Mystic Worlds

It's F2P not The Salvation Army

While researching information on producing runes in Runes of Magic (ROM), I noticed that the Enchanting NPCs in Varanas are now selling many of the Item Shop gear enhancement components for in-game gold.  On the forums, they’ve posted that Item Shop objects will begin dropping in game too.  I hope they know what they are doing.

While I’m mature enough to understand that many Western gamers aren’t comfortable with micro-transactions in their MMOs, those same players should be mature enough to understand that games aren’t made and maintained for free.  ROM is already free-2-play and the Item Shop is the ONLY method by which it will have a revenue stream.

The MMORPG Holy Trinity

Playing in the Pirates of the Burning Sea (PotBS) BETA left me with some impressions that inspired this post.  I’ll leave my BETA specific thoughts for another day, however.  From where I sit, there are three games that comprise the Holy Trinity of the MMORPG market in North America and Europe – World of WarCraft, Everquest 2 and EVEOnline.  Other notable games are GuildWars and Dark Age of Camelot, along with niche games like City of Villans and City of Heroes.  It’s my impression that these games combined represent the lion’s share of the gaming space.

Have the Balls to Host Official Forums

We all know that forums are a magnet for infinite QQing, trolling and flamebastic anonymous posts – I get this problem.  I acknowledge that for the game developer, forums are almost a no win situation.  However, I can’t take a game too seriously when there is a lack of official forums.  Nor do I have much respect for the game developers who won’t host them – problems, bullshit and all.

When I want to delve into your game to understand the game mechanics, history, professions and economy, check the pulse of the community and get bonafide information, I need the game developer’s forums.  You can support all the independent forums you want, but why should I as the consumer, have to surf multiple sites to get the whole picture, without ever being sure that it is in fact, an accurate picture in the first place.

I’m sure they have CMs trolling these sites but I would doubt that it’s at the frequency of developer managed sites.  Nor do they have the power to lock or remove incorrect information on those sites.  And as well meaning as the independent forums hosters might be, there is going to be a time delay between a representative from the game developer notifying some one in control on the hosting site that something is amiss and having it corrected.  During that lag time, the internet being as ubiquitous as it is, who knows how many thousands of eyes may have already digested that information.  This is one of my biggest dislikes about unofficial forums – game developers have ZERO control over the content and information.

Yes, there are reputable hosting sites that host many games and are as accurate and timely as they can be, given the circumstances.  Often times however, they are splattered with adverts - some inconspicuous, some not so incomspicous.  Do I need to mention the ones that are quickly being gobbled up by gold selling companies?  Here again, as a potential consumer I say, why do I need to deal with that in order to get information on your game, if you want my money?  From where I sit, a game developer topples many levels down in credibility with me as a consumer, when they don’t host official forums.  If you won't invest in me, my relationship to you as a player of your game and consumer of your content - both the good things and the bad things, as any solid relationship must suffer, then I'm not investing in you either.

I read lots of gaming blogs.  I listen to way too many podcasts.  However, when it comes to game information, I only surf one place and that is the official forums.  If Sony can stomach hosting forums, where people like to hate them just because, Blizzard can maintain forums with a ravenous, immature and bloodletting lot of players and Turbine can summon the courage to do it when people are just waiting for them to f-up another IP, other gaming companies have no excuse.  You don’t get to hide if you want my money.

Can you imagine being employed – aka getting money on a continued basis, and the person whose handing out the money has no way of directly contacting you?  Gamers aren’t employers of the developers for they games they play, but at the very least as a consumer, they have a right to demand information from the horse’s mouth.  Even if we can’t reply, which cuts out the posting drama, I want forums with information on classes, professions, lore/backstory, patches, upcoming development and the alike.  If not, I’m very V-E-R-Y unlikely to trust you with my money.  Both the one time purchase of investing in your game and continued support by paying a monthly subscription.

Hellgate London, you fail. KK. Tnx.  Bye.

Sword of the New World and Why I'm Jaded

It should come as no surprise that I'm just waiting for something to replace WOW.  I'm not a WOW hater, but lord I need something new.  I'm not playing LOTRO either because as much as I want something new, I'm not investing the time to level in a game that I have no intention of staying in for some length of time.  So even though I'm whittling my time doing PVP on a Paladin in WOW, my eyes and ears are open until WAR arrives.  In walks, Sword of the New World.

I recently remembered that I have a premium FilePlanet account.  Duh.  I know what you're thinking and I'm not nearly that stupid, but oh how the details of my life spin 'round and 'round.  While cleaning up my "Favorites" I saw the FP link and decided to have a look-see. It didn't dawn on me that I had an account until I saw that it auto-logged me in, which served to jog my memory.  If not for that, I still wouldn't have recalled the purchase.  Anyway...I see the advert for Sword and decide to take a peak.

The graphics look really nice, and I'm nothing if not a sucker for graphics.  That aside, what intrigued me the most about Sword was the period in which the storyline takes place.  In addition, when you build other characters you add them as family members. But the coupe de gras is that you can control up to three of the members at once.  Hey now, GW mechanics without the stranger sidekicks called henchmen.  All sorts of interesting back story ideas immediately popped into my head and I thought, "Whoa, I could like this." And, "It sure would be nice to play something with some role-playing value."  I immediately decided to avail myself of my special privileges and downloaded the client.

