Blog Posts from "Fires of War" - Gameriot.com

In my spare time...

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:14:02 -0400

Hi Everyone,

In lieu of playing LotRO today, I decided to work on my other hobby a little bit. It’s rough but I’d like to share it with you all. Let me know what you think in the comments.

I play all of the parts in the song using a multitracking program called Audacity. It’s optimized for headphones (due to the high gain/distortion). Please let me know any constructive criticisms you may have to improve my future recordings. I’m no Slash or Travis Stever but, hey, I can try right? " />

I think tomorrow I’m going to redo the last part. It’s a tad too slow compared to the start of the solo. Enjoy!

The End of Sword and Sorcery MMOs?

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:39:27 -0400

While I’m willing to admit that I’ve read a bit about Eve Online, Alternative MMOs have never really appealed to me. I’ve always been a fan of high fantasy, so I’ve chosen my MMOs to taste.

Yet, nearly every upcoming MMO right now is breaking the sword and sorcery mold and exploring other settings. Right now, we have everything from spaceship battle games to those reminiscent of SimCity on the landscape, each hoping to carve another little gouge from our bank account balances.

Two of the biggest games coming out are Star Trek Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Before these two games hit the horizon, I was of the opinion that any non-fantasy game was going to be niche, just based upon the consumer base. Yet, I’m no longer so sure.

Even though the genre is founded upon high fantasy (elves, dwarves, and wizards, oh my!), IPs with such mass appeal could drastically change the landscape quite a bit. Once (if) investors see that non-fantasy titles could reach mass market success, titles that would have received very little support may wind up higher on the totem pole than we would currently find them.

It struck me today while reading Massively, so many non-fantasy titles are coming out that we may well bear witness to a huge transition in our favorite genre. After all, many of these titles are simple “MMO” and lack many of the fundamental and classic “RPG” elements we currently see as staples.

Will the future of online gaming be the MMO? I think that it’s possible, if taken just for those first three introductory words: Massively Multiplayer Online. MMO may come to mean simply, “persistent world” over our current definition, “persistent world of character advancement and story progression.” How rapidly our ideas on what an MMO is could change, although it is almost certainly guaranteed to be a slow transition. Much like how a frog won’t jump from the pot if the water is heated slowly, perhaps we shall find ourselves looking back through the steam at what our favorite genre used to be, for better or worse.

Other games out now have pushed in this direction already and it only seems to be picking up steam. I personally think it’s wonderful. The appeal of an ever present, populated, online world is great and flush with potential for every genre. People like to connect and the more opportunity there is for that the better.

In the coming years, we may find ourselves having a multitude of options in many different sub-genres of the MMO, some that aren’t even present yet. Having seen GTA and SimCity-esque titles on the horizon, it’s a definite sign of the times.

So, is sword and sorcery on the way out? The theme has been done over and over but I’d be disappointed to see it drop from its #1 spot. It’d be like the end of an era. From tabletop to computer to dormancy, until the next great title of platform breathes life back into it. MMO-wise at least.

Should such a turnover come to pass, the dethroning of both fantasy and RPG from MMOs, I only hope the social aspect is retained. Being solo-friendly is nice but that final transition, from group to independence, should never be brought full circle. Before being forced by game mechanics to group in order to succeed, I never really understood the appeal group play outside of instances. Now though, I’m disappointed more games don’t push you towards it because I honestly think people miss out in a lot of ways by soloing all the time.

Persistent online is fine but grouping should be ever present and necessary at times. Social interaction, in trade, combat, and cooperation, is what makes an MMO and MMO. Without it, you have the multiplayer equivalent of Spore. And really, what’s the point in that?

*note* Links to these games can be provided if there’s interest. I’m at work and am currently unable to provide them.

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Faction Pride?

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:56:38 -0400

I was reading WoW Insider today and came across an article talking about faction pride. Do WoW players have faction pride? On PvP servers, maybe, but I doubt that most players really care beyond looks. I mean, in a PvE game, what does faction even count for outside of the aesthetic?

In these times of lull for World of Warcraft, sites like that are really digging. Re-hashing age old arguments, making points already made, starting argument-like “discussions.” I don’t blame them per se but honestly, I don’t see why that question is even being posed. The author states,

“What interests me more is how rarely we see this question come up nowadays”

Why should it? What does faction count for on a “normal” realm (which presumably most people play on – non-pvp at least) other than giving players a new story. You see a lot of “For the Horde”’ing going on but I always took that as more of a nod to the common closing statement of many quest givers.

The only time faction “pride” comes into play is for PvP and the occasional competition. Apart from that, what is there to be proud of, everyone completing the same quests? Seriously pwn’ing Hogger? I’m sure some people get it—but for me, if there’s no competition, there’s nothing to be proud of.

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Richard Bartle and the Stanglethorn Vale

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:21:59 -0400

If you’ve been keeping up with the MMO blogs the past couple of days, you’ve probably read about the latest prattling from our dear friend Richard Bartle. Should you have missed out, check in on his blog. He has a post up right now that bloggers everywhere are picking at. Funnily enough, they’ve picked at him in the past because of his criticisms of World of Warcraft. This time, they’re picking because of his praise for it, specifically, Stranglethorn Vale.

I respect the guy, really. If it wasn’t for him, our genre wouldn’t be where it is now. Our precious WoW and WAR and EQ? Would never have happened. For that, everyone that enjoys these games owes him a debt of praise.

Unfortunately, I think Richard has let that go to his head a bit too much. The aforementioned post comes with several stunning features, including condescension, arrogance, and an effusive adoration for intricacies “maybe 20 people in the world” will pick up on.

Well, first of all, la-dee-f’ing-da Mr. Bartle. You’ve already alienated all of your readers because those 20 people have probably never heard of “Qblog.” Secondly, it’s almost as if you’re attention seeking, Richard. You’d never do that, would you?

The whole thing continues in that manner, gushing over the wonderful funnel-like effect the zone has, pushing people towards Booty Bay and to harder mobs as they too gain in levels and strength (and lootz, don’t forget the lootz). He pours over the brilliant design of the Hemet Nesingwary quests. Let’s share just a little piece before we move on.

In regards to the stepped Nesingwary kill quests:

“The stepped nature of these hunting quests mean that whatever level you first encounter the Nesingwary camp in STV, there's going to be a quest of an appropriate level for you. It's like a net, spread wide to catch players.

