ncsoft, necro, necromancer, screenshots, video

Guild Wars 2 wins best online game at Gamescom

by Rubi Bayer Aug 20th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Guild Wars 2

The ArenaNet staffers have been working pretty hard this week -- both at Gamescom and at home in Seattle -- to make the world premiere of Guild Wars 2 gameplay an event to remember.

Their hard work paid off this morning when Guild Wars 2 was presented with the award for Best Online Game of Gamescom 2010. "We're honored and delighted to receive this award," says ArenaNet, and credit was given to quite a few others who helped make it happen at Gamescom as well. "We'd like to thank our Gamescom collaborators, Razer, Alienware, nVidia, Flashpoint and Intel, and to send a special thanks to our fans in Cologne and all over the world!"

We at Massively join all the fans in congratulating everyone at ArenaNet!

Tags: arenanet, awards, best-online-game, gamescom, gamescom-2010, guild-wars-2, ncsoft

NCsoft sued for making Lineage II too darned addictive

by Justin Olivetti Aug 20th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Legal

Can a video game publisher be successfully sued for releasing a game that makes players want to play it compulsively? That's the question of the hour in the USA, as Lineage II player Craig Smallwood levied a $3 million negligence suit against NCsoft for making the game too addictive. Smallwood found himself playing the MMO for over 20,000 hours in the last five years, to the point where he is unable to function normally in real life -- and he claims it's NCsoft's fault for not warning him in advance. Smallwood's gameplay averaged around 11 hours per day during that period.

Surprisingly, a federal judge has allowed the suit to proceed against the South Korean publisher, stating that "the court finds that plaintiff has stated a claim for both negligence and gross negligence." NCsoft has appealed and asked the judge to dismiss the case. The situation gets more interesting when you consider that Smallwood had his Lineage II accounts banned for alleged grey market RMT activity, although he claims that was a ploy by NCsoft to force players like himself to move over to Aion.

Video game addiction is no new issue, to be sure, but it's interesting that this case seeks to shift the blame from the player to the game company itself. This raises a whole host of new questions. Should publishers be required to slap their products with warning labels? Is there no personal responsibility when it comes to playing MMORPGs? We will have to wait and see if Smallwood's suit succeeds, and what, if any, fallout may occur from the attempt.

Tags: addicting, addiction, aion, craig-smallwood, lawsuit, lineage-2, lineage-ii, mmo-addiction, ncsoft, negligence, rmt, suit, video-game-addiction

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Dragon*Con	Sep 3-6, 2010
PAX Prime	Sep 3-5, 2010
Clone Wars Adventures Launch	Sep 15, 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Launch	Sep 30, 2010
GDC Online	Oct 5-8, 2010
LEGO Universe Launch	Oct 26, 2010
DCUO Launch	Nov 2, 2010

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Seraphina Brennan	Senior Editor
Brianna Royce	West Coast Editor
Dan O'Halloran	Features Coordinator
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Rubi Bayer	Contributing Editor
Tateru Nino	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Larry Everett	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist