game design
Massively Overthinking: Unpopular MMORPG opinions
Unpopular opinions: We all have them. In fact we have so many that it's a straight up meme. This week's Massively Overthinking is one...
Massively Uplifting: Destigmatizing mental health in games, celebrating loved ones in LOTRO, Guild Wars 2, and Elite
Spring started splendidly this year. While all may not come up roses in the world at large, plenty of good deeds and uplifting stories...
Not So Massively: Yearning for an MMO future free of loot
Throughout all of the Drama over Anthem's loot issues, I've just been rolling my eyes. Not because I think Bioware screwed up -- arguably...
The Daily Grind: Do you prefer target locks or free aiming in MMO action combat?
In the world of active combat, the mechanics are split between two separate yet equally important combat styles. The first is the open free-aiming...
Global Chat: Do you think you could design a better game than World of Warcraft?
Let's be honest: We all are so egotistical and opinionated that we totally think we could design a better MMO than World of Warcraft....
Lawful Neutral: The future of MMO game design in a streaming gaming world
It’s been an interesting few weeks for gaming. We saw the announcement of Google’s game streaming service, Stadia, and then Apple’s subscribe-to-access game service,...
Valve pledges to fix Artifact’s ‘deep-rooted issues’ in attempt to salvage the game
Things haven't been going particularly great for Artifact. Valve's digital card game, which launched in November of last year, has been rapidly hemorrhaging players...
Massively Overthinking: Designed downtime in MMORPGs
In a Daily Grind not long ago, MOP reader Armsbend said something I thought just cried out for discussion. After noting that he had...
Albion Online lays out its future roadmap with hideouts, hotspots, and customization
The Oberon update landed in Albion Online yesterday, along with news that the game is going free-to-play in just a few short weeks, but...
Not So Massively: Welcoming a new era of online games and gaming
Hello, Massively Overpowered readers! Not So Massively is back, with a new captain at the helm.
My name's Tyler. If you're active in the MMO...
EVE Evolved: EVE Online’s storyline is about to go off the rails
The most compelling stories that emerge from EVE Online are usually tales of player-based conflict, dastardly deals, and political intrigue, but the game's core...
EVE Evolved: The war on bots in EVE Online
The news dropped recently that EVE Online will be adding some new limitations and restrictions to its free-to-play tier, which may seem odd to...
EVE Evolved: EVE Online has a gambling problem
The gambling debate has kicked off again in EVE Online, this time in response to the annual Guardian's Gala event that's currently running throughout...
EVE Evolved: How working with NPCs could improve EVE Online
While EVE Online is primarily based around the conflicts that arise between groups of players competing in the same virtual universe, the New Eden...
MMO designer Raph Koster runs down the key mechanics that drive retention in online games
If last week's "games as a service" conversation piqued your interest, hop on over to Raph Koster's blog. The veteran MMORPG designer has a...
The Daily Grind: How much should fan communities influence MMO designers?
The other day I saw a comment on an MMO subreddit that I quite liked; to paraphrase, it basically stated that the system designers...
EVE Evolved: Solving conflict avoidance in EVE Online
Back in October, I made the case that wars were literally ruining EVE Online for the huge number of players living in high-security space....
Project Horseshoe’s design papers confirm decades of MMORPG lessons
Not everyone involved in game design is trying to squeeze every last penny out of you. Yes, a lot of them are, but many...
Shroud of the Avatar plans a hefty cash shop overhaul, includes $6999 package to support episode 2
Shroud of the Avatar's business model is apparently getting a bit of an overhaul. As the game's latest newsletter explains, Portalarium is changing things...
EVE Evolved: Seven of the best EVE Online fan videos of all time
EVE Online has a long history of incredible cinematics and player-made videos, but that legacy has somewhat fallen by the wayside in recent years....
