On February 2 patch 0.1.742 released for Tribes Ascend.  Before this patch, I was not impressed with Tribes Ascend (TA) at all.  For some reason it didn’t feel like Tribes to me.  Perhaps some of it was psychological trauma from the cash shop model.  Post-patch, though, I’m completely taken with the game.  The ‘feel’ is [...]

The people at Goblinworks really speak my language.  Every time I read something over there it’s like they’re camped out inside my brain taking notes.  Just search for ‘sandbox’ here and you’ll find pages of me talking about qualities in sandboxes lacking in today’s mmorpg’s.  I’ve even written a few posts about my ideal sandbox [...]

Does it go without saying that gameplay should be emphasized over graphics? I prefer gameplay, and in many cases I wonder if the two are linked more than people realize. Some great games with simplistic graphics are taking off and showing us first hand the value found in great design.  Everyone’s favorite example is Minecraft, [...]

EverQuest (the original this time) will be going “Free to Play” this March.  It would be crazy to begin any conversation about EverQuest without first tipping our hats to a game that has lasted, as a subscription model game with a population, for 13 years.  SOE loves making things free now.  It’s the new trend.  [...]

If you guys aren’t checking out Dominus, a sci-fi 3-Faction PvP sandbox game currently in development, then you’re out of your freaking minds.  Dominus is one of my most anticipated games of 2012. I want to send these guys some more love, get the word out there, and once again throw my support behind a [...]

I’ve been playing Hero Academy for over a week now.  Let’s analyze that statement.  I’m playing an iOS game for a week!  I normally play around with a game on the iPhone for a couple of days, maybe poking around for a few minutes here and there while waiting for my car to be serviced [...]

We write often about the modern quest being nothing like the old quest design.  Today’s quests are errands, scripted events, and exactitudes that tell you specifically how and where to complete the objective(s).  Old quests were, as the definition right from google says, “A long or arduous search for something.” I’ll use EverQuest as an [...]

I just received some startling news today.  According to multiple sources, the loot container system, as announced by the developers (in a forum thread that disappeared), did not make it into the game. In normal mode raids, loot is automatically assigned to a random person that can use the item.  It doesn’t matter if the [...]

Would Reckoning make a good MMO?  That’s a question I’ve been going over in my head since playing the demo (several times) these past few days.  We know that 38 Studios is creating a MMORPG (codenamed Copernicus) set in the same world as Reckoning.  How well would the RPG adapt to MMO status? The world [...]

Would Reckoning make a good MMO?  That’s a question I’ve been going over in my head since playing the demo (several times) these past few days.  We know that 38 Studios is creating a MMORPG (codenamed Copernicus) set in the same world as Reckoning.  How well would the RPG adapt to MMO status? The world [...]

I love pointing people towards projects with potential. Today I want to share with you Pathfinder Online, a fantasy sandbox MMO currently in the very early stages of development by Goblinworks.  I could give you guys a lot of the big picture ideas, but their FAQ already does it for me. How is Pathfinder Online [...]

Graev and I have been exploring the planet of Corellia today as we near the end of our leveling adventure.  We’re a good chunk into level 48, so it shouldn’t be more than a couple of days (max) before we’re 50 and no longer visiting these planets.  I find myself saddened somewhat by the linearity [...]

SWTOR Patch 1.1 came out today, and it brought with it a great disturbance in the force — or so the masses would have you think.  Some terribly untrue rumors were spread about Ilum.  Gabe Amantangelo has come out and set the record straight.  My guild members have also tested and clarified that what Gabe [...]

The Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo released today for all platforms!  In a surprise twist, it’s even available for STEAM.  This is an exciting moment for us.  Reckoning is on my personal list of most anticipated games releasing this year and I’m stoked to see the 38 Studios’ first product. Is Reckoning as good as [...]

When World of Warcraft launched in November 2004 is was new, it was shiny, but it really wasn’t as polished or infallible as people think of it today.  Aside from WoW’s launch issues, which mostly stemmed from Blizzard not anticipating the demand, WoW had issues that crop up in most contemporary MMOs. WoW was evolving [...]