You saw that? A net, spread wide to catch players?”

That line right there is flat out false. It would be true if you could jump right into to step 2 of 4 in any one of those quest lines… but you can’t. They’re all prerequisites for the next in series. If you happen to get there at a level appropriate for say the third quest in that series… you’re still stuck starting from the bottom up. This kind of thing makes me wonder how much he really thinks of his readers. Most of us have played through that quest line, you know. Now, we’re made to wonder whether or not Richard has actually played through the zone more than once, far enough back that his memory is now skewed. Thanks buddy, the whole of your article is now subject to question.

Based on this article, I’m left with the notion that he must look at his readers like peons, ready to believe anything he says because “well, he’s a developer, so he must know something I don’t.” If I can’t trust the most basic fact in the article, why should I buy into your gushing? Then again, one Blizzard developer or two now has something to hang on their fridge.

All that being said, the article does portray a very different angle for viewing a zone and, really, it may give a little insight into the divide between player and developer. After reading it, I was left with the feeling that because he spends so much time working with games, he must inherently overanalyze everything he comes across in them.

I won’t restate the whole article here. If you’d like to read it, I encourage you to (don’t worry, I’ll wait). But, to take so much that in all likelihood was completely unintentional and certainly embellished by his “developer’s mind” really just relegates it to a profession piece. It’s an analysis in the same vein as a carpenter who really appreciates the workmanship of a coffee table. That carpenter could talk all day about the intricacies of its creation and the artisanship of its design, all the while unappreciating of the fact that it was made by a machine in some dusty Chinese factory. That my friends, is 90% of what Bartle’s tickled over.

Now, one of the results of this article was to bring out a lot of players bitter memories of leveling through the zone. They seemed to hate the kill quests and potential for being ganked.

Personally, I loved it. I leveled through it on both an RPPvP and PvE server. The PvP side was irritating at times, sure, but if someone decided to gank/camp, I’d just check my email for a few minutes and wait for the guy (it invariably was a guy) to get bored. Mostly though, it was fine on both sides.

I loved the atmosphere of the zone. If Bartle is right about one thing (and don’t misunderstand, he actually points out a lot of legitimate strong points in the zone) it’s that the music really helps support that “dangerous jungle” feeling. It was colorful and exotic and filled with ruins and really made me want to explore. I was never under the misimpression that I was going to stumble across a treasure chest filled with gold and purples, yet, something about the zone made me want to know more. It’s the only zone I’ve played through where it feels “deep,” almost Indiana Joneish, like that.

The kill and collection quests didn’t really bother me either. Heck, they’re one of the most efficient ways to level your character. Players working on getting alts maxed out should absolutely love STV. Likewise, mobs were bunched up and spawned quick enough to make finding the right ones fairly easy. I was surprised to hear about players actually quitting the game over the frustration of completing these quests. I mean… really? I can only figure that these people must have never played an MMO before. It’s probably best they figured out the game wasn’t for them before they discovered the dreaded faction grind.

The only thing that really bothered me was the long running distance. You’ll probably be there at level 40 though, at which point buying a mount solves that issue.

So, I think Bartle looks at things with the rose colored glasses of the lovelorn developer having spent too much time analyzing and too little time enjoying what it is he’s trying to create. Thank you, Mr. Bartle for allowing me to have nearly 12 years of wonderful MUD and MMO gaming. I’ll happily forgive your eccentricities for all of that time. Still, as a developer, don’t forget that if most of the people don’t enjoy a zone (I truly believe that I’m in the minority with my feelings on STV) it shouldn’t be made a model for others. If the players don’t like it, for all of the intricate and overlooked design flourishes, it’s still short of a success. Players want the show for the lights and scenery; the behind-the-scenes footage only matters if people enjoy the production.

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Syp Hits the Nail On the Head

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:27:02 -0400

On his blog, Biobreak, Syp has hit the nail on its head with his synopsis of the TBS to WotLK raiding transition and why it’s a bad thing. He’s echoed my feelings more poignantly than I’m able, so I thought I’d share them with you.

“I wasn’t always pleased I never saw some of the highest raiding content in WoW, just to see it, but I was okay with the fact that it was there above me — at least there was the feeling that I hadn’t “done it all”, that the game had a few challenges left in store.

It is disturbing to consider if devs just give up on making games difficult at all, figure all we instant-coffee society consumers want and demand is for our characters to get virtually strong by doing the least amount of effort available, and make titles that reward us for overcoming nothing.”

While I wouldn’t exactly say that WoW’s current raiding game is “overcoming nothing” (not that he exactly said that) I do share the same sentiments. I didn’t really care for the “1% of players see the end-game” philosophy, I equally don’t like the “95% of people who try will see and beat the end-game” notion either. Are we truly at an all-or-nothing state of affairs?

At least having content that’s a little more barred sets a tangible, yet perhaps elusive, goal. You probably won’t get there but maybe you will. Now, it’s simply a matter of finding the time and a PuG that knows how to listen on vent.

Thanks Syp!

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Weather, Change Over Time, and GM Events

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:24:27 -0400

While we’re on the subject of adding complexity to games, let’s talk about a couple of potential systems that could be really neat to see implemented. Maybe we’re talking pipedreams with these articles but, hey, why not? These ideas may not be reasonable in every case but forgive a little self-indulgence from me today.

One of the neatest events I’ve ever played through was the plague shipment in World of Warcraft. For those of you who missed out, before Wrath of the Lich King launched, all of the capital cities received mysterious wooden boxes. Over the course of the next few days, these boxes started releasing a plague that would turn people into zombies that could then infect other people. As time went on, the intensity of the infection increased. While it did turn out to be anti-climactic at the end, it was still very fun to play through “Night of the Living Dead meets Azeroth.” The whole thing was exciting because everyone wanted to know how the event would finish out.

While the plague event was scripted, having similar, more random, sicknesses in the game could really be a lot of fun. Contagion. Should you visit town to do your trade or go to a less populated area to avoid catching the sickness?

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big detrimental thing to your character either. It could be aesthetic somehow. The fun would lie in your ability to keep free of it yourself or, if you’re the malicious type, spread it. Maybe you’d like to be the medic healing the sick or the apothecary creating and selling antidotes.

Featuring a plague wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I do think that it’d make for a very interesting study in propagation, especially if the scope of contagion were extended to NPCs. GMs could turn outbreaks into events by altering the intensity of effects of the disease. Players would have to have an easy way to overcome the illness, lest frustration would overtake some, but I think it could be done, even if it was a non-constant in the game world.

