| Steve "Istvan" Hartmeyer Dev Journal |
08/15/07 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
Why did NetDevil choose to create a new, updated Jumpgate? How did the project come together. These are two of the questions that Jumpgate: Evolution Developer, Steve "Istvan" Hartmeyer answers in this new MMORPG.com Dev Log.
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Guest Writer |
| Torcastra Prison Dev Diary and Video |
10/08/07 |
Tabula Rasa
|
NCsoft has provided us with this non exclusive dev diary written by Mission Designer Rebekah Tran. Also included was video of the area with the same name, Torcastra Prison. |
Guest Writer |
| Issue 11 - Standing Apart in a Crowd: Weapon Customization |
10/11/07 |
City of Heroes
|
Last week, we brought you an interview with Matt "Positron" Miller about the upcoming Issue 11 update from City of Heroes / Villains. Today, the folks behind the game have provided us with the story behind the new weapon customization that will make an appearance in Issue 11.
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Guest Writer |
| Non-Exclusive Dev Diary: Control Points |
10/12/07 |
Tabula Rasa
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Tabula Rasa Producer Starr Long has penned a developer diary describing control points, a game mechanic intended to simulate the back and forth of war by creating a dynamic battlefield. |
Guest Writer |
| Dungeons to Run In |
10/15/07 |
Dungeon Runners
|
Today, the Dungeon Runners Dev Team has provided us with a new developer journal about the use of dungeons in, well, Dungeon Runners.
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Guest Writer |
| Non-Exclusive Dev Diary: The Caves of Donn |
10/18/07 |
Tabula Rasa
|
Tabula Rasa Mission Designer Rebekah Tran has penned a dev diary detailing the Caves of Don, one of the first instance maps that players will be able to explore after entering the Wilderness Area. |
Guest Writer |
| AI |
11/19/07 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
In this Developer Journal, Herman Peterscheck, the Lead Producer of the upcoming MMORPG, Jumpgate Evolution, takes the time to talk to us about AI for the space-based game.
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Guest Writer |
| How Dungeon Runners Redefines Skills and Classes in the Free-To-Play MMO Game Genre |
11/20/07 |
Dungeon Runners
|
As a companion to our Dungeon Runners Interview, the folks at NCsoft have also provided us with this Developer Diary giving us the development team's opinion on "How Dungeon Runners Redefines Skills and Classes in the Free-To-Play MMO Game Genre".
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Guest Writer |
| Accessibility |
12/03/07 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
The team from NetDevil's upcoming sci-fi MMORPG Jumpgate Evolution have provided us with this new edition of our dev journal series. This week's contribution uses a quote from Einstein to talk about accessibility in video games in general, and designing a sequel to a classic game.
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Guest Writer |
| Wrap-Up |
12/11/07 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
For the last four weeks, we have presented a developer journal from Hermann Peterscheck, the Producer of NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution. In this final installment, Peterscheck talk about creating a space action game.
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Guest Writer |
| Response to Feedback |
12/12/07 |
Pirates of the Burning Sea
|
Flying Lab Software's Rick Saada takes the time to respond to some of the feedback that the team has received here on our MMORPG.com forums. Remember, sometimes, the devs are listening!
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Guest Writer |
| Flight Dynamics |
01/09/08 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
In this new Developer Journal, NetDevil Programmer Steve "Istvan" Hartmeyer talks about flight in their upcoming MMORPG, Jumpgate Evolution.
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Guest Writer |
| AI System: Nuts & Bolts |
01/16/08 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
Steve Hartmeyer, a programmer on NetDevil's upcoming Jumpgate Evolution, files this Dev Journal on the game's AI system.
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Guest Writer |
| The Outfit System and Barbershops |
01/21/08 |
Lord of the Rings Online
|
Turbine has released a new internal Dev Journal on the Outfit System and the Barbershops that will be introduced in the upcoming free update, Book 12.
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Guest Writer |
| Official Conan Blog Updated |
01/22/08 |
Age of Conan
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Jason Stone, better known as Athelan, has updated his official Age of Conan Blog with info and his opinion of the delay. |
Guest Writer |
| Designing Fault Lever |
01/25/08 |
Tabula Rasa
|
Tabula Rasa world builder David Vargo guides us through the design process and philosophy behind the Fault Lever instance in Tabula Rasa. |
Guest Writer |
| User Interface: Accessible Functionality |
01/30/08 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
Today, NetDevil's Steve "Istvan" Hartmeyer submoits this new developer journal looking at the user interface in the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution.
