one shots

One Shots is a Massively Overpowered feature in which we highlight cool MMORPG screenshots from readers. You can send your screenshots into us at justin@massivelyop.com. [Follow this feature’s RSS feed]

One Shots: I took a picture THIS big!

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When you take the best screenshot in the world and want to impress your friends, do you find that you end up exaggerating a tiny bit? Perhaps with wide-flung arm motions and tall tales of shutter speed and multiple lenses?

Reader Matthew dishes up a boast for us from Elder Scrolls Online: “This screenshot amuses me for two reasons. Firstly, my friend Jacob and I met up yesterday for the first time in a week and discovered that we’d somehow dyed our gear almost the same color. Secondly, Jacob decided to mess around whilst I was taking a screenshot but his dancing animation plus my character’s idle ‘look around’ animation has randomly made it look as though Jacob’s Dragon Knight is telling my Sorceror how big the monster he just killed in the dungeon behind us was!”

This is when kobolds mysteriously transform into elder dragons through the power of storytelling. Onward and upward!

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One Shots: The Candy Man

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If you have a sweet tooth or diabetes, you may want to avoid the temptation that we’re about to put in your path with today’s headlining picture from the MOP community. It’s… the Candy Man, as delicious as he is deadly.

“On the topic of sweets, this screenshot from Heroes of the Storm is one of my favorite things ever,” writes Little Bugbear. “Sometime it’s difficult in MOBAs to find a character and skin that fit you perfectly. For me Kandy King Muradian’s pink beard and overwhelming decadence makes it the pinnacle of MOBA skins.”

Amen to that. I just want a small nibble, is that so bad?

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One Shots: No more worlds to conquer

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There’s that special joy that every screenshotter knows when you’re able to get that perfect angle, that photogenic pose, and then capture it for all time. I kind of feel that Rob was able to get that with this first picture from Star Trek Online.

What is his captain thinking? Is he bummed that the Federation has put a kibosh on his plans to warmonger his way across the galaxy? Does he want that planet to be named “Glory to Rob the Magnificent” and populate it with adoring subjects? Or is he merely contemplating the deep mysteries of what was in that replicator ration he ate for lunch?

No matter which it is, he’s looking profound and deep doing it!

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One Shots: All dolled up

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It’s always a crapshoot with our weekly screenshot challenges; sometimes they take off, and other times… not so much. But boy howdy did you all seem to fixate on last week’s call to share pictures of MMO sights that creeped you the heck out. Now they’re creeping me out and I need sleep tonight!

Reader Vexia kicks us off this this nightmare fuel from Final Fantasy XIV: “I have 3,784 screenshots taken from FFXIV. Having played since open beta, I take an increased total amount of pictures each year. I searched through my 1,744 between now and February of 2016 to find the perfect shot of something that is creepy and, coincidentally, child-like. For some reason, the Sharlayans thought these were just the thing to guard their abandoned magical stuff. In true Square-Enix boss fashion, this is not even the final form. I spared you from having to look at that because it somehow gets even creepier.

Um… thank you?

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One Shots: There’s nothing wrong with being childish

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An interesting bit of fallout from last week’s One Shots challenge to submit a picture that captures a “childlike” spirit is that several commenters noticed that there is a fine line between something being innocent and childish and something belonging in a horror movie.

Why not start out with this shot from Zulika Mi-Nam, who brings back Halloween at the tail end of February? “I think everything in Dragon Nest looks childlike, so I found all of it kinda creepy. Just as I had heard though, the combat is 100% awesome — and no child’s play.”

I’ve occasionally heard that Dragon Nest is an underrated title in the same vein. Might have to check it out one of these days.

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One Shots: I am no man!

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The big screenshot challenge last week was to capture action, not just still shots, in MMORPGs. This is tricker than it sounds, because you have to be quick with the screenshot key and manipulate the camera just right to get the perfect picture. It is easier to do this with other characters, obviously, including those in cutscenes.

Borghive gets headlining honors with his “final showdown” between the Witch King and Éowyn from Lord of the Rings Online. She looks a little outmatched, what with being smaller and having an actual head, but I think she’s going to come out just fine. After all, she is no man.

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One Shots: The power of pink hair

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Wherever there is trouble, Manastu Utakata will be there to fight it with her lightning-fast screenshot button and trademark pink hair. Villains, start running right now! The pink is coming for you and it will never, ever give up until you are six feet under the ground (in your hidey hole, shaking in your boots because you never saw it coming).

