game design
EVE Evolved: Is the EVE Online community a force for good in the world?
When we write or talk about MMO communities, we often focus on the practicalities of guilds or in-game events, the drama of forums, and...
Massively Overthinking: Is the age of the $15 subscription coming to an end?
Massively OP's own Justin Olivetti penned a blog post this week in which he muses on the lifespan of the $15 MMO sub fee,...
The Daily Grind: How would you make a special MMO ruleset server?
Lately there's been some friction over in Lord of the Rings Online due to what players see as mishandling and miscommunication over the game's...
Perfect Ten: MMORPGs made by tiny teams
I don't really have to tell you this, but creating an MMORPG is a huge undertaking. These are some of the most complex games...
Gaming psychologist Jamie Madigan explains what ‘surprise mechanics’ actually are
We're all familiar with the "surprise mechanics" incident, the absurdist argument in defense of lootboxes from EA's VP of legal and government affairs Kerry...
Design Mockument: Plausible ideas for The Matrix Online 2
When Bree found out that I'm a fan of the Matrix franchise of films, she said it'd be fun to see me take on...
Perfect Ten: MMOs that flirted with permadeath
This month, Dungeons and Dragons Online will be venturing where many MMORPGs have feared to tread: into the realm of officially supported permadeath. The...
Hegemony is a new ‘classic’ MMORPG built using Minecraft
If you're still a bit bummed over Mojang canceling Minecraft's Super Duper Graphics Pack overhaul, then I do have a little bit of good...
Massively Overthinking: Morality and compelling choices in MMOs
The most recent episode of The Psychology of Video Games podcast touches on a subject we don't tackle very much: moral choices. It's an...
EVE Evolved: What injecting chaos means for EVE Online
The past few weeks have been pretty transformative for EVE Online, with the global communications blackout across null-security space revitalising roaming gang PvP in...
Ashes of Creation’s team talks game design, character creation, and ‘no direct nudity’
Hoping to see some "tasteful nudity" in Ashes of Creation? That's not going to happen, according to Intrepid Studio's recent development update video. Neither...
Not So Massively: Jumping into Grim Dawn in 2019
Now that I'm helming Not So Massively, I feel a stronger compulsion to delve into games like ARPGs and shooters so that I can...
The Soapbox: Hoping for Amazon to succeed where Lord of the Rings Online failed
It's not often I really get excited about an upcoming MMORPG. Partly this is because of the industry slowing down, and partly this is...
Fight or Kite: Albion Online’s Percival update is for the solo players out there
This week we saw a nice patch released for the world of Albion Online with its Percival update. It’s largely a general quality-of-life update...
EVE Evolved: EVE Online’s comms blackout will lead to absolute anarchy
All hell is about to break loose in EVE Online for the territorial alliances waging wars in the depths of space following some the...
Dual Universe is on-track for Alpha 2 on July 11
The latest video for Dual Universe should be good news for anyone eagerly anticipating the game's second alpha test because it confirms that the...
Camelot Unchained talks spiders mobs and game design in latest updates
Arachnophobes, the latest Camelot Unchained update is definitely not for you. The star of the update is Charlotte, and she's not the kind of...
EVE Evolved: NPC invasions wreak havoc across EVE Online
When CCP Games released a new EVE Online expansion named Invasion at the end of last month, players were readying themselves to battle limited...
Wisdom of Nym: Why you should be cautious speculating on Final Fantasy XIV’s expansion balance
Whew. All right. So we've gotten the media tour information for the next Final Fantasy XIV expansion, and that means that people have gotten to...
EVE Evolved: Getting ready for the Invasion in EVE Online
EVE Online's Invasion expansion lands in just two days on May 28th, and there are plenty of things you can do now to make...