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Guest Writer |
| State of the Game: February 2008 |
02/13/08 |
Age of Conan
|
Age of Conan Game Director Gaute Godager recently wrote an article describing the current state of the game of AoC. He elaborates on his role in the game's development, and he describes the reasons behind the recently announced release date push back, the melding of certain classes, and other changes that have occurred throughout Age of Conan's development. We're pleased to present the entire article here. |
Guest Writer |
| PvP: Conflicts and Considerations |
02/13/08 |
Jumpgate Evolution
|
NetDevil Programmer Steve "Istvan" Hartmeyer stops by once more to talk about the upcoming MMORPG, Jumpgate Evolution. In this new developer journal Hartmeyer talks about PvP in the sci-fi game.
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Guest Writer |
| Non-Exclusive Dev Journal: Ship Tuning |
02/22/08 |
Pirates of the Burning Sea
|
The folks at Flying Lab Software have been churning out dev logs all week in advance of the release of the 1.2 patch for Pirates of the Burning Sea. Today we present a recent dev log which goes into detail about the fine tuning of specific ships, and ships in general. |
Guest Writer |
| Non-Exclusive Devlog - Introducing Bey's Retreat |
02/26/08 |
Pirates of the Burning Sea
|
Flying Lab Software has published a new devlog which introduces players to Bey's Retreat, a near impenetrable fortress used by the Corsairs of the Main, and a large group mission in Pirates of the Burning Sea. |
Guest Writer |
| Episode 2 Information |
03/11/08 |
Cabal Online
|
The folks from Games Masters, the company behind the European version of Cabal Online, have sent over this developer journal with detailed information on the changes that came as a part of the Episode 2 update.
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Guest Writer |
| Art Journal: Shorath Mesa |
03/13/08 |
The Chronicles of Spellborn
|
The folks at The Chronicles of Spellborn have released this new Art Journal focusing on the Shorath Mesa area of the game.
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Guest Writer |
| An Introduction to CoS: Part One |
03/20/08 |
Citadel of Sorcery
|
The team at MMO Magic has provided us witha great Developer Journal that gives us all an idea of what their game is all about. Today, we provide you with Part One of this journal, the introduction that will whet your apetite for Part Two, where the devs go into more detail about their plans.
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Guest Writer |
| CoS Introduction - Part Two |
03/21/08 |
Citadel of Sorcery
|
Yesterday, the folks from MMO Magic presented the basics behind their upcoming MMORPG, Citadel of Sorcery. Today, they go into more detail about their plans for: PvP, Combat, Rces, Classes and more.
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Guest Writer |
| Non-Exclusive Dev Blog: A Day in the Life of Jack Emmert |
03/25/08 |
Champions Online
|
Jack Emmert of Cryptic Studios has written a dev blog where he describes a day in the life of the Chief Creative Officer of Champions Online. |
Guest Writer |
| Dev Diary #4 |
03/25/08 |
Face of Mankind: Rebirth
|
Face of Mankind's Marko Dieckmann pens this new Dev Diary that outlines the general concept of their game in terms of both features and gameplay.
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Guest Writer |
| Combat for Beginners |
03/26/08 |
The Chronicles of Spellborn
|
The folks over at The Chronicles of Spellborn have released this great new Game Design Journal that focuses in on just what it is you, as a beginner, need to know about TCoS's unique combat system.
