https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Wed, 31 Jan 2024 14:39:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/31/phantasy-star-online-2s-latest-update-adds-more-story-and-raises-the-level-cap-as-sega-america-begins-layoffs/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/31/phantasy-star-online-2s-latest-update-adds-more-story-and-raises-the-level-cap-as-sega-america-begins-layoffs/#respond Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=477894 Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis players are in for a treat today, and they deserve it after waiting through a nine-hour maintenance with multiple delays. SEGA’s arcade-y take on the MMORPG released the patch this morning, boasting quality-of-life improvements, an increased level cap, and most importantly, new content. The February 2024 update finishes up the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/31/phantasy-star-online-2s-latest-update-adds-more-story-and-raises-the-level-cap-as-sega-america-begins-layoffs/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/11/four-winds-catching-up-with-phantasy-star-online-2-new-genesis/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/11/four-winds-catching-up-with-phantasy-star-online-2-new-genesis/#comments Thu, 11 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=473892 I believe it was Napoleon Bonaparte that once said “SEGA better release Phantasy Star Online 2 stateside or I’m going to conquer France.” Unfortunately, Sega was a little slow on the trigger on that one, and then this happened. But what’s done is done, and we now live in a reality that not only has […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/11/four-winds-catching-up-with-phantasy-star-online-2-new-genesis/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/08/the-soapbox-hearthstone-is-probably-in-for-another-boring-year-in-2024/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/08/the-soapbox-hearthstone-is-probably-in-for-another-boring-year-in-2024/#comments Mon, 08 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=474285 I recently got a survey in my email on Hearthstone and its future. The last time a Hearthstone survey got sent out, the idea of a subscription model for the game wasn’t received super well. It prompted me to wrote a series of articles on the differences between monetizing a computer card game and a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/08/the-soapbox-hearthstone-is-probably-in-for-another-boring-year-in-2024/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/09/the-soapbox-will-diablo-ivs-vessel-of-hatred-be-a-sufficient-answer-for-path-of-exile-2/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/09/the-soapbox-will-diablo-ivs-vessel-of-hatred-be-a-sufficient-answer-for-path-of-exile-2/#comments Thu, 09 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=466180 Everyone loves a good enrage timer, right? It puts pressure on everyone involved in a raid or boss fight to pull their weight and play well enough to ensure the boss doesn’t do its unstoppable party-wiping attack that ends the fight. So what does this have to do with Diablo IV? Well, it’s on its […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/09/the-soapbox-will-diablo-ivs-vessel-of-hatred-be-a-sufficient-answer-for-path-of-exile-2/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/21/not-so-massively-diablo-ivs-disastrous-1-1-0-patch-and-blizzards-mea-culpa/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/21/not-so-massively-diablo-ivs-disastrous-1-1-0-patch-and-blizzards-mea-culpa/#comments Fri, 21 Jul 2023 22:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=449856 Diablo IV’s last week has just been the drama gift that keeps on giving, and since Blizzard’s latest toy is my favorite game right now, I’m here for it. Its position as a solid OARPG by a problematic company mishandling its recent live service games has ensured it’s the subject of praise, criticism, and existential […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/21/not-so-massively-diablo-ivs-disastrous-1-1-0-patch-and-blizzards-mea-culpa/feed/ 27 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/15/desert-oasis-black-deserts-land-of-the-morning-light-design-makes-perfect-practical-and-aesthetic-sense/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/15/desert-oasis-black-deserts-land-of-the-morning-light-design-makes-perfect-practical-and-aesthetic-sense/#comments Thu, 15 Jun 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=444608 In the last edition of Desert Oasis, I barely scratched the surface of Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light expansion. I’ve still got so much to say about the boss blitz mode. The design decision to forego the tried-and-true formula of adding more grindspots, world bosses, and a single linear main story quest is […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/15/desert-oasis-black-deserts-land-of-the-morning-light-design-makes-perfect-practical-and-aesthetic-sense/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/14/desert-oasis-first-impressions-of-black-deserts-land-of-the-morning-light/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/14/desert-oasis-first-impressions-of-black-deserts-land-of-the-morning-light/#comments