While it's downloading I'm playing WOW in the background, sucking up the drama of AV weekend when the AFKers and nubs decide to pay a visit to PVP and turn an otherwise pleasurable pastime into soul-sucking pain in my ass experience.  Sword of the New World is looking better and better, as I tell these idiots for the 4th time to abandon Galv.  And instead of engaging the attempt to turtle, move on to take the graveyard.  But will they listen?  Of course not.

/OCC In case you're wondering what a "nub" is, it's not a typo.  It's the most derogatory form of noob in my book.

The download and install were painless enough.  Creating your characters, although limited in visual selections, was still fun because of the variety of customs.  But that's about where the fun ended.  First off, I can't play a game where the text and buttons are off the screen or chopped off in the dialog box frames.  I've done SW development.  I've managed SW localizations and translations teams for commercial products.  And with that experience, I know that all of that is avoidable if you test appropriately and have a quality team.  Not being able to read choices, make selections or even use some aspects of the interface because it's chopped off is just soooooooooooooooooo unacceptable. 

Yet I persevere because I'm intrigued by the promise of Sword.  That and because it's only Saturday, leaving two more days of dealing with nubs in my AV.  Oh the injustices I will endure because daddy needs a new chest piece and a pair of boots.  The idea of playing something fun, interesting and free, looms large.

I create my little family of four characters: Wizard, Elementalist, Fighter and a Scout.  They're all cute little vixens except for the Fighter, who is a male.  After all, every family needs a little testosterone - hence the male fighter.  Except that this male, with his over the eye hairdo, is actually prettier than the girls in a Prince, he who has no name, kind of way.  *Hurl*  I pick my Elementalist to use in the tutorial and it’s all downhill from there.

It isn’t until I’m in the tutorial that I realize it’s all “click-to-move.”  I’ve only dabbled in Asian import games and that has to be the most annoying aspect of that genre.  For goodness sake, is it really that hard to program the damn thing to let me move with the keyboard?  Arrow keys – I’ve never seen an Asian keyboard but have a hard time envisioning that they don’t have arrow keys.  I tried all sorts of reasonable combinations and nothing would move the character or rotate the view except the mouse.

I might have decided to deal with click-to-move if all the NPC dialogs weren’t cut scenes.  It felt so old school and it immediately takes you out of the game, or at least one that is supposed to be MMO.  Cut scenes in Fable, sure – no problem.  The sprinkling of cut scenes in LOTRO, which add very unique and personal encounters are very acceptable.  But every NPC interaction?  Sorry, I don’t think so.

By this time I’m sort of miffed that I bothered to download the client and make my four pretty people.  I try to make it through the rest of the tutorial, disembark the boat and head into the local town/harbor.  But it was more of the same – too much moving around with the mouse, cut after cut as I checked out the NPCs and no one other my Elementalist seemed to be online.  Or at least, I didn’t run into another soul in the starter area.

I wanted to hang in there long enough to try some combat but then I realized that the toolbar I couldn’t see much of at all was where my skills were placed.  I fiddled with the interface for a few minutes trying to move the thing into view, until I got really aggravated and decided to just give up.  I logged and immediately removed it from my hard drive.

I’m getting rather jaded about trying new MMOs.  Perhaps I’m too naïve.  I get all excited by the marketing hype and expect it to deliver something close to what they’re claiming.  When they don’t time after time, it brings me right back to WOW – a quality game that delivers mostly what is promised.  At least in WOW, I know what I’m getting and I’m already at the top of the dung heap.

Like Vanguard, the promise was there.  I wanted to play what they described but I couldn't even make it through the starter area.  This game might do well in it's native land, with clickers or people who can actually see on their screen what needs to be seen.  For me, it was just three hours of my life that I can never get back.

Great Fantasy Online

If you like fantasy and enjoy podcasts, here's your chance to enjoy them at the same time.  A couple of weeks ago I ran across a ShadowMagic, a serialized podcast novel.  I'd love to do one of these.  If only i had the talent and dedication!

I just finished listening to the last chapter today, and I already miss it.  *Sniff*

LoTR Video - *Snore* Wake me When it's Over

The folks at Turbine must really be on the crack pipe!  Or someone forgot to tell them that the game trailers should be mildly interesting enough to attract potential players.  OMG - what the heck is this video?  It's such a snooze fest.  It's like watching a movie trailer for a "C" movie knowing that the lame stuff you're seeing is the best there is in the whole movie, and wondering how someone got paid to make it.

Ah well, I wasn't holding out any hope for LoTR anyway and since I only play magic casting classes, of which there won't be any, at least I know I won't be missing anything good. *evil grin*

Have You Ever Felt That Way?

If Aragorn survives this war, you will still be parted. If Sauron is defeated and Aragorn made king and all that you hope for comes true you will still have to taste the bitterness of mortality. Whether by the sword or the slow decay of time, Aragorn will die. And there will be no comfort for you, no comfort to ease the pain of his passing. He will come to death - an image of the splendor of the kings of Men in glory undimmed before the breaking of the world. But you, my daughter, you will linger on in darkness and in doubt as nightfall in winter that comes without a star. Here you will dwell bound to your grief under the fading trees until all the world is changed and the long years of your life are utterly spent.

