Welcome to the 1,223rd edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news, coverage, and
commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

We at Ten Ton Hammer have spent a lot of time over the past week upgrading and refitting the network for much improved performance. Details on what we've done and how we can use your help, plus all-new fleet information from Star Trek Online and an in-depth preview of the EverQuest: Underfoot expansion on the Ten Ton Hammer network today and in Loading... Looking Up.

The Pulse

You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the
result is the Ten Ton Pulse ( href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/thepulse/" target="_blank">What
is The Pulse?).

Here are today's top 5 Pulse results:

  1. World
    of Warcraft
  2. EverQuest
    2
  3. Dungeons and Dragons Online
  4. Lord of the Rings Online
  5. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

Biggest movers today:

  1. EverQuest (UP 6 to #19)
  2. Star Trek Online (UP 4 to #14)
  3. Global Agenda (down 3 to #16)
Recent Releases
Upcoming
Releases

  • 12/15
    - EverQuest:
    Underfoot
    (expansion) 
  • 2/2
    - Star Trek Online
    (release date)
  • Feb. 2010 - href="http://everquest2.station.sony.com/expansions/sentinelsfate/index.vm">EverQuest
    2: Sentinel's Fate (expansion)
  • Early 2010 - APB
  • Q1 2010 - Global Agenda (release date)

Loading... Daily

It's been a busy weekend here at Ten Ton Hammer. Our tech team has instituted a number of changes that should result in vastly faster pageloads when our writers are actively posting news and articles. Traffic jams on our database server resulted in lengthy minute-plus loads for our viewers were common during periods when we trying to update the site with new info. It was a lose-lose situation. Thankfully it's been largely resolved, and we look forward to bringing you top-notch MMOG and RPG content that you can actually view!

We still have a few remaining cleanup items from the massive update - RSS feeds, image placement, duplicate text, incomplete listings on portal pages, and a broken search function among them - but if you happen to notice anything that seems out of place, I'd appreciate it if you'd send me an email ([email protected]) linking me to the page where you're encountering the problem, along with a quick description of the issue you're experiencing. Thanks for any feedback!

Star Trek Online announced fleet (guild) plans today in a Ten Ton Hammer Q&A. What's hot: the ability to customize uniforms right down to uniform era, style, pockets, insignia, and belts. Star Trek purists might object to any uniform changes beyond regulation issue, but note that fleets offer captains a separate uniform costume slot - it's not going to supercede your ability to sport Jean Luc's toga-like dress uniform. What's not so hot: plans for the minimum fleet "charter" requirement of two people. Ten is the time honored minimum for charters, it's been that way since at least EverQuest.

Perhaps things are much more spread out in STO, but in my experience there's definitely a happy median in guild size - too small and it fades, too large without some kind of subdivisioning and it implodes. It seems like two would tend to make fleets feel empty before they have a chance to grow. Feel free to disagree with me in the Loading... forums.

Also of particular note is Dalmarus's excellent preview of the EverQuest: Underfoot expansion, due to hit live servers in a little more than a week. For many of us, EQ stretched our imagination like never before as our first MMO, and Underfoot seems to tap that same creative vein with a focus on the Heart of the World, domain of Brell Serilis, Norrath's trickster god. Dalmarus painted a picture of a colorful yet discordant world on the order of Alice's Wonderland, but the thing everyone can love about Underfoot is that it includes EQ's 15 previous expansions in an all-in-one edition.

Don't forget about the one hour live Age of Conan "Rise of the Godslayer" demo today at 12pm PST / 3pm EST / 8pm GMT at Xfire.com . I'm anxious to see what they show over and above the PAX demo. If you can't make it, Ten Ton Hammer will be on hand to help crash the site. We'll report what happens if we're unsuccessful.


Shayalyn's Epic Thread of
the Day




From our Ten Ton Torched forum

The Daily "It Made Me Laugh!"

Today's
epic thread comes from the I Got Nothin' Department...as in, it's been
a slow weekend (the holidays approacheth, after all), and there are no
new threads on the forum that seem capable of reaching epic
proportions. Yet. So I'll offer up a tried and true thread I've offered
before, since it's one that never fails to deliver--our It Made Me
Laugh thread. The further you dig into this thread, the more fun you'll
have.

