https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:56:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/21/from-the-depths-world-of-warships-teases-key-mechanics-changes-to-subs-and-aircraft-carriers/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/21/from-the-depths-world-of-warships-teases-key-mechanics-changes-to-subs-and-aircraft-carriers/#respond Thu, 21 Dec 2023 19:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=472801 World of Warships is a title that seems to be under constant scrutiny for community interactions, aggressive monetization, and the deployment of random mechanics and FOMO to generate revenue instead of thoughtful game design based on player feedback. Still, underneath all the muck and grime is a unique core gameplay style that does not exist […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/21/from-the-depths-world-of-warships-teases-key-mechanics-changes-to-subs-and-aircraft-carriers/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/30/from-the-depths-five-things-to-love-about-world-of-warships/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/30/from-the-depths-five-things-to-love-about-world-of-warships/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=419967 I guess it’s time to admit it: After nearly three years of daily play, I have no choice but to come to terms with the fact that World of Warships is my main game. As someone who enjoys MMOs and does not enjoy the way most free-to-play titles are monetized, this is no small thing. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/30/from-the-depths-five-things-to-love-about-world-of-warships/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/30/from-the-depths-free-to-play-world-of-warships-is-an-expensive-journey/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/30/from-the-depths-free-to-play-world-of-warships-is-an-expensive-journey/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=415623 When I first started playing MMO’s back in 2012, the hot debate of the time was subscription vs. free-to-play business models. Over the last 10 years, however, that conversation has mostly disappeared as subscriptions have become – for the most part – a way to get extras like experience and credit-making boosts. Game studios have […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/30/from-the-depths-free-to-play-world-of-warships-is-an-expensive-journey/feed/ 17 https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/06/world-of-warships-officially-adds-submarines-for-early-access/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/06/world-of-warships-officially-adds-submarines-for-early-access/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=408461 The tale of submarines in World of Warships is a long and twisted affair. According to Wargaming Publishing Director for Americas Artur Plociennik, players started asking about the addition “immediately after [the studio] released the game,” which was 2015. Even so, it wasn’t until a Halloween event in late 2018 that subs made their first […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/06/world-of-warships-officially-adds-submarines-for-early-access/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/06/from-the-depths-fun-world-of-warships-warships-that-actually-existed/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/06/from-the-depths-fun-world-of-warships-warships-that-actually-existed/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=395180 When World of Warships launched in 2015, the historical significance of the many ships researchable and purchasable within the game was taken into heavy consideration. As the years passed and new nations with smaller navies were introduced, many “paper ships” (as the community refers to them) have made their way into WoWs’ many battle modes. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/06/from-the-depths-fun-world-of-warships-warships-that-actually-existed/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/20/from-the-depths-everything-we-know-about-wargamings-exit-from-russia/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/20/from-the-depths-everything-we-know-about-wargamings-exit-from-russia/#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=384559 Mixing gaming and politics is rough. Think back to the Blitzchung fiasco for Blizzard back in 2019. Or when Daybreak was (and then wasn’t) owned by Columbus Nova, which itself was owned (and then wasn’t) by Russian megacorp Renova. Understandably, companies steer clear of this kind of attention, but that navigation becomes all the more […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/20/from-the-depths-everything-we-know-about-wargamings-exit-from-russia/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/25/from-the-depths-checking-up-on-world-of-warships-community-promises/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/25/from-the-depths-checking-up-on-world-of-warships-community-promises/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=375880 Wargaming’s World of Warships had its share of controversies in 2021, some of which led to the resignation of many of its most prolific community