turbine posts

Story moments in new Siege of Mirkwood screens

by Kyle Horner Nov 19th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, News items

Lord of the Rings Online is well known for its story, which it has Tolkien's works to thank for -- although Turbine does a great job of making it all come alive. These new Siege of Mirkwood screens depict a few of the new epic story moments players can expect come December 1st when the expansion is made available for purchase.

From giant spiders to cozy campfires, much about these new screens inspire. Whether thick with peril or cool and mellow, Siege of Mirkwood looks set to offer its community wonders unparalleled. Yes, we're kind of rhyming on purpose. We blame the poetic imagery seen in the gallery below; its vistas both terrible and cold.

Gallery: LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood - Epic story moments

Tags: expansion, expansions, gallery, image, lord-of-the-rings, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, media, screens, screenshot, screnshots, siege-of-mirkwood, som, story, tolkien, turbine

Turbine announces the winners of the Broctober contest

by Rubi Bayer Nov 18th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Contests, Free-to-play

Back in October, DDO Unlimited announced a fun little contest looking for responses to their (in)famous Broccoli vs. Beholder video. First prize was 5,000 Turbine points and the coveted title "Gweater Dwagonmark of Fwiends". (No, seriously. That's a great title.) Second and third place winners received Turbine points and a "Dwagonmark of Fwiends"title as well.

The results are in, with the winning "Broccoli vs. Wraith" video keeping the Turbine staff in stitches with the expressions on Broccoli's face and the farcical chase through the corridor and doorways. Congratulations also to second place winner Korin Geholtz for showing us Broccoli's attack on Stormreach, and Zac C.B./Sioyin Chua for Broccoli vs. Ham with bonus points for great music.

Korin Geholz also gave us an additional treat by giving Tasty Ham his very own Facebook page. Congratulations to all of you from Massively, and thanks for the laughs!

Tags: broccoli, contest, ddo, ddo-unlimited, dungeons-and-dragons-online, turbine, turbine-points

One Shots: Another day in DDO

by Krystalle Voecks Nov 18th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, One Shots

Know how we know you guys like Dungeons and Dragons Online? You picked it as the current adventure for our very own Shawn Schuster! He's currently working his way through the lands of Dungeons and Dragons Online, to both enlighten and amuse. Of course, if you just want regular everyday amusement, One Shots is glad to step in when players send us funny images -- like this one from Inspecta! He writes in to give us a visual pun: [This is] a screen shot of my friends and I hangin' around the marketplace in DDO. You can almost hear the drum/cymbal on that punch line, can't you?

Have you figured out a way to create your very own visual pun in your favorite game? Think you've got a groaner you'd like to unleash on the world? Don't be shy! Send those funny screenshots in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out here and let everyone in on the joke.

Gallery: One Shots

Tags: ddo, dungeons-and-dragons-online, inspecta, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots, turbine

Choose my Adventure: Doing you a Favor

by Shawn Schuster Nov 18th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Hands-on, Choose my Adventure

In this week's Dungeons and Dragons Online adventures, the Critical Mass guild came across a bit of a challenge, and not in the game. With last week's vote guiding our hero to spend his hard-earned Turbine Points on an adventure pack, not everyone in the group had those same points to spend. So we spent our playing time gaining favor, which can be turned into Turbine Points.

In lieu of an in-character story this week, I'm going to spend some time explaining Favor and the DDO store for anyone who is curious about how this all works. I'll also explain our next poll, as I'd like you to vote on the specific Adventure Pack in which our hard-earned points will be spent. Follow along after the jump for more!

Tags: choose-my-adventure, ddo, ddo-store, dungeons-and-dragons-online, favor, featured, polls, turbine, turbine-points, voting

The Digital Continuum: LotRO's feature future

by Kyle Horner Nov 17th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Opinion, The Digital Continuum

There are many wonderful features within Lord of the Rings Online, especially with Siege of Mirkwood edging upon the horizon like a merchant's ship carrying treasure chests full of shiny new features. However, for many a person, the game just doesn't click into place. Whether it's because of a missing feature or the pace of combat, some people find themselves unable to acclimate a groove.

So let's talk about features and changes that would help attract fresh blood while keeping the old guard happy -- because changing the core of an MMO is never truly a good idea, but bring in fresh blood doesn't hurt.

Tags: featured, lord-of-the-rings, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, mines-of-moria, opinion, siege-of-mirkwood, som, the-digital-continuum, tolkien, turbine

Lord of the Rings Online to make drastic combat changes with Siege of Mirkwood

by Seraphina Brennan Nov 17th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, News items

It's very rare that you hear about a game changing how combat works at a fundamental level, but that's exactly what Turbine is doing in Siege of Mirkwood. We hope you guys weren't in love with weapon speeds and slow animations, because those are two of the things that are getting major overhauls.