In the same vein of “flowing” content, I’d like to see a game with a working weather system. I don’t mean the random bits of rain or snow we see in some games, I mean a true weather system that moves across the world. Darkfall first piqued this interest in me when they claimed one exactly like that. Hell, they even intended to let players track weather patterns. There would be wind that would effect the world and (correct me if I’m wrong) even generate waves on the ocean. You could chase a storm if you wanted to.

How neat would it be to give weather some meaning in games? You could link spells and rituals to certain kinds of weather. Lightning in Moonglade? You’d better get out there to summon your lightning elemental. How about getting five of your friends together and calling down lightning at your whim, giving your group a nice buff for your efforts.

Along with working weather, I’ve longed to see a game with actual seasons instead of static zones. Why is it that it’s wintery in one zone and summer in the next? It’s done to create that emotional impact and set the context for your adventures but let’s push the envelope here.

Artwise, I think it’d be hard, if not impossible to do in most existing games but it sure would break up the monotony of traveling and leveling alts quite a bit.

Warm weather animals could migrate and spawn in other parts of the world, similar to how they do in Darkfall. Lakes could freeze and snow could pile up. Or maybe the leaves of the Golden Wood could be seen fluttering to the ground before such a winter hits.

Progressive change doesn’t have to be limited to the world either. Though small, one of the features that really intrigued me about WAR (pre-release) was that characters would change over time. Orc’s would get bigger, dwarf’s beards would get longer, and all forms of elf would get more effeminate with each passing level. I’m not sure if this system has been put in yet, I don’t think it has, but maybe if Paul stops by he can let us know. To me, a system like that just seems neat.

Finally, I’d like to see GM run events return to the big MMOs. Maybe it’s that gaming companies no longer trust their GMs to take things into their own hands like that (or maybe it’s their investors…) but this is something that is sorely missed in today’s most popular pay-to-play games. Thankfully, Mortal Online is taking a step in this direction by allowing their GMs to control certain boss mobs against players.

GM events could be a lot of fun and really connect the community with the developing company. I don’t think that everything needs to come be a big numbered patch. These games are about content but I don’t always need 50 class tweaks along with every new batch of quests. All that does is slow down the content flow. To be quite honest, I’d be far happier with WoW there was more emphasis on producing content (and not just raids) and less on balancing X Class with Y Class. Something tells me that Blizzard would get far too much crying to ever do that though. Isn’t it funny how the vocal minority influences the majority experience?

Maybe these ideas aren’t the most realistic but they do stem from a common theme: change and more unpredictability. Let’s face it, these games get routine after a while. You learn the game, do your thing, and wait for that next patch to hit keep the air fresh. That works but unpredictability breeds excitement, even though it also breeds discontent in some.

I’m a fan of ideas that break the norm. Features that, even if small, show that the developers are trying to push their game and make the play experience their own. I don’t want a carbon copy of WoW, LotRO, or EQ2. I want the familiar yet the new. I want the comfortable yet the challenging. I want to feel like my game is a self-enclosed world and that, truly, the only limits are my own. That is the key reason behind why I, and I suspect many others, have looked into games like Darkfall and Vanguard.

My pipedreams may not be realistic or ever likely of getting done in the games that I play. They’d be hard to implement in a surmountable way for players that just don’t care. Still, would you prefer the same old, same old, or elements of change to keep you on your toes?

I’d always take the path of the new and leave the quarterly patches to come as they may.

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The Problem With Side-Jobs

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:07:48 -0400

I’ve played MMOs for a little while now and I’m not quite satisfied with crafting and other hobbies. Take fishing for example, nearly every game that features it has dumbed down this potentially fun hobby to nothing more than click, wait, and click again. I don’t know about you but I don’t find that exciting.

The same thing goes for crafting. Nearly every AAA MMO out there has a very basic and very rote creation system. You found a cool new recipe? Great, clickity, clickity, clack and it’s all your yours – no brain power required! Why is it so bland? Is ease of design so much more important that actually engaging your players?

The only redeeming factor is that you might be able to get a decent reward for your monotony– but only in some games. I’ve never felt compelled to craft or fish in WoW because you’re forced to go through hours upon hours of grind to get a reward of any value (ie, the WoW formula). Unless you count that vendor’s smiling face when he gives me 5 silver for that level 40 grey I just sold him. No, it was always just gathering for me. Gathering seems much closer to the mark in WoW, progressive reward for progressive skill that actually nets you a tangible benefit. Crafting won’t get you gear that you can use for the first 79 levels, yet gathering will get you money to gear up. Sound like something’s missing to you too?

LotRO was far different. When I made my first character there, I rolled loremaster who could wear light armor. I signed up for the Explorer job (gatherer/tailor) and was surprised to find that I could make a whole set after just a little collecting, even while still in the starting zone. And from most reports I’d heard, crafting gear was comparable to instance gear during the leveling process. Unfortunately, I hear that the value of crafting gear dropped notably with the Mines of Moria expansion. Even though their system was similar to WoW’s, you were able to derive a tangible benefit almost immediately.

I think that companies like Blizard and Turbine could take a lesson from SOE here. FreeRealms got it right by making their jobs minigame based. For many of the tasks required to advance your job, you have to complete another small game first.

The introductory cooking quest comes to mind. You have to prepare items for a stew and then tend it once they’re all added. Fantastic! That is how I’d envisioned side-jobs in MMOs when I first started, a fun process to create something, beyond the basic collecting of materials.

Another game of SOE’s that came closer to that ideal is Vanguard. Their crafting system, while closer to our current “traditional” style, followed a process flow as well. Interestingly enough, complications could also occur, which you could alter the quality of your final product. It was a much more intensive system to be sure, yet, being a crafter there was worthy of it’s own level and notoriety. In short, the system’s complexity made it that much more special to take up.

I’m not suggesting game companies adopt either system exclusively. I do think that introducing a system that blends the two would be a wonderful thing. As it stands right now, most side-jobs are in place to turn off your brain and refresh from the quest grind. But, why should that be so? Aren’t there other options that developers could consider to allay people’s combat boredom? Adding in more complexity to crafting, especially in WoW and LotRO, would make it more important to be a crafter, harder to advance, yet, more fun at the same time.