Wed, 14 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=444583 Long-time Black Desert players know about a little town on the northwest corner of the map. It’s the city of Port Ratt, and for years, it’s been a pretty neat area to visit. Those who engaged with trading and the great ocean content found it a relatively lucrative way to earn some silver. But aside from […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/14/desert-oasis-first-impressions-of-black-deserts-land-of-the-morning-light/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/02/four-winds-swords-of-legends-online-was-a-wasted-opportunity/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/02/four-winds-swords-of-legends-online-was-a-wasted-opportunity/#comments Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=442814 MMOs are hard to make. But despite the difficulties, we’ve seen some real gems over the years. They’re also difficult to run. But the exemplars of the genre prove that it’s both profitable for the company and meaningful to players. From my perspective here in MOP’s Four Winds column, it seems like every freaking eastern […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/02/four-winds-swords-of-legends-online-was-a-wasted-opportunity/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/28/desert-oasis-returning-home-to-black-desert-online/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/28/desert-oasis-returning-home-to-black-desert-online/#comments Fri, 28 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436348 Back in October of 2020, I penned a column about the worst week I’ve ever had in Black Desert. The series of unfortunate events necessitated a break; it ultimately burnt me out, so I took about three months away from the game. And when I thought I was ready, I started playing again. I was so […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/28/desert-oasis-returning-home-to-black-desert-online/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/20/four-winds-the-artist-has-become-my-favorite-support-class-in-lost-ark/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433385 Here’s a thought experiment: How would have Anakin Skywalker turned out if he had grown up on planet covered in paint rather than coarse, hateful sand everywhere? The answer will surprise you! He probably would’ve still turned out to be a Sith Lord, but he would also be an Artist main in Lost Ark. Star […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/#comments Mon, 03 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433372 In the first part of this Why I Play retrospective on Diablo III, I discussed the early issues that accompanied the game’s record-setting debut. And while that rocky period is likely something many gamers remember well, it was certainly not the end of the story. In the second and final chunk of this series, we’ll […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/#comments Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431917 It’s hard for me to believe that Diablo III’s May 15th, 2012, release was over a decade ago. And despite its reputation of being the black sheep soulstone of the mainline games, it’s gathered a loyal following over the years. With Diablo IV just on the horizon, the unfortunate reality is that a chunk of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/30/the-soapbox-subscriptions-might-actually-be-the-next-big-innovation-in-digital-card-games/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/30/the-soapbox-subscriptions-might-actually-be-the-next-big-innovation-in-digital-card-games/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=423977 What started earlier this week as a rant on how bad an idea a subscription model in Hearthstone would be evolved into something more: a Soapbox comparing the economies of traditional TCGs and digital card games and realizing that there might still be space for growth in the field of monetizing the latter – a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/30/the-soapbox-subscriptions-might-actually-be-the-next-big-innovation-in-digital-card-games/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/26/the-soapbox-comparing-the-monetization-of-physical-and-digital-card-games/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/26/the-soapbox-comparing-the-monetization-of-physical-and-digital-card-games/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=423819 Earlier this week, we reported on the recent Blizzard survey about a possible Hearthstone sub. When I read the news, I almost choked on the sourdough jack I was noshing on as I accidently blurted, “That’s foolish!” loud enough to get the attention of most of my fellow diners. But you know, after a little […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/26/the-soapbox-comparing-the-monetization-of-physical-and-digital-card-games/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/22/desert-oasis-black-deserts-jaehee-kim-and-jesse-hoo-on-accessibility-community-and-playing-their-own-game/ Thu, 22 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=419809 Attending the first Calpheon Ball in the US was an awesome experience. Getting to see fellow Black Desert fans, watching the joy in peoples’ faces