In the latest developer diary, it's been revealed that weapon speeds will now be standardized by weapon level and type, making sure that all one-hand maces of the same level swing at the same speed. This is key, as previously players were taking slower weapons to maximize their damage, even if it wasn't appropriate for their class. (Turbine was looking at you, mace wielding burglars.) Weapons have also gotten increased speed but lowered damage to compensate for their fast swing rate.

Tags: animations, burglars, combat, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, siege-of-mirkwood, som, turbine, weapon-speed

A visual tour of LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood

by Shawn Schuster Nov 17th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: At a glance, Betas, Fantasy, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Hands-on

Today marks the official NDA (non disclosure agreement) lift on Lord of the Rings Online's newest expansion: Siege of Mirkwood. The latest addition to virtual Middle-earth is set to release on December 1st, but many players have already been enjoying the new content on the Bullroarer test server these last few months.

If you haven't had a chance to see Turbine's latest creation, check out our video tour of the expansion just after the jump below. Also, be sure to watch Massively for more coverage on Siege of Mirkwood from now to December 1st and beyond!

Tags: lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, siege-of-mirkwood, tour, turbine, video

One Shots: Everyone needs a castle of their own

by Krystalle Voecks Nov 14th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, One Shots

While we knew Lord of the Rings Online had player housing, we never quite expected it to be so small. We're kidding, of course! This great image is actually of a cute little sandcastle easter egg that was discovered by the adventurous Warden, Elizibeth Hathaway. Here's the note we got in to go with this image for those who may want to try to find this Lord of the Rings Online location as well. My level 37 Warden was wandering around Annuminas looking for the Blue Lady when she happened upon this little island- and found a pristine little sand castle!

Have you found something adorably cute in your favorite MMO? We love easter eggs, personally. Whatever your reason, we want your screenshots! Just email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, a brief description, and the game they're from. We'll take care of the rest!

Gallery: One Shots

Tags: elizibeth-hathaway, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots, turbine

Lord of the Rings Online developer chat transcript available

by Eliot Lefebvre Nov 13th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics

There's a lot of interesting material coming with the Siege of Mirkwood expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, not to mention a large number of player questions and curiosity about where the game is headed. Luckily for the playerbase, WarCry was recently lucky enough to get a chance to chat with the developers, with a full transcript now available for all who missed the live chat. As is par for the course for developer chats, there's the occasional question that seems rather out-of-place or unnecessary, but on the whole it's full of tidbits that should excite the game's fans.

The discussion ranges from the tangible issues with the upcoming expansion such as class upgrades (each class will get one new skill upgrade at level 62), meta-issues (there will be a Skirmish sneak peek coming soon to let players try the new format), and some wholly random bits (the developers will not add your farm on Facebook as a neighbor). It's a weighty and lengthy chat that can't be summarized easily, so it's best to take a look, digest, and start thinking about the first thing you want to do in Lord of the Rings Online when the expansion goes live.

Tags: classes, developer-chat, expansions, facebook, game-mechanics, lord-of-the-rings-online, lord-of-the-rings-online-siege-of-mirkwood, lotro, siege-of-mirkwood, skirmish, transcript, turbine, turbine-entertainment

Lord of the Rings developer diary explores Dol Guldur

by Rubi Bayer Nov 12th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions

We've seen the screenshots and trailer for the fortress of Dol Guldur in the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online expansion Siege of Mirkwood, and today's developer diary explores it in more detail, giving us an extensive look through the area.

Tsieng Liu from the LotRO Dungeons Team describes Dol Guldur as "the fortress where Sauron dwelt when he was known as "The Necromancer." It's an old fortress that is now full of the foul servants of the Enemy on the edge of Mirkwood forest. It is in this region that the elves of Lothlórien are mounting an offensive in order to keep the Enemy from penetrating their forests."

Dol Guldur will contain three 3-person dungeons and a 6-person dungeon, leading up to a 12-person raid in which you storm the tower of Dol Guldur and take on the "leadership behind its forces." This area will also feature some fun new mechanics and challenges that should turn your tried-and-true group methods of playing neatly on their ear.

Dungeon overviews, as well as a look at the new surprises Dol Guldur has in store, can all be found in the diary entry. It's well worth the read.

Tags: developer-diary, dol-guldur, expansion, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, siege-of-mirkwood, tsieng-liu, turbine

Turbine releases more Siege of Mirkwood screenshots

by Rubi Bayer Nov 12th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions

Turbine is continuing to tease us with Lord of the Rings Online screenshots in the weeks leading up to the December release of the Siege of Mirkwood expansion. Until now, we've seen quite a few general screenshots of different regions in the Mirkwood area, covering Dol Guldur, Gathburz, the Scuttledells, and the Ashenslades.

These newest pictures are a bit of a change of pace, giving us our first glimpse at an instanced area. The Chambers instance is the kind of gorgeous area we've come to expect from Turbine, and the prominent eye of Sauron in one shot makes us think it's just as unfriendly. The gentleman standing in front of it doesn't seem very happy at the prospect of visitors at any rate, nor do the group of armored toughs blocking the stairway in another screenshot.