contributors. In response, Wargaming released a dev blog detailing several areas of improvement they intended to pursue. More recently, a follow-up post has appeared touting some of the changes that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/25/from-the-depths-checking-up-on-world-of-warships-community-promises/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/08/from-the-depths-seven-tips-to-improve-the-world-of-warships-experience/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/08/from-the-depths-seven-tips-to-improve-the-world-of-warships-experience/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=365546 It’s no secret that World of Warships has had a rough year thanks to dodgy monetization mechanics and Wargaming’s treatment of employees and players. But the game itself is undeniably one of the most unique war arcade PvP experiences available – and it’s a difficult game to master. Over the past two years, I’ve picked […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/08/from-the-depths-seven-tips-to-improve-the-world-of-warships-experience/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/23/wargaming-has-censored-another-content-creators-world-of-warships-videos/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/23/wargaming-has-censored-another-content-creators-world-of-warships-videos/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2021 15:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=363995 It hasn’t been the best year for Wargaming, the game studio behind war arcades World of Tanks and World of Warships, and it seems the bad news may be far from over. Russian language players are pointing out that YouTuber Nomen_Est_Omen saw all his World of Warships videos removed from his channel due to copyright […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/23/wargaming-has-censored-another-content-creators-world-of-warships-videos/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/16/the-soapbox-world-of-warships-aggressive-monetization-incited-a-mass-exodus-of-content-creators/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/16/the-soapbox-world-of-warships-aggressive-monetization-incited-a-mass-exodus-of-content-creators/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=349787 Gaming monetization has been a topic of intense conversation ever since box copies of software diminished in favor of persistent online experiences. Subscription services entered the scene but presented the problem of a monthly commitment to the unknown. Then we got swarmed with free-to-play titles and the introduction of cash shops and designs intended to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/16/the-soapbox-world-of-warships-aggressive-monetization-incited-a-mass-exodus-of-content-creators/feed/ 34 https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/25/fight-or-kite-sea-of-thieves-made-me-feel-like-a-pirate/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/25/fight-or-kite-sea-of-thieves-made-me-feel-like-a-pirate/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=319680 In the long running debate between who would win in a fight between pirates and ninjas, I’ve always fallen on the side of the ninjas. Ever since I was a young lad running through my home with a turtle mask on while donning a sword and nunchaku (you can’t tell me I can’t be Leoangelo!), […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/25/fight-or-kite-sea-of-thieves-made-me-feel-like-a-pirate/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/12/from-dockyard-disaster-to-sailing-success-how-world-of-warships-learned-from-the-puerto-rico-event-fiasco/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/12/from-dockyard-disaster-to-sailing-success-how-world-of-warships-learned-from-the-puerto-rico-event-fiasco/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=309248 Gamers tend to harp on game companies for the very public mistakes they make. While most of the criticism is clearly deserved, occasionally a studio will learn from the misstep, listen to the playerbase, and come up with a solution that both meets the financial needs of the studio and the expectations of the players. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/12/from-dockyard-disaster-to-sailing-success-how-world-of-warships-learned-from-the-puerto-rico-event-fiasco/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/22/from-the-depths-hands-on-with-world-of-warships-epic-submarine-patch/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/22/from-the-depths-hands-on-with-world-of-warships-epic-submarine-patch/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=278636 Few things in World of Warships are as polarizing as submarines. For every player excited at the possibility of playing the stealthy assassins, there is an equally passionate player decrying the threat to the balance of current gameplay. Not to be dissuaded, Wargaming this month released a new build of the public test server that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/22/from-the-depths-hands-on-with-world-of-warships-epic-submarine-patch/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/10/mmo-burnout-sinking-boats-and-sleeping-with-the-fishes-in-world-of-warships/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/10/mmo-burnout-sinking-boats-and-sleeping-with-the-fishes-in-world-of-warships/#comments