when meeting their guildies in person for the first time, and capping off the night with an RNG-fueled raffle with prizes ranging from Black Spirit-themed bathroom mats to a custom-made BDO […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/11/desert-oasis-the-woosa-the-maegu-and-new-lands-the-highlights-from-black-deserts-2022-calpheon-ball/ Sun, 11 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=418537 Black Desert had a pretty quiet 2022. It might be a good thing considering how much bad press some of its peers have been getting lately. But even though things have been relatively quiet, Pearl Abyss has been steadily more to the game, and over this weekend, the company threw the Calpheon Ball, the annual […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/20/four-winds-lost-ark-and-the-refinement-of-mmo-item-enhance-systems/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/20/four-winds-lost-ark-and-the-refinement-of-mmo-item-enhance-systems/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=404823 In the last edition of Four Winds, I promised I’d cover how three MMOs utilized item enhance systems to facilitate progression, and then I analyzed how this method of progression has grown over the years. The first piece covered two of the three games: Granado Espada: Sword of the New World and Black Desert. With progression […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/20/four-winds-lost-ark-and-the-refinement-of-mmo-item-enhance-systems/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/13/four-winds-the-refinement-of-item-enhance-systems-in-mmos-from-granado-espada-to-black-desert/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/13/four-winds-the-refinement-of-item-enhance-systems-in-mmos-from-granado-espada-to-black-desert/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=404694 Itemization is a foundational system in many modern MMOs. After players reach the level cap, item levels largely drive the measurable progression of a player. Final Fantasy XIV, for example, takes a straightforward approach: farm up the required tokens and buy the latest gear from a vendor. As players play the content from week to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/13/four-winds-the-refinement-of-item-enhance-systems-in-mmos-from-granado-espada-to-black-desert/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/15/four-winds-what-made-lost-ark-so-successful-where-elyon-failed/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/15/four-winds-what-made-lost-ark-so-successful-where-elyon-failed/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=400100 I’m sad about it, but I have to eat my words about Elyon and its place in this decade’s pantheon of MMOs. I honestly thought Elyon was going to be the game that many younger players were going to gravitate to. And I still feel that it’s an underrated gem. But boy howdy did Lost […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/15/four-winds-what-made-lost-ark-so-successful-where-elyon-failed/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/17/black-desert-online-new-3v3-pvp-mode-arena-of-solare-releases-today-along-with-its-inaugural-season/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/17/black-desert-online-new-3v3-pvp-mode-arena-of-solare-releases-today-along-with-its-inaugural-season/#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=401334 Did you know Pearl Abyss founder Kim Dae-il took inspiration from fighting games when he and his team developed Black Desert‘s MMO combat system? The company’s about to take it a step further with today’s patch and PvP mode dubbed Arena of Solare. Pearl Abyss describes the new mode as the first matchmaking-based PvP content in […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/17/black-desert-online-new-3v3-pvp-mode-arena-of-solare-releases-today-along-with-its-inaugural-season/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/12/why-i-play-returning-to-diablo-3-in-2022/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/12/why-i-play-returning-to-diablo-3-in-2022/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=396306 I don’t know if there’s a marketing term for this phenomenon, but Diablo Immortal did an excellent job selling Diablo III. Popular streamers all caught the itch and streamed it to thousands. There are YouTube videos discussing whether you should play. And a game that some gamers once saw as a travesty to the Diablo franchise […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/12/why-i-play-returning-to-diablo-3-in-2022/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/06/blizzard-concludes-diablo-iii-season-27-testing-gives-season-26-end-date/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/06/blizzard-concludes-diablo-iii-season-27-testing-gives-season-26-end-date/#comments Sat, 06 Aug 2022 22:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=399817 Diablo III picked up quite a bit of momentum this year with the release of Diablo Immortal’s totally un-bodacious monetization: Its gameplay aged better than expected, especially when it’s basically Diablo Immortal without any of the pay-to-win. Both MOP’s Tyler and I even recommended it as one of the best alternatives to spending $49.99 on […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/06/blizzard-concludes-diablo-iii-season-27-testing-gives-season-26-end-date/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/04/lost-arks-powerpass-is-still-inexplicably-disabled-after-10-days-offline/ Thu, 04 Aug 2022 18:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=399637 If you’re a fan of paid boosts in MMOs, then you’ll be disappointed to know that the system is currently disabled in Lost Ark with no ETA for its return. Amazon Game Studios “temporarily” took the powerpass system offline on July 26th, but as of last night, the company admitted that it’s still down. “Thank you […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/08/perfect-ten-10-things-you-can-spend-money-on-instead-of-diablo-immortal/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/08/perfect-ten-10-things-you-can-spend-money-on-instead-of-diablo-immortal/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=391336 So how about that Diablo Immortal eh? Sure is a lot of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” surrounding its release, huh? But hey, it’s for a good reason. In an ironic twist, putting that good ol’ “Blizzard polish” that defined the company for so many years on a new free-to-play mobile game illuminates just how good companies […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/08/perfect-ten-10-things-you-can-spend-money-on-instead-of-diablo-immortal/feed/ 55 https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/03/the-soapbox-are-modern-games-more-disposable-than-ever/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/03/the-soapbox-are-modern-games-more-disposable-than-ever/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=390471 Atlas Rogues went out not with a bang but a whimper. I forgot it even existed. And after it closes July 5th, it’s gone. Of course there’s always hope that a dedicated fan will do the legwork to get this game back online, but that’s quite a bit of effort for any game, let alone […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/03/the-soapbox-are-modern-games-more-disposable-than-ever/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/02/mmo-burnout-miss-heroes-of-might-and-magic-try-songs-of-conquest/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/02/mmo-burnout-miss-heroes-of-might-and-magic-try-songs-of-conquest/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=389515 If I were president of video games™, I’d make sure every computer has a copy of Heroes of Might and Magic 3 installed in it. And I’d put our greatest minds towards an even more important goal: get it to run on anything with a screen. Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is an amazing game. Everything […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/02/mmo-burnout-miss-heroes-of-might-and-magic-try-songs-of-conquest/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/25/four-winds-remembering-teras-wild-start-and-in-game-politics/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/25/four-winds-remembering-teras-wild-start-and-in-game-politics/#comments Wed, 25 May 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=383754 Well, the TERA sunset thing caught me off guard. I don’t play TERA, but I was always under the impression that the game was chugging along just fine. While not every MMO hits a milestone like 10 years of operation, I was pretty sure TERA was going to be one of the games that would actually […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/25/four-winds-remembering-teras-wild-start-and-in-game-politics/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/28/desert-oasis-how-black-desert-mobile-has-a-little-something-for-everyone/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/28/desert-oasis-how-black-desert-mobile-has-a-little-something-for-everyone/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=383280 It’s amazing how fast two years flies by. It didn’t seem that long ago that I was doing my first impressions piece of Black Desert Mobile back in October 2019. And I’d nearly forgotten about the piece I wrote about it a year after its release. But along with its PC counterpart, it’s been chugging […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/28/desert-oasis-how-black-desert-mobile-has-a-little-something-for-everyone/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/14/desert-oasis-jumping-into-black-deserts-new-drakania-class/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/14/desert-oasis-jumping-into-black-deserts-new-drakania-class/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=381117 Everything gets better when a dragon knight is involved as far as I’m concerned. Kain Highwind made Final Fantasy IV the single best Final Fantasy in the entire series. On the other hand, the distinct lack of a dragon knight in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise has held it back from becoming a true […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/14/desert-oasis-jumping-into-black-deserts-new-drakania-class/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/30/desert-oasis-hands-on-with-black-deserts-eternal-winter-expansion-launching-april-6/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/30/desert-oasis-hands-on-with-black-deserts-eternal-winter-expansion-launching-april-6/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2022 02:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=380920 I needed to take a sabbatical. Not just from Black Desert, but the whole genre. The pandemic gave me a lot of computer time, and just as too much energon is bad for a transformer, I had way too much computer time. Besides, I just became a father and I wanted to spend more time with […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/30/desert-oasis-hands-on-with-black-deserts-eternal-winter-expansion-launching-april-6/feed/ 18 https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/05/desert-oasis-unearthing-the-origin-story-of-black-desert-studio-pearl-abyss/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/05/desert-oasis-unearthing-the-origin-story-of-black-desert-studio-pearl-abyss/#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=360995 On our side of the pond, the exploits of various popular video game companies and their founding are well documented. But when it comes to companies out of the USA, their origins are a little more obscure in the English-language press. Even Black Desert and EVE Online company Pearl Abyss, which is arranging itself to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/05/desert-oasis-unearthing-the-origin-story-of-black-desert-studio-pearl-abyss/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/19/riot-games-on-video-game-anti-cheat-measures-its-a-continual-arms-race/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/19/riot-games-on-video-game-anti-cheat-measures-its-a-continual-arms-race/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2021 22:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=358673 Remember last year when folks lost their minds over Valorant’s kernel-level anti-cheat? Well, it’s here to stay, and moving forward it might be a trend for many future games, and Riot has continued to sing its praises in a recent blog post on the current state and future of Vanguard, its anti-cheat software. Riot writes that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/19/riot-games-on-video-game-anti-cheat-measures-its-a-continual-arms-race/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/15/blizzard-pins-diablo-ii-resurrections-server-issues-partly-on-2001-netcode-from-the-classic-game/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/15/blizzard-pins-diablo-ii-resurrections-server-issues-partly-on-2001-netcode-from-the-classic-game/#comments Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=358196 While Diablo and brothers never really had much trouble returning to Sanctuary over and over again, the heroes who seek to slay them (over and over) certainly have! As we reported earlier this week, the Diablo II Resurrected servers have been struggling since the game launched late last month. And with rollback, lag, and constant […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/15/blizzard-pins-diablo-ii-resurrections-server-issues-partly-on-2001-netcode-from-the-classic-game/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/27/first-impressions-revisiting-memorable-locales-in-diablo-ii-resurrected/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/27/first-impressions-revisiting-memorable-locales-in-diablo-ii-resurrected/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=355458 What a time to be alive. I can’t believe I’m playing a remastered version of one of my all time favorite PC games. And what’s doubly surprising is that I’m playing it with the same level of enthusiasm a 13-year-old me had all those years ago. I bought the original game from a Funcoland the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/27/first-impressions-revisiting-memorable-locales-in-diablo-ii-resurrected/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/10/four-winds-massivelyops-guide-to-getting-started-in-swords-of-legends-online/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/10/four-winds-massivelyops-guide-to-getting-started-in-swords-of-legends-online/#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=344295 It’s a strange trend whenever new MMOs launch that there’s a deluge of tutorial videos on a bunch of topics but a shortage of written guides. Sometimes I just need a quick question answered without having to skip the 30-second intro and repeating the video a few times because the speaker was talking too fast. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/10/four-winds-massivelyops-guide-to-getting-started-in-swords-of-legends-online/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/02/desert-oasis-the-key-takeaways-from-black-deserts-heidel-ball-2021/ Fri, 02 Jul 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=342911 It’s been a busy two weeks for Black Desert Online. The past week saw another Arena of Arsha event, this time with trial characters. And while that was a blast to watch and saw around 30,000 viewers when I tuned in, the bigger story was the roadmap revealed during the Heidel Ball. And there’s a lot […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/16/desert-oasis-black-desert-onlines-atoraxxian-dungeon-is-a-good-idea-but-will-it-last/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/16/desert-oasis-black-desert-onlines-atoraxxian-dungeon-is-a-good-idea-but-will-it-last/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=340581 