I don’t think players really want to turn their brains off when they play. That’s what the TV is for. Ironically enough, many players report crafting and fishing while watching TV. How very engaging a system must be to require only a minutia of thought from its players. That, in and of itself, makes it impossible to be a skilled crafter.

I’m of the belief that every person should not be able to achieve every goal in a game. People should have to dedicate to be able to become a top crafter, fisherman, raider, or what have you. I think most of us tend to look at MMOs as virtual worlds, that’s certainly how the genre started, and under this viewpoint, there should be a bell curve of crafter’s and hobbyists. There should be payoff and goal. Most of all, the process of specialty creation should not be brain dead.

I’ve felt this way for a while but reading Arbitrary’s post on new hobbies for LotRO really got these feelings stirred up again. Funnily enough, the embers began churning based on my old love of Super Nintendo fishing games. I’ve always wondered why fishing in MMOs was so darn bland. Is it really that hard to throw in a vestige of challenge? No fight from the fish, no snags, and click-to-use invisible baits? The developers really went over the top to make that one fun.

Even though fishing in particular pales below the importance of trade skills in a game, I was sorely disappointed when I saw just how lazily modern games addressed what could have been a very fun mini-game in itself. Vanguard’s system is better but the melding of Dance Dance Revolution with Bassmasters Deluxe never really clicked with me.

Any new hobby LotRO brings in (and Turbine has said they’re considering a few) needs to have a little more complexity to it. If you’re going to let me be a woodcarver, let me have more than a loading bar. Hell, go crazy and let me actually carve that decoration for my hobbit hole. If I’m going to hunt, let me aim my weapon. Brewmaster? How neat would it be to go through a minigame to make your own beer, maybe even allowing random ingredient combinations to produce unique new flavors? Right there are three hobbies I’d take up in a minute.

There’s a lot of potential in MMO gaming that’s just unrealized. If it’s true that players have the most fun when they’re learning then adding more depth could only be a good thing. You’ll get less high level crafters and hobbyists but, honestly, those were probably the people that should never have gotten to such a high level anyways. And, bingo, now they have a new goal for their playtime. Achievements shouldn’t be reached by “turning off” your brain and having to watch TV because you’re bored with can only indicate flawed design.

You know, there was a time when the gaming community railed against loading screens. Who would have thought that simply reducing those screens to progress bars would have solved all of the frustration?

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So Your Spouse Hates Video Games â€“ Part 1: Dropping Your Threat

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:02:56 -0500

If you live with your significant other, you've probably experienced the disturbing phenomena known as "Spouse Aggro". This behavior is usually typified by exasperated comments, sideways glances, or the ever popular guilt trip ("You're always on the computer...") however, it has been known to escalate to yells or even physical violence.

Fear not, you're not alone! Across the country, nay, across the world men and women are forcing their way through spouse aggro into the lairs of evil dragons and forelorn wizards. You can do the same.

Want to get your Waaagh on? Want to strut through Stormwind? Then read on!

Step 1. Diagnose the Problem:

Let's face it, gaming is a prejudiced hobby. If you're spending your time playing a video game, you're #2 on the threat meter and approaching the number #1 slot fast. The first thing you need to do is figure out what her problem is. Why doesn't she like gaming? Is it a blanket prejudice? Bad gaming experience? Misinformation? Or, are you just playing too much? Listen to what she says and then use that to level your avoidance.

Take her words and learn from them. Educate her if need be. Remember, success if based around a level head. It's a situation that requires more DoTs - but you must also know when to stop the DoTs. Under no circumstance do you blow your cooldowns. I repeat, do not use burst damage. If this is your first encounter, use it to build your strategy. You two can come to a reasonable conclusion but don't expect epic loot your first run through.

Scenario: But Raegn, she says I play too much and I know I don't. A few hours a night isn't a lot to ask!

Answer: Actually, it is. To the non-MMOer, three hours a night makes you as hardcore and negligent as they come. If your spouse is throwing this at you, the first thing you need to do is evaluate your priorities. If you know she's blowing things out of proportion and her needs are being met otherwise, then figure out a schedule that works. Play more when she's not home or is, you know, unconscious. You're an MMO player. Sacrificing sleep is in your nature. Think of it as stealth. If you can't, however, set a time to get off the computer. Reach a consensus.

Step 2. Educate Don't Berate:

To the non-gamer, MMOs tend to look pretty darn stupid. I mean, seriously, what are we doing killing boars all the time? And why is some kobold more important than spending free time with her? Just let her know that you happen to find boars exceptionally tasty and elven women very attractive.

Now, if she's a common spouse, now's the time for a threat dump. First, tell her you were kidding. Your sense of humor should be able to help her see that there's something more to gaming than that. Or maybe, if she's a rare elite, you should just avoid joking all together. Explain to her, in non-fantasy-gamer terms, what you like about the game. Focus on the social aspects, so she realizes there's lots of other people you're interacting with. Downplay the spell-casting and up-play the aspects of the game that she could relate to - or that she could see you relating to in a real life way, for example, engaging storylines. Don't explain the stories, if you can help it. Glass Eyes is a debuff that negates your previous 10 attacks. The aim here is to appeal to her sense of reason and humanize the enemy without exposing it.

Scenario: I tried to tell her but she just thinks it's pointless! Guh, she just doesn't get it!

Answer: Well, what's the point of any video game? Fun, enjoyment, relaxation. Explain to her what the game does for you. You're at home, so you obviously want to be near her, so you're trying to get what you do from your hobby while being close to her. The truth, that sweet frosted Cinnabon of relationships, will set you free.

Step 3. Join Forces

We all know that two healers are better than one, so come together with your partner and get those HPs back. This can happen in two ways, first get her to try the game out as a means of spending time with you and doing something together. If you're lucky, she'll bite and run away with the proverbial worm. You can be a Tauren and Gnome in love, spreading steak and rainbows to the kiddies.

Failing that, join her in her disdain for the game. If you're invested enough in the game to want to play it despite aggro, you're probably invested enough to recognize its negatives and other silly aspects. Use this to your advantage. Sometimes an unconventional strategy is the one that leads to the purplest of epics. If she thinks you're only playing for "something to do" or until something better comes along (a little less demanding on your time, perhaps?), the crystal face of "video game addiction" will start to crack for her. And let's be honest, if something as much fun as your current game came along, and actually took less time, most of us would be down for it. I'm still waiting on that game myself.

