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to the 1,266th
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Loading... is the premier daily
MMOG news, coverage, and
commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

If a team, game, or guild must fail, far better that it fail spectacularly, serving as an object lesson, a deterrant to copycats, and a source of endless entertainment. The dominion of GoonSwarm winked out over the weekend almost as dramatically as Indianapolis's Super Bowl chances, and that (plus the sudden appearance of Stargate Resistance on the pre-order lists) is the topic of today's Loading... Implosion Weekend.

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. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow">World
   of Warcraft
2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/eq2">EverQuest II (UP 1)
3. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/eve">EVE Online (UP 4! - why?)
4. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/ddo">Dungeons and
   Dragons Online (UP 1)
5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/sto">Star Trek
   Online (down 1)

Biggest
movers today:

1. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/926">City of Heroes (UP 9 to #18)
2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/287">Lord of the Rings Online (down 4 to #6)
3. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (UP 3 to #8)

• size="-1">12/1
  - href="http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/464-answer-the-call-of-war">LotRO:
  Siege of Mirkwood (expansion)
• size="-1">12/1
  - href="http://www.eveonline.com/Dominion/">EVE
  Online: Dominion (expansion)
• size="-1">12/15
  - href="http://everquest.station.sony.com/everquest.vm">EverQuest:
  Underfoot (expansion) 
• size="-1">1/26
  - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2389">Mass
  Effect 2
  (release date)
• size="-1">2/1
  - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/926">Global
  Agenda (release date)
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">2/1 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1004">Mortal
  Online (release date)
• size="-1">2/2 size="-1"> - href="http://www.startrekonline.com">Star
  Trek Online (release date)
  
  
  

• size="-1">2/10 - Stargate Resistance (expansion)
• size="-1">2/16
  - href="http://everquest2.station.sony.com/expansions/sentinelsfate/index.vm">EverQuest
  2: Sentinel's Fate (expansion)
• size="-1">March
  2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/998">APB
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">Spring 2010 - Mytheon
• size="-1">TBA 2010 - Final Fantasy XIV
  
  
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">Spring 2011
  - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/swtor">Star Wars:
  The Old
  Republic
  
  

Loading... Daily

It was a weekend of rapid self-destruction, and I'm not just talking about the late game interception that in large part lost the Super Bowl for the Indianapolis Colts. Last Friday, the EVE Online universe was rocked by the sudden, catastrophic disappearance of GoonSwarm, a major alliance and source of constant entertainment for those following the game.

Ten Ton Hammer contributing writer The Mittani details the rapid turn of events in a special Monday Sins of a Solar Spymaster column, and it seems financial mismanagement was only the final straw. GoonSwarm folded for the same reason that most guilds do: the leadership ran against the ingrained culture and values of the rank-and-file.

This is one of the things I truly love about MMOGs. Corps (guilds) and alliances are much more democratic than any modern country to-date in this regard, since members not only vote with their participation, but their participation is what directly determines the success of the corp. If you don't love what your corp is doing, it's very easy to leave it. And that's especially true in the sterile, loveless universe of EVE Online. In any case, I'm happy to report that the spirit of GoonSwarm lives on in Whatfleet?, and that's a very good thing for CCP and EVE Online.

Speaking of self-destructive organizations, Firesky shocked us with the Stargate Resistance pre-order, showing up on e-tailer portals over the weekend with a street date of this Wednesday, February 10th. I can't comment on the game since we weren't invited to the beta (and you caught the in-joke, you're a Ten Ton Hammer old-timer).

But I will say this: if Stargate Resistance is anything short of the mindblowingly awesome game Stargate fans have long pined for, this might be the final nail in the Stargate Worlds coffin. That is, at least at its current licenseholder, and if half of the largely unprintable rumors we've heard out of Phoenix in the past year and a half are true, that'll be an improvement.

Plenty of drama this weekend - what's your take? Will you give Stargate Resistance a chance, or will you resist? Is EVE Online better or worse without GoonSwarm? Share your thoughts in the Loading... forum.

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of
the Day



From our /OOC (Off Topic) forum


Who dat gonna beat dem Saints?