Burger and Fries, Mario and Luigi, Garfunkel and Oates. Are there any other iconic pairs? Oh yeah! RPGs and dungeons. Be it the sprawling 100 floor Via Infinito from Final Fantasy X-2, the Abyss in the Wild Arms series, or the forgotten tower in the original Phantasy Star, there’s a lot to choose from. It’s such a major part of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/16/desert-oasis-black-desert-onlines-atoraxxian-dungeon-is-a-good-idea-but-will-it-last/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/10/four-winds-everything-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-lost-ark/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/10/four-winds-everything-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-lost-ark/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:45:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=340057 Raise your hands if you’ve been eagerly waiting for Lost Ark. Now give me a high five because as announced earlier today, it’s finally coming to the west under Amazon’s guiding hand! Let me let you in on a little secret: I’ve been playing Lost Ark via a fan translation and a VPN the last […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/10/four-winds-everything-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-lost-ark/feed/ 18 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/03/desert-oasis-why-black-desert-online-is-my-favorite-mmo/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/03/desert-oasis-why-black-desert-online-is-my-favorite-mmo/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=338758 It’s crazy how fast two years go by, but it’s how long I’ve been running this column. I’ve interviewed the lead producer Jaehee Kim, provided a sneak preview to popular (and profitable) content, and showed some love to the game’s beautiful server chat. Heck, I even pushed to give it the 2020 MMO of the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/03/desert-oasis-why-black-desert-online-is-my-favorite-mmo/feed/ 28 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/27/four-winds-exploring-swords-of-legends-onlines-mindblowing-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/27/four-winds-exploring-swords-of-legends-onlines-mindblowing-world/#comments Thu, 27 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=337793 Have you ever played a game knowing exactly what you’re going to get, only for it to impress you because it did exactly that but just did it so well? Well, that’s Swords of Legends Online (SOLO) for me. SOLO is by all accounts nothing new in terms of gameplay. But despite that, I found myself absolutely […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/27/four-winds-exploring-swords-of-legends-onlines-mindblowing-world/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/20/desert-oasis-so-black-desert-wants-to-be-an-esport-now/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/20/desert-oasis-so-black-desert-wants-to-be-an-esport-now/#comments Thu, 20 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=336619 Even though the San Francisco Giants threw away a 6-2 lead against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, the real highlight of my weekend was watching Black Desert’s Arena of Arsha Best-in-Class Championship. It’s Pearl Abyss’ answer to the age-old question: “How can we make our game into an esport?” And you know what? It wasn’t bad. So […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/20/desert-oasis-so-black-desert-wants-to-be-an-esport-now/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/13/four-winds-final-thoughts-on-elyons-first-closed-beta-test/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/13/four-winds-final-thoughts-on-elyons-first-closed-beta-test/#comments Thu, 13 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=335959 Elyon’s closed beta test came and went, and boy am I happy with what I played. It was unfortunate that the test fell on Mother’s day weekend, since I couldn’t play as much as I wanted. But in the time I did get to play, I was thoroughly impressed. In my initial impressions, I argued […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/13/four-winds-final-thoughts-on-elyons-first-closed-beta-test/feed/ 13 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/07/first-impressions-of-elyons-western-closed-beta-day-one-and-a-dungeon-run/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/07/first-impressions-of-elyons-western-closed-beta-day-one-and-a-dungeon-run/#comments Fri, 07 May 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=335212 I can’t believe I’m actually playing Elyon on local servers. People have been excited for this game since it was called Ascent: Infinite Realm, and just from the first couple of hours of actual play, I can tell you that this game’s going to be a keeper. Published in North America, Europe, and Oceania by Kakao Games […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/07/first-impressions-of-elyons-western-closed-beta-day-one-and-a-dungeon-run/feed/ 35 