Pink: It’s what’s for winners.

As we rebuild our One Shots catalogue from the ruins of Livefyre, let us be blinded by the neon colors of WildStar and dye all of our hair pink in honor of a certain famous pig-tailed commenter.

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One Shots: Cow disco!

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With the recent switchover to a new comment system and the very real fear that we might lose previous comments (including, alas, your excellent One Shots submissions), I proactively saved several from last week to use for this column. So with this foundation, let us refill our comments section will wild, bold, and always-interesting screenshots!

Zulika Mi Nam kicks off today’s tour with an odd tribute to Asheron’s Call: “Last night while running around the in great north of Dereth, I was taking a look at houses each time I would come across a neighborhood. Some were still being leased, but most were abandoned. Of those abandoned some owners had stripped them of all belongings, while others still had left wall hangings and such left behind. Then I came across this miniature cow disco that someone could not bring up the courage to dismantle for sake of these miniature cows that only live for the dance.”

They’re dancing in bovine heaven now. A minute of silence for the late, great cows of Asheron’s Call.

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One Shots: A purrrfect sunset

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What makes a good sunset even better? When you get to curl up with your favorite pet and share a Hallmark moment together.

UpayaCrow kicks us off today with our display of community screenshots with this luscious view from Black Desert: “I love the pets in BDO because they’ve spent a lot of effort on animations and behaviors. Your pets have personalities and will perch on your shoulder or ride along side you when you’re driving a wagon. And, well, they’re so adorable! Here we are lounging in Valencia, looking out at the sun setting over Altinova.”

Watch out though: Cats are known for waiting until the opportune moment to trip their owner over the side of a cliff and then walk away into a new life.

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One Shots: Healin’ skellies in Shards Online

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When the NDA is away, the cats will play — and take screenshots! Bless our dear community for documenting upcoming MMOs as they venture into these virgin territories.

ZulikaMiNam had some fun in one game that I haven’t seen much from readers yet: “Since there are no NDA restrictions imposed for this alpha weekend kickoff over at Shards Online I will post some pics from there. I accidentally healed a skeleton while trying to heal myself. So my name turns grey and anyone can kill me now. Time to lay low for a bit.”

Are you still laying low? You can… probably come out now. That skeleton owes you a life debt for that heroic action.

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One Shots: Tabula Rasa’s 21-gun salute

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Ralph the Wonder Llama kicks off today’s community screenshot gallery with a salute to the late, great Tabula Rasa.

“Yes, Tabula Rasa ended up being rushed to market, and many of its features were pretty rough around the edges when the game first released, but this was 2008! Can you imagine what Tabula Rasa would have been like if it had survived and gotten a couple of expansions under its belt? The mind boggles. Here’s a shot of my Grenadier at Foreas Base, taken just a few days before shutdown. You can’t really tell with the helmet on, but I’m pretty sure my character is crying.”

On that happy note, let’s see what else you all have cooked up for us today!

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One Shots: The Reaper comes for all MMOs

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In light of this past week’s sad Landmark news, it’s perhaps too on-the-nose that I asked for players to send in pictures of defunct MMOs. Maybe it’s just one of those sober reminders that sooner or later, these games will go dark. Enjoy them to their fullest now!

“To prove I can actually be on topic sometimes, I answer your call for shots from defunct MMOs with one from Dragon’s Prophet,” Tyler said, “the only game I’ve played that has shut down. There was a great deal wrong with this game, and I didn’t play it for long, but there was still a lot about it that was surprisingly good. In particular I loved the unusual, battle mage-like Oracle class. Who wants to stand in the back waving your hands when your mage can charge into the thick of things and massacre everyone with a giant enchanted scythe?”

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One Shots: The Christmas when no one showed up

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If an MMO throws a Christmas party and no one shows up, who gets the presents? Will that eggnog ever get drunk? Are the decorations quiet and beautiful or deathly quiet and sad?

Adri’s screenshot from the classic Guild Wars made me think about how MMO holidays keep on trucking whether or not guests arrive to the party. For MMOs past their time, it’s almost like the game itself is keeping vigil for its cherished memories.

“Merry Christmas,” Adri said. “I visit this Guild Wars 1 Christmas tree every year. Just sitting next to it, listening to the in-game music, and thinking of times… just times.”

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