Hey, it's Monday! You could use a good laugh. Trust me.

==============================

Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread



"Thats disturbingly hilarious."

- kitsunegirl
==============================



Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell
us
!


7 new Ten Ton Hammer MMOG
features today! 20 in December! 2,201 in
2009!



New Exclusives, Features, and Guides today at Ten Ton
Hammer

  • Building a Fleet - A Star Trek Online Q&A with Lead Programmer Stephen D'Angelo
    As Star Trek Online launch gets closer and closer players everywhere are starting to think about guilds, or fleets in STO terms. Whether you're going into the game with a pre-established fleet, or thinking of finding a new home to settle into once playing, fleets are going to play a big part in the STO game. This week we talk with Stephen D'Angelo, Programming Lead and Craig Zinkievich to find out what players get with a fleet in Star Trek Online.
  • EverQuest: Underfoot Expansion Preview
    EverQuest was the birthplace of more than one online gaming obsession (mine included) more than a decade ago. Despite being one of the oldest MMOGs on the block, it's still running strong. With the December 15th release date for its 16th expansion, Underfoot, right around the corner, some may even say it's running stronger than ever. Join Eric "Dalmarus" Campbell as he reveals the secrets of the Underfoot.
  • EVE Online - Ten Tips for Joining the Right Corporation
    EVE Online is a huge game with thousands of corporations, all competing for players and resources. But not all corporations are equal. Ten Ton Hammer Contributing Writer, Space Junkie, takes us on a tour de force of how to sort the good from the bad.
  • Aion Newsletter - PvP Ponderings
    Whether you PvP a little or you are a hardcore player killer, we all have our opinions on what makes good PvP and what doesn't. Does the open and unpredictable manner of Aion PvP appeal to you or do you prefer more structured gameplay? Read my thoughts on PvP and catch the latest Aion news in our weekly newsletter.
  • Aion: Sorcerer PVP Primer
    The quintessential nuker of the crew, Sorcerers bring more than just big damage to the dance. The stuns, area of effect damage and other crowd control make the Sorcerer a leader in PVP. All of this joy comes at a cost though, you will be the primary target as soon as you step into the ring. If you’re thinking of playing a Sorcerer or getting your Sorcerer into the PVP levels, then read up on some tips and tricks about the class in today’s Sorcerer PVP Primer.
  • Guild Wars 2 Races of Tyria Trailer and Q&A with Ree Soesbee - World Designer and Writer
    Explore the races of Guild Wars 2 (GW2) with a new video trailer and Q&A with World Designer and Writer Ree Soesbee. In NCsoft's latest release of GW2 information, the five playable races are explored and players gain insight into each race and their respective homelands.
  • World of Warcraft Priest Guide: How to Play a Shadow Priest
    Just started playing a Shadow Priest? No idea what stats to go for, when to use Shadow Word: Death or if you have any viable AOE damage? Then this is the guide for you!  This guide will attempt to help the starting Shadow Priest answer some of the most basic questions helping them on their adventure to becoming a raw DPS machine.

Today's Hottest Content

  1. Building a Fleet - A Star Trek Online Q&A with Lead Programmer Stephen D'Angelo
  2. State of the Republic - A Q&A with Star Wars:The Old Republic Producer Jake Neri
  3. Star Wars: The Old Republic - Press Tour and Gameplay Preview
  4. EverQuest: Underfoot Expansion Preview
  5. Global Agenda Robotics Class Q&A with Todd Harris
  6. Dragon Age:
    Origins

    - Creating Your
    Own Adventures
  7. Gearing
    Up in Star
    Trek Online
    - An Exclusive Interview with Cryptic Studios
  8. State of the
    Republic - A Q&A with Star Wars: The Old Republic Producer
    Jake Neri
  9. Guild Wars 2 Races of Tyria Trailer
  10. Odus
    Comes to EverQuest
    2
    - A Sentinel's Fate Expansion Q&A with Alan
    Crosby

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer
network!

- Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team



To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our EverQuest Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Jeff joined the Ten Ton Hammer team in 2004 covering EverQuest II, and he's had his hands on just about every PC online and multiplayer game he could since.

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