Scenario: Raegn, you doorknob! I tried to get her to play and she got offended! Now what do I do?!?

Answer: You have a few options. You can apologize. Or, you can turn it around. You were just trying to spend time with her, after all. We'll get to guilt tripping in the next article in this series though, so stay tuned. For now, placate the dragon. Be nice and she may come to see your true intention.

And that's it for this installment of "So Your Spouse Hates Video Games". Hopefully, you'll find yourself better equipped to manage that aggro and maybe even get a boost to some of your stats. Until next time, equip your sword and board, build up your resists, and get ready for that incoming tank and spank.

[I understand some of the video game prejudice but certainly not all of it. I've been lucky enough to not get a ton of aggro from my fiancÃ© because of my casual playstyle. I've been there in the past though, as many of us have, so keep your priorities in order and have fun in whatever world you choose to spend your time in.]

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Darkfall's Better Chance - Killed by Gear?

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:10:41 -0500

I have to say, I find it somewhat amusing that so many people are coming out in support of Darkfall all the sudden. I mean, that's good for them and all, and certainly good for the game, but it makes apparent the changing nature of people's interests. When Darkfall released it's gameplay video touting "actual gameplay footage" so many criticisms poured over the web, it was hard to find anything positive to be said about it. It's a demonstration of how the pack mentality pervades when market conditions are flush.

Still, the lack of true competition places Darkfall in the position of "next best thing". It's no secret the its target audience is narrowly scoped but as people scour the market and find it as the only MMO pending for release, it's sure to garner more players than it could have otherwise hoped for. Now, new player rush doesn't really mean anything. Look at Age of Conan. Darkfall is in a position where they'd better deliver or they're almost doomed to failure. When it comes to the degree of "hardcore" Darkfall wins. That, in and of itself, will guarantee that a lot of the initial "release players" will be gone before the dust settles. The lack of PvE dungeons will ensure it.

Yet, I believe the many will remain. The promise of the game lies not with its hardcore pvp so much as its player driven nature. It brings to the table more sandbox content that we've ever seen in an MMO and that's to its credit. It also brings back a lot of the classic elements of the MMORPG genre, such as alignments and your actions having meaning in the world. The PvP is the frosting on the cake.

One of the more dynamic elements of the game is the lack of levels. Now there's something you don't see any other big titles going for. On one hand, I think it's awesome. This new approach, should it succeed or fail, will influence the decisions of other developers for years to come. And yes, I know other MMOs have tried it. But none on the level of this game. On the other hand, however, it concerns me.

If there are no levels, then character advancement must be skill driven. Or, to put it more like I imagine it, driven by skills. Does this mean that quests will reward skill points instead of xp or will we be looking at a massive grind? Long grinds are another characteristic of former MMOs but one that I hope is minimized from those levels.

And what of gear? Stats? If there are no levels, then stat advancement is based either on questing, skill advancement, or gear. It may even be a mix of all three. The lack of level based advancement will almost assuredly place an increased emphasis on gear though. Based on this, as well as the full-loot PvP structure, Darkfall strikes me as a gear game like we've never seen before. Thankfully, it should be easy enough for players to kill each other that there will be a nice turnaround on equipment. Still, gear dependency is a wolf vs. sheep game concerns me.

I just hope we have the ability to free auction people's gear without having to use the auction house. Salt in the wound and all.

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Paul Barnett Interview for the Age of Blogging

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:03:17 -0500

*Note: This is a WAR post and is set to post in the Chaosmoon portal. My apologies if it posts elsewhere, skip over it if you don't care about Warhammer Online.

As a special mid-month treat for you all, we in the blog-scene were able to line up an interview with Mythic's creative director Paul Barnett. If you've followed the game for any length of time, you've probably heard a lot from him as he's become one of, if not the, most recognizable face for Warhammer Online. And guess what, Paul wants you to blog!

The folks at Mythic have been involved in the community more than any other major label game company we've seen in some time. Due to time constraints we had to conduct this interview via email. Let's see what Paul has to say...

Yes. But then evil marketing try to kill me.

Thanks Paul! I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and, on behalf of the larger WAR community, I'd like to thank you for all of your time and effort interacting with us, informing us, and encouraging us. Keep up the great work!

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PvP Takes More Skill Than PvE

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:37:24 -0500

Let's push gear to the side for a moment.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something controversial, there's more skill involved with PvP than PvE. The same goes for RvR.

I've been thinking about this topic for a little while now, debating with myself on what's involved in each realm of play. PvE definitely involves skill. As so many raiders have said, you can't just go into a tough encounter and "faceroll" your way through it and hope to succeed. There's a particular amount of depth to that type of thing.

I settled on this opinion based on a couple of things.

First and foremost, PvP is reactionary whereas PvE is not. Well, mostly. Sure, you must respond to the skills and scripting of boss encounters but unless you're doing a world first run, you've probably read up on the fight beforehand and have a good idea about what to expect. PvPers can't say the same thing. Encounters between two players are dynamic and ever changing. You can't read a guide on how to beat another player and expect the battle to play out exactly as the guide said. Each opponent must anticipate and react to the actions of the other. PvP is ever changing.

Second, PvP requires more from each player; the only exception being zerg battles. When you're in a PvP tournament, and really want to win, you have to know what your opponent is capable of and how to push the classes on your team to their maximum potential with their combined synergy. Knowing your opponent is the only way you're going to be ready for what they may throw at you. If you're prepared with solid knowledge, you can plan counter attacks and strategies for whatever combination of players you may face.

In PvE, you have the classic triad of Tank, Healer, and DPS. Larger encounters simply bump up the amount of each required. Since there are generally more people involved in an MMO's higher end encounters than those typical to PvP, the necessity of each player to master a bosses skills decreases. If a couple of people know what to expect and have a way to communicate with ease, they can essentially walk everyone else through the battle. Though the same could potentially be said of PvP, I'd levy that due to the lessened amount of people involved the chances of success are much lower.

Now, to step into the PvE circle a little bit, it *does* require a lot of knowledge and effort unto itself. Players have to determine and acquire sets of gear to make sure they can survive. Most players need to look into the skills bosses will be throwing out, otherwise their own chances of success are cut far down too. They have to be able to follow directions.

And raid leaders? These guys have as challenging a task as the hardest of PvPers. These folks have to know the capabilities of the classes they're bringing and be able to coordinate everyone to respond and react at the appropriate times and ways. RL's are in-game managers and deserve kudos and respect.

