The announcement of Final Fantasy XIV’s second expansion, Stormblood, is sure to inject more life and excitement into this beloved MMORPG. A couple of community bloggers took time recently to analyse the event and expansion reveal.
“Overall, it was a fun time, though. I was happy to have the chance to be there for the expansion announcement. I’m looking forward to the new deep dungeon levels and more info on the Red Mage (DPS, please!),” Aywren wrote.
“One of the most cheered announcements was the drop of support for the PS3 version of the game,” Sagacyte noted. “For the longest time people have speculated that some limitations of the game come from having to support the fading console, and letting it go could open the doors to new visual and technical things. One such thing was mentioned in a new lightning model.”
This week in Global Chat, MMO bloggers talk about One Tamriel, hopes for Amazon’s New World, and an “antisocial epidemic” sweeping through our genre.
Skycandy: Postcards from Galaxies
“After learning that Star Wars Galaxies was due to be sunsetted in 2012, I had a rough time enjoying what was left of the time that remained to me. Over many years, I had built up a crafting empire and a set of homes and businesses that I was truly proud of and still miss being able to visit to this day — I think I miss my creations more than anything.”
Superior Realities: Landmark — build two in pictures
“My initial plan had been to find a nice mountain valley and then tunnel into the surrounding cliffs, but I couldn’t find a valley that was the right size or shape, so eventually I threw up my hands and declared, ‘Screw it, I’ll build my own valley! With blackjack! And hookers!'”
Occasional Hero: Can an MMO still entertain if its story doesn’t?
“Maybe I’m just spoiled by Star Wars The Old Republic’s (mostly) excellent writing, but I’m thoroughly uninterested in RIFT’s story. I really like the game in general, but the story just seems like an amalgamation of the most boring, generic fantasy tropes imaginable.”
StarShadow: One Tamriel — a game changer
“The One Tamriel update has now been out on PC for a few days now and it has made a significant impact on how the game feels to play.  I’m just going to write a list of the main points that I feel are really beneficial and some links as a reference for my future alts (and anyone else who might find it handy).”
Endgame Viable: Hopes and predictions for New World
“I am 95% sure that the game will begin with your character standing on a beach while a clipper ship sails away. If not that, you’ll be washed up on the beach from a shipwreck of said clipper ship. I predict that our character will not be ‘the chosen one.’ We’ll be just another ‘Adventurer,’ as the early settlers were called.”
Gaiscioch: The anti-social epidemic
“There is an unseen plague developing in the MMO industry today. One that is being pitched as a feature, yet is making a very big shift in player mentality. This shift turns old allies into enemies, friends into forgotten. If left unchecked this trend will prevent the new generation from experiencing games the way their parents did.”
Chez Comic Relief: 100 reasons to like DDO
“Character Customization. So many choices. Not just with looks, but with classes, skills, feats, and enhancements. Some MMOs lock you into specific roles, abilities, and/or stats based on the initial class you pick. Again, for certain games, there is not necessarily anything wrong with that. BUT if you want flexibility in how your character evolves, few games allow that like DDO.”
Every day there are tons of terrific, insightful, and unusual articles posted across the MMO gaming blogosphere — and every day, Justin reads as many as he can. Global Chat is a sampling of noteworthy essays, rants, and guides from the past few weeks of MMO discourse.
