Columns

Enjoy a run-down of our recent long-form pieces, both game-specific and more general. You might also be interested in our list of all of our columns and recurring articles. [Follow this category’s RSS feed]

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Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail release dates, event dates, and philosophy

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Well let me be the first to say that I can most definitely live with this particular set of revelations from PAX East, so...

Vitae Aeternum: Analyzing New World’s ‘content drought,’ comms chaos, and lack of a 2024 expansion

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The always cantankerous New World community is in even more of an uproar than usual lately. Go to any of its social media, and...

The Daily Grind: What’s the most macabre thing you’ve done or seen in an MMORPG?

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MJ's coverage of the new gravedigging mechanics in Path of Exile (bury corpses of whole families together for a stat boost!) got me thinking...

One Shots: One corgi to rule them all

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Deep in the fires of Mt. Doom, a terrible and mighty creation is being forged. One that if, left unchecked and unpetted, could spell...
It appears to be... a rock.

The Daily Grind: Do you prefer risky or reliable strategies in an MMO?

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Back when I cut my teeth on MMORPG play in Final Fantasy XI, there were accepted strategies for gaining levels via normal leveling. You...

LOTRO Legendarium: My 11 favorite zones in LOTRO

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This week I put my chin on my fists and thought super-hard about the following question: What column could I write that would be...

Massively on the Go: 10 Mega Pokemon Legends Z-A could add to help Pokemon GO

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We have very little information about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but one thing for sure is that it can make a big impact on Pokemon...

Massively Overthinking: What’s the most polarizing topic in your favorite MMORPG?

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I was playing Lord of the Rings Online last weekend when my server naturally veered off into one of its favorite discussions: whether Moria...
Thank you. Very impressive.

WoW Factor: World of Warcraft’s Plunderstorm is neither greedy nor good

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It would be an exaggeration of the highest order to say that no one was even a little interested when World of Warcraft unveiled...

The Daily Grind: What’s your most-used consumable in MMORPGs?

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I've been thinking a lot of about economy problems lately - economy problems in MMORPGs, that is. It's a confluence of discussions, really: my...

Wandering Wraeclast: Path of Exile 2 showcases the Ranger, announces beta delay and June alpha

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The wheels of Grinding Gear Games' Path of Exile 2 info machine are moving, and we are here for it! Earlier this week, I...

Massively on the Go: 10 Pokemon Go Mega Pokemon to invest now – and 2 for later

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Roughly two years ago, Pokemon GO's Mega Evolution system got its third reworking, which was a major reason I made our list of pokemon to...

Fight or Kite: Is Epic’s MOBA Paragon just too easy to remake but impossible to succeed?

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This past week we got some news regarding Predecessor, a new MOBA game on the way. At first blush, it looks like many other...
Well, points for effort.

Vague Patch Notes: Why in the world do you want the Riot MMO to be a thing?

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Let's make something clear right up front: If you came into this column eager to head for the comments section to say, "Well, I...
Voracious!

The Daily Grind: Are there any MMOs where you feel finished?

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The very nature of any given MMO means that as long as the game is still running, you'll never truly be done. Sure, rogue...

Global Chat: EverQuest hits the quarter-century mark

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There's no way that The Ancient Gaming Noob would miss out on EverQuest's 25th anniversary: "So there is a lot going on if you...
movies

Perfect Ten: MMOs with live-action media tie-ins

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Every so often I think to myself that a video game should get some kind of media adaptation before I come to my senses....

Choose My Adventure: Opening and exploring the astrolabe forest in Nightingale

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I was not expecting the voting to be as close as it was for this game. There was a nearly three-way tie at polls'...

The Daily Grind: Have daily login bonuses ever gotten you to stay in an MMORPG?

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Back in February, Lord of the Rings Online kicked off another one of its promotions that I assume is meant to get people who...
This is some Michael Bay contrast.

Wisdom of Nym: What we’re likely to see at Final Fantasy XIV’s PAX East 2024 panel

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I realize at this point my general dislike of heading up to Boston for the annual haunted plague box that is PAX East is...

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