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/05/desert-oasis-the-best-black-desert-quality-of-life-changes/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/05/desert-oasis-the-best-black-desert-quality-of-life-changes/#comments Wed, 05 May 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=332796 I wasn’t there at launch, but I’ve played Black Desert long enough to see some major changes in the game. And since the game just celebrated its fifth birthday in the NA/EU regions, what better time to go over them? For this edition of Desert Oasis, I’ll talk about the quality-of-life changes that I’ve enjoyed the most […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/05/desert-oasis-the-best-black-desert-quality-of-life-changes/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/21/four-winds-why-are-asian-mmos-monetized-the-way-they-are/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/21/four-winds-why-are-asian-mmos-monetized-the-way-they-are/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=328924 Welcome to Four Winds, Massively OP’s newest column, dedicated to Asian MMOs and the culture around it. As the resident Black Desert columnist, I’m a fan of the game as well as the subgenre it belongs to. There’s something special about Asian MMOs, and I’m eager to explore and uncover what that special sauce is […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/21/four-winds-why-are-asian-mmos-monetized-the-way-they-are/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/07/desert-oasis-black-deserts-sage-release-demonstrates-pearl-abyss-focus-on-the-west/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/07/desert-oasis-black-deserts-sage-release-demonstrates-pearl-abyss-focus-on-the-west/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=330486 I’m not really a comics guy, but I still have my favorite superheroes. For me, it’s Dr. Strange. Marvel’s artifact wielding, spell-slinging, multiverse traversing sorcerer supreme checks all the marks of a great spellcaster for me: cool powers, omega-level intellect, and the fact that he ditched the robe and wizard hat. I guess the folks […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/07/desert-oasis-black-deserts-sage-release-demonstrates-pearl-abyss-focus-on-the-west/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/25/desert-oasis-the-problem-with-black-deserts-season-servers-and-how-to-fix-it/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/25/desert-oasis-the-problem-with-black-deserts-season-servers-and-how-to-fix-it/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=328474 Black Desert’s had some exceptional growth over the past year. What I’ve always liked about this game is that it’s never tried to be what it’s not. It’s always been a grindy MMORPG where killing mobs is the primary way of getting stronger. So most of its major content updates include more grindspots and better […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/25/desert-oasis-the-problem-with-black-deserts-season-servers-and-how-to-fix-it/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/11/desert-oasis-a-brief-history-kakao-games-black-deserts-former-pc-publisher/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/11/desert-oasis-a-brief-history-kakao-games-black-deserts-former-pc-publisher/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=325609 It’s been a busy couple of months for Pearl Abyss and Kakao games. While Black Desert players knew about Pearl Abyss taking up self publishing duties for the game’s western PC release a whole year before the announcement, news of the split became official in December. Fast forward to today, and Black Desert is now fully […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/11/desert-oasis-a-brief-history-kakao-games-black-deserts-former-pc-publisher/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/25/why-i-play-finally-completing-final-fantasy-xivs-relic-grind/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/25/why-i-play-finally-completing-final-fantasy-xivs-relic-grind/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=322951 When I started my relic grind in Final Fantasy XIV, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But after finishing the first few steps, I was in too deep and I just had to finish. Besides, patch 5.45 had just dropped, and this was going to be the best time to do the steps since […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/25/why-i-play-finally-completing-final-fantasy-xivs-relic-grind/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/17/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xivs-memorable-shadowbringer-relic-weapon-grind/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/17/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xivs-memorable-shadowbringer-relic-weapon-grind/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=322926 I have a love-hate relationship with Final Fantasy XIV. I actively fought against giving the game MMO of the year for 2020, and I hold the unpopular opinion that the best way to experience the game’s long-winded story is to skip through most of it. But at the same time, I have so much to thank for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/17/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xivs-memorable-shadowbringer-relic-weapon-grind/feed/ 2