We are now less than three weeks away from the launch of Siege of Mirkwood, and our thanks go out to Turbine for making the wait so much fun with their pictorial tour of Mirkwood.

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood Chambers screenshots

Tags: expansion, lord-of-the-rings-online, lotro, screenshots, siege-of-mirkwood, turbine

Dungeons and Dragons Online offers eye-catching look at Monks

by Rubi Bayer Nov 12th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Free-to-play

Turbine released a series of beautiful screenshots yesterday showcasing the monk class in Dungeons and Dragons Online. Monks are available to Dungeons and Dragons Online VIPs (those who pay a subscription fee) or those who unlock it with Turbine points, and best suited to players with some experience.

The DDO site gives a brief summary of what monks are about: "Monks use an energy called ki to perform amazing techniques in battle. Usually fighting without weapons and armor, they can assist allies or destroy enemies but take longer to master than the other melee classes." The site continues with an extensive overview of the monk's skills, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as a look at the three paths a monk can choose to follow. The path of shadow offers a more aggressive fighting style, heavier on the damage side than the healing side. The path of light, of course, offers the opposite: more party benefits and less damage over time. And finally, the two-headed heron follows the path of light and benefits its allies, but also delivers damage to enemies as a dual-wielder of monk weapons.

Check out the official site for more information on the monk, and check out our gallery for a more visual look at the class.

Gallery: Dungeons and Dragons Online Monk class

Tags: ddo, dungeons-and-dragons-online, monk, screenshots, turbine

Choose my Adventure: Depths of House d'Deneith

by Shawn Schuster Nov 11th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, Lore, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Hands-on, Roleplaying, Choose my Adventure

Join me as I brave my way through lands unknown in an adventure dictated entirely by you, the Massively readers! Vote for everything from game played to character creation to ultimate goal and watch it unfold in a series of journals and galleries here on the site. Then, as the ultimate goal is reached, we'll do it all over again in a new game!

Last week, you voted for two things: the Critical Mass guild to hit House of Deneith first, and for me to start using my accrued Turbine Points in the DDO store. We annihilated House of Deneith, but I still haven't found something good to spend my points on.

So this week, as we continue our journey through level 5 and beyond, the poll will seek answers to that pressing concern: How should I spend my money?! Keep reading below for the in-character journal of the adventures, my continued impressions of the game so far, and the polls for this week.

Tags: choose-my-adventure, ddo, dungeons-and-dragons-online, featured, polls, turbine, voting

Microtransactions and the splits in philosophy

by Eliot Lefebvre Nov 9th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion

No one was expecting the current 900-pound-gorilla of the MMO market to throw its hat in the ring regarding microtransactions, but the fact that it's in the mix has forced a large number of people to take a look at the philosophies and patterns of the business model. Killed in a Smiling Accident recently put down some thoughts regarding the differences, explaining that World of Warcraft's model is, in their opinion, inferior to the one found in the equally-significant microtransaction model of Dungeons and Dragons Online. The former has a store consisting of fluff items with no equivalent in the game, while the latter largely puts forth offerings that can be obtained in the normal game if you want to take the time.

Of course, there's the obvious counter brought up in the comments: that it's better to have microtransactions selling something you can't otherwise get in the game. Simply take a look at Champions Online and the controversy over retcon pricing to see how the two can be better left untethered. Getting something unique is a nice bonus for a game you enjoy -- for example, look at the bonus costume packs that City of Heroes sells. However, with items on sale that can be obtained from gameplay, the game can feel a bit more disjointed. There's a case to be made for both sides, and with the free-to-play model gaining speed, it should be interesting to note where the majority of MMO players draw the line.

Tags: blizzard, business-models, champions-online, city-of-heroes, city-of-villains, co, coh, cov, cox, cryptic, culture, ddo, dungeons-and-dragons-online, free-to-play, game-mechanics, killed-in-a-smiling-accident, microtransactions, mmo-industry, ncsoft, turbine, world-of-warcraft, wow

One Shots: A strange summoning

by Krystalle Voecks Nov 6th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, One Shots

As we visited the lands of Lord of the Rings Online yesterday for a bit of spooky fun, today we thought we'd take a peek in at Dungeons and Dragons Online. While this isn't specifically a Halloween shot, we thought the spooky summons was a nice counterpoint. This image comes to us from Tanek, who writes in to explain: [this] shot was taken during a show in the beta this past summer. I think the show was in the Marketplace, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure I want to know exactly what is being summoned. Whatever it is, it does not seem happy.

If you're playing a game we only see on occasion -- or have never seen -- we want to hear from you! Show us your favorite areas, tell us a bit about the lore, or maybe just tell us why you like it. Email them to oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and the name of the game. We'll post them up and give them a chance to shine.

Gallery: One Shots

Tags: ddo, dungeons-and-dragons-online, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots, tanek, turbine