Weekly MMO news round-up: Star Trek timelines, EverCracked, EVE rocked by bank scandal

Not much going on with MMOs this week, but what little there is, we thought we'd share with you.

Those who play Lord of the Rings Online should take a look at the changes coming to Bree, EVE Online players were ripped-off, Star Trek Online added  timelines, an EverQuest documentary is coming to Fan Faire 2009, and Final Fantasy XI is getting an update in July.

To find out about these topics and more, hit the jump.

• Lord of the Rings Online players should have a look at Turbine's new developer diary. It talks about some of the changes coming to Bree with 2.8.0. One of these changes is for new arrivals to take a tour of the town, and in turn it will show off some of the major landmarks that are important to both characters and the storyline. Also, the Watcher run will be available twice per week and 4-6 First Age tokens will drop per run. Hope that helps.

• Star Trek Online has posted timelines on the official website. It contains all the information from First Contact up to Voyager. It also shows where the game starts in 2409.

• Cryptic has revealed the final box-art for Champions Online, if you are into that sort of thing. It looks very comic bookish if we're being honest, and that fits well with the whole premise of the game. Expect it to land in stores September 1.

• EverQuest II players can expect a bit of help with update 52, Monument and Might. A new service available to Norrathians has scholars helping adventurers with a bit of research. These Research Assistants will be popping in cities across the game. Also, EverCracked! The Phenomenom of EverQuest is a documentary set to appear at the SOE Fan Faire 2009. Massively has a trailer for it, and if you have ever been addicted to EverCrack, or any MMO for that matter, you should have a watch.

• Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent's Beta is over, and the servers are open, and ready for you to start playing. The free-to-play MMO from Atlus is celebrating with a premium item store, a national anthem contest, and a chance to own a limited edition Jackpack featuring Atlus mascot Jack Frost. Personally, we'd like one of those in real life.

• A new developer diary for Fallen Earth has been posted over on Massively. In it, we learn that New Flagstaff University is occupied by mutants and their crazy scientist pal Dr. Eddings, whose lab has a "gas-powered centrifuge needed to create radioactive material needed for a bomb." Jeepers.

• New screens and a trailer have popped up for DC Universe Online. Shack has the lot.

• Final Fantasy XI is getting and update in July. Players can expect the continuation of the Wings of the Goddess missions, new areas in past Vana'diel, job adjustments, additions and refinements for Campaign and Moblin Maze Mongers, and a few things currently under wraps.

• Grandia Online is coming this summer, and those familiar with the RPGs should know that the story is set before the first game. Not much else on it really, but open bets is expected this month. We'll keep you posted. Thanks, Massively.

• There's a Q&A with BioWare's Daniel Erickson and James Ohlen over on MMOGamer. They chat about Star Wars: The Old Republic stuff like heroic storytelling, the alpha testing, branching conversations, combat, and the addition of your typical BioWare RPG elements. Thanks, Blue.

• Oh boy. Looks like EVE players who deposited money in player-run EBANK, were ripped off buy it's CEO, Ricdic. The player stole 200 billion worth of game currency from the bank which is 8.6 percent of the 2.3 trillion that was deposited. Ricdic has been banned by CCP Games. Good, the jackass.

• Patch 3.2, Call of the Crusade, is coming to World of Warcraft and one of the new places added to the game will be the "Isle of Conquest". It should prove to be an interesting place considering that Horde and Alliance can go at it in forty on forty PvP matches. Blizzard has a preview site up for the new battleground, explaining all sorts of stuff you will need to know before you venture forth.

That's that then.