If you enjoy PvE, more power to you, so do I. If you're into PvP, same thing. Each domain of play requires unique skill sets. The difference lies in the ability to anticipate and react independently instead of based upon direction or an internet guide. Reaction requires more than memorization and when we're talking by community percentage, putting aside loot disparity, PvP definitely requires more of players.

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A Variation of "Logical Loot"

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:20:38 -0500
Ferrel has an interesting post up over on his blog Epic Slant. He takes a closer look at the item generation mechanics of WoW and other MMOs. He has an opinion which I haven't heard discussed in a long time; MMOs were better off when mobs dropped named loot instead of the randomly attributed items we're seeing now. He looks back upon the original Everquest and recounts pleasant memories of planning out his playtime to achieve his gearing goals. Even though I never played Everquest, I can definitely relate.

I have to say, I miss that old loot system. Like Ferret, this was something I enjoyed when I used to play MUDs. Back then, a "Greatsword of Darkened Will" meant something. If you had an item like that, you obviously put some time and effort into getting it. And the best part? Some random item you bought on auction didn't compare to it. These items also tended to carry the name of its previous owner or even a description when you examined them. More than anything though, they mattered. The "name" meant something. Nowadays, a "Battlemace of Black Death" can compare to the "Wizzlewomper of the Goldfish" someone found on a level 8 gnoll.

There's something to be said for these mechanics of old. Named items meant more named mobs, which made the open world that much more important. Not every drop was great, of course, (you could find a crappy named item fairly easily) but there was a wide variation. Much like the raids we see now, if you put in enough effort and had the knowledge to back that effort up, you could gear yourself up with items the majority of other people couldn't. I don't think we need an elitist loot system by any means, but I do think that a game that had this kind of loot system would have much more emphasis on the actual game world instead of instanced dungeons. I believe that MMOs should be mini worlds unto themselves. Instancing is fine but none is better.

Vanguard had a system like this. Right on "Trial Island" you'll encounter several named mobs that drop equippable gear. It was a nostalgic experience to start off in a game wearing an item like "Varian's Jewelled Pendant" instead of "Gold Chain of the Monkey". I didn't get too far into Vanguard but I've yet to hear any complaints about this type of system. MMOers being as vocal as they are, silence must mean good things, right?

In this day and age, we'd be most likely to see a mix of the old system and the new system. That's fine with me. So many facets of the past have gone by the wayside; there's no more equipping gear to improve your level gains, no more big death penalties, no more renowned killers or rp'ers. The scope of our genre has grown too massive and most game developers have given up on these traits to open the door to more players. I don't blame them, MMOs are wonderful games and the more people that can enjoy them, the better. The variation of logical looting could still work, however, and I hope we see its return in some up and coming title.

Nice post, Ferrel. I agree.

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Daytime Raiding Guilds?

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:47:00 -0500

Simple question, where are they? I've played on three servers and searched others near and far. You see, I've been a daytime player for some time due to my college course and weekend schedule. On top of that, my favorite part of WoW, and MMORPGs in general, is dungeon crawling. So, it's a natural course of action for me.

After all of this searching, you know the most promising options I've come up with? Australian raiding guilds that begin at about 6AM. Don't get me wrong, if I wanted to bad enough, I'd make the concession, sacrifice sleep, and put in an application.

It just strikes me as odd though that there are so few. I mean, lots of people play during the day. Not as many as during peak hours but the servers are far from empty. How many stay at home parents, students, people with days off or able to play from work, and unemployed people are on during the day? That was a mouthful but you take my meaning.

On my server, the average raid guild begins between 8 and 9PM and ends at 12-1AM. I find it somewhat surprising that so many people with families, work, and a whole array of other morning obligations stay up late to raid. Shouldn't there be a demand for daytime raids or does the availability of late night runs turn the would-be day-raiders into night owls? After all, people that can raid during the day may be more able to sleep late, though I don't fall into that category.

I'm happy with my guild now because they're good people and I finally have the opportunity to set daytimes runs up within the guild. Right now, I'm thinking I'll be trying to arrange runs for about 4pm. I still wonder though, where are these guilds and why aren't there more?

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Perception or Practice?

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:50:23 -0500

WAR puts all of its chips on the "epic" square of the roulette table. Since before release, we've heard about the grandness of war; the exhilaration of taking part in a massive battle. Many envisioned mini-armies clashing on the war fields, attackers and the destined, and imagined that feeling of awe that's attributed to a new and incredible gaming experience.Â

So far these types of clashes have been great, forgiving the rampant performance and stability issues, of course. Even some of the harsher critics have commented that good RvR is downright fun. Recently enough, they've even announced a fix to the performance problems, which, ironically, is the cause of a very contentious outcry.

The solution is to cap the amount of players allowed into the siege based on their level. Immediately, players went to the forums expressing their concern over these scaled back encounters. Disregarding some key as-yet-unknown factors, outraged players announced proclamations of "epic fail" and other such dictums.

Now, other bloggers have commented on the "unknowns" here. The two that stand out to me are:Â

* What are the thresholds and total player caps?

* If you die, is your spot reserved or could you be locked out when you return?

Let's address the latter first. If your spot is reserved, then you're able to return to the fight. You have your chance at loot. More importantly, you have your chance at revenge. If they opt for a revolving door policy, when you're dead you're probably going to have to wait in line to get back into the action. To me, that's just begging for player outrage. Which is why I don't think they'll do it.

And the former? I would guess that the thresholds will be as high as they possibly could be without impacting the servers.Â I don't know a specific figure, but even so, I'd wager that it's a lot of people. Enough to fill a fortress anyways. The problem arises in the inability for battles to be bigger.

Let me pose a question though, are battles able to be that big now? If server crashes and choppy performance have been prevalent enough for this change to be implemented, the answer is no. I'm sure Mythic would love for 600 person battles to happen all the time. Right now though, they're opting to scale back battles to make them big by normal MMO standards instead of, how shall we say... fricking enormous.

And the scaling back doesn't necessarily translate to less epic either. There will be a lot of people either way and, as I contemplated in my raiding article, that "epic" feeling is caused first by what happens and second by how many people there are. In RvR lots of people definitely lends to that grandiosity but it's not the end all be all. The battle itself will be the determinant.