Wed, 10 Jul 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=232877 As they crept along at a mere 15 knots, the commander kept a close eye on the horizon. He signaled to turn the craft, a Fubuki class destroyer, so that the torpedo launchers faced the hulking battleship. The new angle slowed their approach, but the shadow of the enemy ship looming ever closer still caused […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/10/mmo-burnout-sinking-boats-and-sleeping-with-the-fishes-in-world-of-warships/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2018/06/27/interview-worlds-adrifts-bossa-studios-on-giving-griefing-and-gittin-gud/ https://massivelyop.com/2018/06/27/interview-worlds-adrifts-bossa-studios-on-giving-griefing-and-gittin-gud/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=173394 After the launch of Worlds Adrift but prior to E3, we sent off an interview to Bossa Studios and recently received our answers, complete with current news about how the studio is trying to address griefing, adding countermeasures, and yes, “gitting good.” Maybe the phrasing there could be better, especially given the brutality of the Steam […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2018/06/27/interview-worlds-adrifts-bossa-studios-on-giving-griefing-and-gittin-gud/feed/ 20 https://massivelyop.com/2018/06/18/e3-2018-hands-on-with-ubisofts-open-world-pirate-pvp-game-skull-bones/ https://massivelyop.com/2018/06/18/e3-2018-hands-on-with-ubisofts-open-world-pirate-pvp-game-skull-bones/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=172141 So, you want to be a pirate, but Sea of Thieves isn’t your cup of tea? If the issue was PvP, well, you’re probably out of luck, as Ubisoft Producer Karl von der Luhe emphasized at E3 this year that one of Skull and Bones‘ chief strengths is that it lets you decide what kind of pirate you want to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2018/06/18/e3-2018-hands-on-with-ubisofts-open-world-pirate-pvp-game-skull-bones/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2018/05/21/first-impressions-of-worlds-adrift-innovation-zelda-open-world-pvp-and-that-sinking-feeling/ https://massivelyop.com/2018/05/21/first-impressions-of-worlds-adrift-innovation-zelda-open-world-pvp-and-that-sinking-feeling/#comments Mon, 21 May 2018 16:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=167586 Worlds Adrift has been one of those games I’ve been closely watching but trying not to jump into until it was ready. I tried one of the alpha weekends, and while it was playable, I could tell I needed to wait, and wait I did. I had faith that once the game would hit Steam […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2018/05/21/first-impressions-of-worlds-adrift-innovation-zelda-open-world-pvp-and-that-sinking-feeling/feed/ 98 https://massivelyop.com/2018/04/27/impressions-of-sea-of-thieves-one-month-in-deep-diving-retro-world-pvp/ https://massivelyop.com/2018/04/27/impressions-of-sea-of-thieves-one-month-in-deep-diving-retro-world-pvp/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=163898 It’s really hard for me to not to gush hard about Sea of Thieves. I know many out there won’t agree, and it’s easy to say why, especially for RPG and theme park fans. It also may be because I’m late to the party, as the game came out while I was at GDC. That being said, Massively […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2018/04/27/impressions-of-sea-of-thieves-one-month-in-deep-diving-retro-world-pvp/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/19/e3-2017-hands-on-with-ubisofts-skull-and-bones/ https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/19/e3-2017-hands-on-with-ubisofts-skull-and-bones/#comments Mon, 19 Jun 2017 18:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=116826 I like naval combat in my MMOs. That’s my weakness. Vehicle combat is great, but for some reason, I especially like boats. When I heard there was another pirate multiplayer game being revealed at E3 2017, I knew I’d have to check it out. Fortunately, I’d already been scheduled to check out Ubisoft’s press section of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/19/e3-2017-hands-on-with-ubisofts-skull-and-bones/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/17/e3-2017-hands-on-with-sea-of-thieves-multiplayer-ship-crewing/ https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/17/e3-2017-hands-on-with-sea-of-thieves-multiplayer-ship-crewing/#comments Sat, 17 Jun 2017 18:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=117092 As I mentioned in MassivelyOP’s Best of E3 Overthinking article, I came away from this year’s con thinking Sea of Thieves was the best playable online multiplayer game with a playable demo there, despite that demo being “terrible.” What I mean by “terrible” is that it created the potential for some of the worst parts of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/17/e3-2017-hands-on-with-sea-of-thieves-multiplayer-ship-crewing/feed/ 14