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Guest Writer |
| Crafting the Content of Forochel |
04/03/08 |
Lord of the Rings Online
|
The official Lord of the Rings Online website has a new developer journal concerning some of the elements of the upcoming Book 13, including solo info and info on the new area known as Forochel. |
Guest Writer |
| Mekhi Mechanaught, Territory Control and Weapons |
04/03/08 |
Exteel
|
The folks from NCsoft have sent along this developer paper on the Mekhi Mechanagught, Weapon Highlights and Capture the Flag. While the robot battle game doesn't meet our criteria for listing, it certainly shares a number of traits with MMORPGs, including a persistent character. |
Guest Writer |
| The Sound of Shorath Mesa |
04/04/08 |
The Chronicles of Spellborn
|
The Chronicles of Spellborn developer Matthew Florianz has penned this new developers journal on The Sound of Shorath Mesa, giving us a look at the way that ambient sound is offered in TCoS. |
Guest Writer |
| Hellbound’s Steel Citadel |
04/07/08 |
Lineage 2
|
NCsoft recently prepared this non-exclusive dev journal which provides an overview of the Steel Citadel in Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne – The Kamael: Hellbound. Inside the dangerous Steel Citadel, players will need to take advantage of the new level 85 level cap to battle against the epic boss Beleth. |
Guest Writer |
| Book 13: Welcome to Forochel! (or…How to Make a Region Without Trees) |
04/11/08 |
Lord of the Rings Online
|
Turbine has posted this great (and interesting) dev journal about designing Forochel from a World Builder's perspective. In MMO production, World Builders are the ones who populate the world withe verything from hills to rivers to buildings to deserts. |
Guest Writer |
| Better Together: Grouping Improvements in Book 13 |
04/14/08 |
Lord of the Rings Online
|
Book 13: Doom of the Last-king, the upcoming free content expansion for Lord of the Rings Online: The Shadows of Angmar, will feature a number of big changes and improvements to the way players find and assemble their fellowships, and Turbine has provided this non-exclusive dev journal which describes those changes. |
Guest Writer |
| Group Combat Missions |
04/14/08 |
Pirates of the Burning Sea
|
The folks from Flying Lab Software have released a new Dev Journal on their official site talking about Group Combat Missions. |
Guest Writer |
| Hellbound Pet System Enhancements |
04/17/08 |
Lineage 2
|
The good folks over at Lineage II have provided us with this dev diary concerning the pet system enhancements that are coming with the Hellbound expansion due later this month. |
Guest Writer |
| The Orc Defiler |
04/18/08 |
Lord of the Rings Online
|
The folks at Turbine have added a new dev journal to their official website. This one talks about the Orc Defiler, the new Monster Play class coming in Book 13. |
Guest Writer |
| What’s So Cool about Hellbound |
04/23/08 |
Lineage 2
|
The Lineage II North American Dev Team has provided us with this new developer diary entitled, "What’s So Cool about Hellbound and the 4th Anniversary Edition". |
Guest Writer |
| Issue 12: The Midnight Hour and Me |
04/30/08 |
City of Heroes
|
City of Heroes Senior Designer Joe Morrissey writes this developer journal telling us about the Midnight Squad, a group of heroes that has appeared in past lore, but makes their first appearance in Issue 12. |
Guest Writer |
| Moving Beyond the Wall |
05/06/08 |
Stargate Worlds
|
Nick LaMertina, a Sound Designer for Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's Stargate Worlds has written a fantastic blog post over at the game's officil site. We have asked for permission to re-publish it here at MMORPG.com as it serves as a grreat example of a developer struggling to do the best job possible on a project and also of an artist struggling to ply his trade in the games industry. |
Guest Writer |
| Building a Guild City |
05/12/08 |
Age of Conan
|
The folks at Age of Conan have provided us with this new developer journal on the guild cities system. |
Guest Writer |
| Reawakening Developer Journal |
05/12/08 |
Dreamlords: The Reawakening
|
When Dreamlords announced that they would be returning with Dreamlords: The Reawakening, MMORPG.com wanted to get the behind-the-scenese dirt. Dreamlords: The Reawakening Lead Designer Iona Rosin gives us her thoughts on the upcoming game. |
Guest Writer |
| Magma Caverns - Michael Hutchison |
05/20/08 |
Tabula Rasa
|
NCsoft has been kind enough to supply us with a pair of developer diaries discussing the rework of Magma Caverns. In this first diary, Lead World Designer Michael Hutchison gives us his take. |
Guest Writer |
| Stretching the Genre: Creating Cimerora |
05/21/08 |
City of Heroes
|
With the release of Issue 12: the Midnight Hour for City of Heroes and Villains, NCsoft has prepared a non-exclusive dev journal by Senior Art Lead, Ken Morse, which looks at the process behind creating the new Greek and Roman inspired area of Cimerora. |