The
Saints came marching in last night, defeating the Colts in Super Bowl
XLIV last night. If you watched, you saw a great game. (And if you
watched the halftime show, you saw some rock legends looking scarily
like the senior citizens they now are, but rockin' it all the same. I'm
very grateful that Pete Townsend didn't experience a "wardrobe
malfunction.") And so, since it's the Monday after the Super Bowl, I
bring your our virtual version of the office water cooler. Come stand
around and talk football, or even Super Bowl commercials. Join us!


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

Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread


"I was happy both teams made the Super Bowl. I was probably
rooting a little more for the Colts then the Saints but honestly love
both teams. I have been a fan of Drew Brees since his college days at
Purdue and a Saints fan since I started following football almost 20
years ago."

- Miralyn

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



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

New and Exclusive Content
Today at Ten Ton Hammer

7 new Ten Ton Hammer
features today! 39 in February! 154
in 2010!

INTERVIEWS

Allods Online Archetype Interview Series Part 1 - The Warrior
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80678
In an exclusive 8-part series of
interviews, Ten Ton Hammer is sitting down with members of the gPotato
team to learn more about the games class archetypes. This week we're
proud to feature GM Gregory Carter and Community Manager Katelyn
Olmstead as they discuss the Warrior archetype.

EDITORIALS

Sins of a Solar Spymaster #38: Self-Immolation for Fun and Profit
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80680
Few
events in EVE Online have altered the balance of power in New Eden like
the recent implosion of GoonSwarm. Through an unfortunate failure
in leadership and a costly oversight, GoonSwarm lost their sovereign
territories and the dramatic firestorm that followed altered the
balance of power in New Eden forever as one of the most powerful
alliances in EVE Online history was disbanded. This week, The Mittani
offers up his thoughts on the recent events surrounding GoonSwarm's
disbanding and the drama that followed as rival factions rushed to
secure the fleet's assets from a rogue CEO.

WoW Editorial: Leveling Up…..Again
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80686
Another
expansion, more levels to grind through--most people seem to enjoy it, but some
people shudder at the very thought. This week Mem shares his thoughts on why the leveling
experience is not always so fun, and his ideas on how you can make it a little bit better.

FEATURES & GUIDES

Five Tips For Succeeding As A New Player In EVE Online
http://tentonhammer.com/node/80695
Though
EVE Online's learning curve is often compared to a vertical cliff, but
approaching the game with these five tips in mind will make things a
great deal easier for the new player. Space Junkie offers his guide to
start new players off on the right foot.

New Star Trek Online Interactive Class Skills Pages
http://www.tentonhammer.com/sto/federation/starfleet_training
Whether
you're a freshly appointed Lieutenant just starting out or an
established Admiral within the fleet, you can't conquer space (let
alone the Klingons) without choosing the right skills. Fortunately for
you, our new interactive class skill pages have all the information
you’ll ever need to make those choices that best fit your playstyle.
This week, we're kicking things off with the Tactical class.

WoW Arathi Basin Battleground Guide
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/26426
Grab
a sword, staff, or bow and head out to battle! Your side needs you to
secure resources located inside of the Arathi Basin, just one of the
battlegrounds available in World of Warcraft. To help you on your way
to victory Mem has taken up the challenge of updating the Arathi Basin
guide with the most current information.

WoW: Love is in the Air 2010 Guide
http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/seasonal/love
World
of Warcraft's Valentine holiday "Love is in the Air" has gotten a
revamp for 2010. There are all new quests, bosses, and items to obtain.
Ten Ton Hammer is on the scene with a revamped guide of our own
covering everything you need to know, including boss strats, for this
brand new holiday.

Today's
Hottest Articles and Guides

1. EVE Online Sins of a Solar Spymaster #38: Self-Immolation for Fun and Profit
2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80275">Daring
   to Dev - The Journey from Fan to Game Designer
3. Allods Online Archetype Interview Series Part 1 - The Warrior
4. All New Screenshots of EverQuest 2's Sentinel's Fate
5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80183">Mass
   Effect 2 href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80183"> (PC)
   Review
6. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/globalagenda/editorials/betaimpressions"> style="font-weight: bold;">Global Agenda
   Beta
   Impressions
7. New Star Trek Online Interactive Class Skills Pages
8. Five Tips For Succeeding As A New Player In EVE Online
9. WoW: Arathi Basin Battleground Guide href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80275">
   
   
10. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/seasonal/love">WoW: Love is in the Air 2010 Guide
    
    href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/80266">
    
    

Thanks
for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer
network!

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