Unfortunately, a lot of players judge games based on perception rather than practice. Sure, player caps sound limiting and since epicness tends to equate to scale (again, solely by subjective perception), the main focus of the game is less epic, right?

It's a trap we all fall into; part of a pack mentality that's pervaded human interaction forever. I've done it and posted about it, so color me guilty. I can say this though anything I'm able to try, anything I'm able to experience, I'll gladly do it and draw conclusions from my own experience rather than those of others - at least for gaming. Breaking from the pack means time, judgment, and the possible realization that we may be in the minority. It could also mean having to explain your feelings to others who may disagree. In the end though, we come out stronger and more knowledgeable about ourselves.

I haven't gone through a new siege. My perceptions are as subjective as anyone else's except that you'll find no judgment here. When you visit the forums, keep subjectivity in mind. Keep that notion of balanced perception and practice at the forefront. It's a good practice not only when judging a new game system but also for most other areas of consideration in life. In the battle between perception and practice, when the two are so heavily dependent on one another, we should all keep our own individuality in mind.

Sometimes, the loudest voices are also the least representative.

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WotLK latency caused by Wintergrasp; fixes incoming.

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:13:57 -0500
I've been absent for a few days but I had to breathe and share a big sigh of relief when I read about this. Eyonix just let us know that a lot of the latency issues players have been experiencing are related to Wintergrasp and that we can expect fixes in the next "minor content patch". The latency issues include Naxx.

They've been collecting latency info. on the technical support forums for a little while now. Hopefully, these changes are the direct result and we can all look forward to better performance.

January: E-Peen Awareness Month

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:25:16 -0500

This post is directed at our loveable, huggable, battleground chat pwnzrs. You know, those soft cuddly "WTF R U DOING NUBSAUCE?!?!!?1" teddy bears we call team mate. We love you.

Today, let's talk about a topic that pervades game title. WoW? Sure. WAR? Absolutely. LotRO? Bet your naked hobbit (and a leering Gandalf).

I enjoy PvP. It's fun, active, and filled with intensity. I've noticed a disturbing pattern though, some of the most rude, obnoxious, and argumentative people spam battleground chat.

Why is that?

I tend to keep to my guild when I'm PvPing, so I've never been on the receiving end of the hattery. I've seen enough people berated for not obeying the orders of "pwnsurnub" though, that I've started turning off battleground chat.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to competition. Players are there to beat an active and ever changing opponent. Like PvE encounters, players must utilize strategy and teamwork. Unlike PvE encounters, the players are far less likely to research and employ such practices.

Those that do tend to get frustrated.

I mean, to them, the strategy is obvious. Why aren't those damn noobs doing what they say? Then the capital letters start to fly and all hell breaks loose. The "unskilled" players, however, aren't too inclined to listen to the oh-so-cleverly named noob-caller (frothing at the mouth by this point). So they don't. Which causes the original shift-key cowboy to explode in a sudsy mess (you didn't think that was snow in Alterac Valley, did you?). It's a vicious circle.

To everyone that feels the need to scream at their team mates during battleground matches, let me clue you in on a few things:

â€¢ Getting upset is fine but if they're not listening, wait for it.... They're not to listen. Change your approach. Oh, and don't forget to fight while you're at it. Fight through the froth, pal. Fight through the froth.

â€¢ If you want people to listen to you, they need a reason. No, your capslock key is not a reason. Instead, try giving a people a whisper and qualify yourself: "Hey man, you don't know me but I know a good strategy to win this one."

â€¢ Your commanding babble is more than it appears, it's *gasp* QQ in disguise. PvP proves QQ is universal.

â€¢ No one expects you to change. Really, do what you do best: PWNZR teh nubs!111!!. Remember though, the people that have half a clue on what to do will just shut off the channel or ignore it and go with the flow anyways. Grand total, you get about .27 people to do what you want and it's probably by mistake anyways. Bear this in mind when you repeat yourself over. And over. And over.

â€¢Â You'll get better results if you treat people the way you'd like to be treated. No, wait. That kindergarten teacher was teh suck. WTF ZERG RH NAOW U n00bSAUUUUUUUCE!!1!

â€¢Â You were a noob too once. No, you did not pop from the womb covered in slimy bloody purples. Wait...

â€¢Â Finally, we know you're proud of your pvp prowess. Hell, they should make a "real men of genius" ad about you. Why shouldn't you be proud? However, we ask that you please be aware of that eight foot e-peen protruding from your midsection. When you turn around to yell at the nubcakes at the last objective, you knock over half your team. You know, there sure are a lot of kinds of "nub" food. I smell a couple new additions to the cooking achievement.

All of this leads me to the declaration, January is now e-peen awareness month. Embrace it, BG guy, but keep a leash on the dragon for the benefit of everyone else.Â Rampant waggling can lead to poked out eyes.Â Thank god all that bravado is only pixels, otherwiseÂ nations around the world might no longer need armies.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

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10-Man Should Never Have Meant "Easy"

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:21:10 -0500

Let me start off by saying, I'm not much of a raider. That being said, I see the value in having difficult raid encounters that take people a good chunk of time to master. Yet, there seems to be a line drawn in the sand between the dedicated raiders and those just beginning in Wrath.

The new trend in WoW seems to be "10-Man = Easy Mode, 25-Man = Hard Mode" and to me, that just seems poor. Don't get me wrong here, I think that there should be easy raids. On that same token though, there should also be hard raids and firm barriers, scratch that, hurdles to progression. I'll be honest, the fact that even new guilds are putting raids on farm after less than a week is a little disconcerting.

What happens when there are no more raids? Blizzard can only churn out content so fast. Fights are only interesting until they get rote. At that point, people tire of doing them. That won't stop guilds from making the runs of course, the homogenization of caster gear ensures that they'll be run more than ever (that and the low cloth drop rate). Eventually though, the fun to work ratio decreases to the point of grind. The fun-seekers will diminish and the gear-seekers supercede. That's nothing against either player and my intention is not to overly stereotype, it just strikes me as a natural inevitability.

All fights get mastered given enough time. However, increasing the difficulty also increases the learning curve and the longevity of an encounter. To make that short, it'll keep players busier for longer. Therefore, I sincerely hope that we see some truly challenging 10-Man content going forward.

If for nothing else, not everyone can get 25 people together and organized. That in itself can make an instance "hard mode" as sometimes the human element can present the most challenge. Smaller guilds shouldn't be relegated to the ez-chair because of their size. Perhaps more importantly than that, maintaining a 10-Man raid team doesn't indicate any less readiness to tackle difficult content.