Guest Writer |
| Mini-Game Design in Stargate Worlds |
05/27/08 |
Stargate Worlds
|
Steve Williams of Firesky, the company creating the MMORPG Stargate Worlds, writes this dev log on the game's official page which highlights mini-games in the upcoming MMO. |
Guest Writer |
| Ambush Gameplay |
05/30/08 |
Pirates of the Burning Sea
|
Kevin "Isildur" Maginn, Lead Designer for Pirates of the Burning Sea, has written a devlog explaining the original concept of ambush gameplay, or in other words, a gang of pirates sneaking up on a merchant vessel on the high sea. In the devlog he describes how the original design concept failed in practice, degenerating into what can more accurately be described ganking, and their current efforts to reduce the occurrence of ganking. |
Guest Writer |
| Dev Paper - Trooper Mechanaught |
06/03/08 |
Exteel
|
While it doesn't quite meet our requirements for listing, NCsoft's Exteel is certainly an idea that is appealing to MMO gamers. In this developer paper, the game's devs give tips and strategies for Trooper Mechanaught, a weapons overview and the "last stand" battle mode. |
Guest Writer |
| Letter From the Director: Roadmap for the Future |
06/03/08 |
Age of Conan
|
The Age of Conan website has been updated with this letter from Age of Conan Game Director Gaute Godager. In the letter, Godager lays out plans for the game in the near future. |
Guest Writer |
| The Weapons of War |
06/04/08 |
Battleground Europe: WWII Online
|
The folks over at Battleground Europe are celebrating their astounding seven year anniversary and have been kind enough to provide us with this developer journal talking about what go into creating a new armored vehicle for their game. |
Guest Writer |
| Soloing in Champions Online |
06/09/08 |
Champions Online
|
Cryptic Studios has published a dev diary which details the level of solo content in Champions Online, revealing that the game will not only be solo friendly, but will also feature end game content specifically designed for the solo player. |
Guest Writer |
| Seven Year Anniversary Dev Journal |
06/09/08 |
Battleground Europe: WWII Online
|
Celebrations for the astonishing seven year anniversary of Battleground Europe: World War II Online began on Friday. Today, we present a dev journal that is designed to both introduce new players to the game and talk a little bit about the events of the last seven years. |
Guest Writer |
| Walking the Plank: Ship Outfitting is a Balancing Act |
06/12/08 |
Pirates of the Burning Sea
|
The most recent Devlog from the folks at Pirates of the Burning Sea looks at the art of item balancing, and some of the changes that will be made in version 1.5 of the game. |
Guest Writer |
| Dev Paper - Boomrocker Mechanaught |
06/24/08 |
Exteel
|
While it doesn't quite meet our requirements for listing, NCsoft's Exteel is certainly an idea that is appealing to MMO gamers. In this developer paper, the game's devs give tips and strategies for The Boomrocker Mechanaught, weapon highlights and the Defrosted Summit Battle Map. |
Guest Writer |
| On the Combat System |
07/03/08 |
Atlantica Online
|
The developers of Atlantica Online have provided us with this exclusive developer journal discussing the unique combat system in their upcoming MMORPG. Atlantica breaks with MMORPG tradition to bring players a turn-based combat system that the developers hope will set their game apart from other MMOs. |
Guest Writer |
| Behind Velon Hollow |
07/09/08 |
Tabula Rasa
|
Tabula Rasa game designer Brian Hudson recently completed work on a new instance named Velon Hollow, where the minds of once intelligent beings have been overrun by an unknown toxin, turning them into ravenous zombies. In this dev journal, Brian shares his influences and inspirations in making this new replayable instance. |
Guest Writer |
| Instance Updates |
07/10/08 |
Lord of the Rings Online
|
The folks at Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online have released this new developer journal that talks about instancing in the upcoming Book 14 launch. |
Guest Writer |
| Gracia Update Revealed |
07/15/08 |
Lineage 2
|
NCsoft has announced several changes to Lineage II with the upcoming Gracia update, which include the introduction of the Vitality System, and efforts to reduce 'the grind' and entry barriers to new players by allowing players to level faster. |
Guest Writer |
| Book 14 Dev Journal: Moving the Fellowship |
07/18/08 |
Lord of the Rings Online
|
As the storyline in The Lord of the Rings Online goes ever on, the developers at Turbine have run into the problem of what to do with certain NPCs who move around a lot, specifically the Fellowship of the Ring. This latest Dev Journal from Turbine looks at how they solve these problems in Book 14. |
Guest Writer |