I know, I'm forgetting the option of making fights harder yourself as is possible with "three drakes" encounter. To that, I simply say meh. Unless it's more across the board and not just a couple of scenarios, the real impact is negligible.

The solution is to offer more entry points into raiding and follow it up with more options to progress. Scaling goals with difficulty is appropriate but the perceived difficulty between 10-Man and 25-Man shouldn't be so disparate. Give people challenge, finding that middle ground between the elite raids of TBC and the open raids of Wrath, and I'll give you a bucket of fish long-term players.

I'm happy that there's easy content. I'm happy that it scales. I just hope we're not leaning towards difficulty stereotypes for better or worse.

*Update:Â It looks like Ulduar is set to have moreÂ "hard mode" encounters with better loot for completing them that way.Â As Daelo puts it, Ulduar will be the "second year" class to follow up Naxx 101. We'll have to see how it turns out.

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Visit the official Fires of War blog

Why I'll Be Trying Darkfall Online

no.spam@gameriot.com (Raegn) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:23:15 -0500

Author's Note: Beware, moderate amounts of speculation incoming! " />

Darkfall is an MMO that many thought, and some still think, will never see a true release. It's been in production for seven years now and has only recently moved into beta testing. It's not unreasonable for people to have their doubts. Others feel that even if it does hit the shelves, that it will fail due to its hardcore PVP nature. This also may be true; however, it may also be its strongest selling point and the reason why you and I should give it a try.

Many criticisms have been levied at the game about the nature of its PVP system. Unlike nearly all mainstream MMOs, Darkfall features a full player looting system. That means that if you die, everything that you've earned is up for grabs to your PKer. "PKer"... there's a term I hadn't heard for a long time. Until I checked out the game's forums, that is. PK stands for "Player Kill" and has its roots in MUDs and MUSHes. Most of the current MMO crowd will have never even seen a MUD, which is probably why the concept behind Darkfall scares them so.

When I first got into the fantasy gaming genre, it was with a MUD called The Final Challenge. In its early days, TFC was known as the game where "PKers are born". Did that scare people away? Some maybe. I really can't say. What I can say though, is that the open PK atmosphere enhanced the gaming experience immensely.

The usual reason why people say they enjoy PVP servers is that there's a sense of danger when they're out exploring or questing. This is true in most cases and it certainly applied to TFC. Certain players built names for themselves and their notoriety spread throughout the game. Players had a direct and meaningful impact on one another because, they knew, at any moment they could lose their whole gear set and have to start all over again.

TFC never had a raiding game, similar to most MUDs at the time, so losing everything didn't mean that you would have to grind for hours on end to get back on your feet. It was significant enough, however, to be a little frustrating.

Since full looting is a primary feature of Darkfall, this sense of danger will be present and I can promise, you'll feel far more excitement when you're soloing than you've ever felt on games such as WAR and WoW. Is that guy on, just invis? And if he is, can I make it to the zone I need to get to? When the inevitable happens and someone does attack you, the adrenaline rush you'll experience will be more than you've felt in PVP encounters ever before. In Darkfall, you'll have something to lose, not just a repair bill or a resurrection debuff.

Now, all of this is dependent on how Aventurine decides to work with their PVP system. I'll admit, this game has been under my radar for a while, so I'm still in the dark on a lot. There's a lot of things I'm still wondering about.

For example, how hard is it to acquire a passable set? On TFC, to be the best, you had to put a decent amount of time into getting all the pieces of gear you needed to shine. For a passable set though, if you had a couple of other people to help you, or some gold for the auction system, you could get going again in a day or so, even if you were low on the player ladder. You wouldn't be the best but you could go out leveling again. By itself, this re-gearability (yes, I'm making up words now) allowed your death to become a cause for retribution and not an ultimate roadblock.

On top of that, sometimes it was even inspirational. I can remember thinking, "Wow, I didn't expect that!" and wanted to become the "bad guy" myself. One of the biggest killers on the game at that time happened to live a few hours from my house. We met at a get together at one point, and I can quote him as saying "There's something really neat about knowing I can make some guy on the other side of the world punch his keyboard in frustration". Yeah, he was a little over the top but the sentiment is true: sometimes it's fun to be the bad guy.

There were far less people on TFC than we can expect on Darkfall, however, so Aventurine will have to do something to prevent higher level players from repeatedly griefing those weaker than them. This may well be the make or break characteristic of the game, so I'm reserving true judgment until I can see how this is handled. It's a balancing act between allowing players murderous freedom and driving new players away.

The full PVP system can also lend itself wonderfully to RP, as well. Again, I'm not incredibly familiar with the title but I'm hoping they have alignments available to players (good, evil, neutral, etc). As one would imagine, the evil aligned guilds on TFC (called "followings" which were lead by "immortal" leaders) were the bigger killers. The good followings were more about helping one another. Consequently, a deep seeded rivalry was born between the two sides. RP flourished in this atmosphere.

For those of you who aren't into RP at all, there were also epic battles. Players were able to literally knock the other side back, so they had to rebuild their forces. Even if they don't have an alignment system, you can expect this in Darkfall. Players will have a direct impact on one another and the world as a whole, which is fitting with the game's sandbox nature.

I'm not going to get into all of the game's faults here. Or the fact that how well the game does is wholly dependent on so many factors that the fun-factor is really yet to be seen. What I'm going to do though, is implore you to keep an eye on the game and give it a fair shake. It's late getting out of the gate, it's niche, it's hardcore, it's a lot of things. It also presents something we haven't seen in MMOs in a long time. And that's true risk , which means excitement, and, yes, as you're feeling all of those things, you're going to be immersed in the game because, if you're not, you may find yourself dead on the ground. And naked as a jay bird.

It sounds hardcore and it is. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just not what we're used to anymore. The game won't be for everyone - but try it. You might find that you enjoy this look back to the older days of MMOs, when it wasn't raid bosses you had to fear, but your fellow players. When death wasn't meaningless and vengeance was born into your blood.

Update: I looked around a little bit and it turns out that Darkfall also features on of the biggest MMO worlds to date. According to Wikipedia, one of the developers has said that it would take a human character approximately 8 hours to run from o
ne side to the other. This is intriguing but it makes me wonder, if the world is so huge will players be too spread out? If so, how likely is PvP to happen?

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