Elrond – Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

I love words. I adore fantasy and the dream of epic adventure.  Put those two things together and you have the nectar that sustains me.  My favorite novel of all time is, The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson.  However, one of the most poetic and quotable fantasies is, The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Tolkien’s prose, as beautiful to me as Shakespeare’s sonnets, makes me feel the truth of what he is saying.  They both have the ability to unleash raw emotions and completely immerse me in their imagery.  Thus far, there has only been one MMORPG that has evoked the same level of reaction within me…

It was dark – both in the real world, and the fantasy world in which my Enchanter inhabited.  A light snow was falling across the frozen land.  Everything around me was quiet.  I heard nothing and saw no one.  I gazed above me at the shattered moon and wondered if there would be enough light to find my way.  I was a bit lost but unafraid.  Up ahead of me I saw the purple glow of a portal.  Hoping that it was the right one, I raced forward and leapt through.

When I materialized on the other side, I was standing outside the gates of the walled city known as, Linvak Tukal.  The poignant orchestral music that had begun to play in the background was mesmerizing and inspiring.  The once great city loomed before me.  It was empty but not dead - walled but not alone.  From my vantage point, I watched as players raced by on the crossroads below.  I saw common players such as myself and Heroes of Dereth; their telltale golden light burning beneath their feet.  Even in the thickening darkness the splendor of their armor shun brightly.  The urgency of their errands reflected in their quick and decisive movements.  They seemed to have purpose and deeds to be done of importance.  I wanted to be one of them!  I wanted a more grand adventure.  Something more than killing at will or for my singular need.  And I wanted to be steeped in glory – shining armor and the light of the sun glowing eternally beneath me.  I wanted to be a Hero of Dereth too.

Such was Asheron’s Call 2 for me.  When was the last time you felt that way playing a game?  Have ever felt that emotionally vested in an MMO?

General: Your First Time is the Best Time

I think your experiences on your first MMO are the ones that feel the most magical.  For me, that was the now defunct Asheron’s Call 2.  I still remember leaving the Shelter (starter area) for the very first time. The first real kill, quest and riding my first mount.  The roar of magic and power that raced through my veins after completing my first vault.  Most of all, I remember the players that helped me, quested with me and come to my rescue.  AC2 – both the good and the bad, can’t ever be surpassed in the sentimentality department.

When I logged on to check my email today, I had a wonderful surprise waiting.  An old friend from AC2 had tracked me down using Google to say hello and see if I was playing a new MMO.  Not surprisingly, we are both playing World of Warcraft.  I haven’t heard from or “seen” this person in a game in more than two years but I remember Eureka and her toons.  I doubt I can say as much for many people that I’ve met in person in the past year.  Such can be the relationships and experiences forged on an MMO.

I don’t know what server she’s playing on but I’m sure she’ll reply and let me know.  It would be lots of fun if she’s on Illidan.  She has a toon that is very close in level to my Hunter and my Priest.  Wow – hearing from her brings up so many fond memories.

Ten Ton Hammer - Podcast Review

Last night I listened to the first two and only, podcasts available from TTH.  The shows were very entertaining.  It’s a combination of gaming news, reviews and their personal MMORPG experiences.  I like the fact that these are long time gamers.

The show is a free form dialogue between 6 personalities – I think, talking about the games they are currently playing or evaluating.  Lots of good insight and points of view from different playing styles are presented.  They even have an avid solo player a.k.a. grumpy old man, who doesn’t think much of PVP.

This is the only podcast I’ve listened to so far that really asks questions about solo content and includes that as part of their evaluation and review criteria. If you haven’t given this show a try yet, you certainly should.

The only thing that I still find unusual, although common, is that none of these players have done the end game in WOW.  However, they are not alone among podcast producers.  And I can understand how playing so many games, would hinder the ability to reach the end game in one.

Solo Players Aren't PVE Care Bear

I was a pissed off by an opinion voiced on the Massively Online Player Podcast.  They were railing about Vanguard mentioning that PVP might not be in the first release of the game.  In their fury over this possibility, they blamed a lot of what is wrong with MMOs on players who are insisting that MMORPGs have solo content.

For a player to want to solo on any MMO may seem like a contradiction.  However, I think you can place much of that blame on the games themselves.  Using WOW as an example, it can easily take an hour or more to form a group. If you’re off to do a dungeon, that alone can be a couple of hours.  So now you’re at three hours to finish a single objective – if you’re lucky.  Not everyone has 3-4 hours at a time to play.  Nor do they want to stake their entire opportunity to achieve an objective on the availability, reliability and skills of others.  How many times have you been in a pick-up group that goes bad and disbands before the quest or instance is completed?  Someone’s mother makes them take out the trash or get off the computer to do their home work.  A spouse starts bitching that they’ve been online too long.  Or someone’s just an ass and leaves because they get pissed about something.  Now the entire group is left high-and-dry with hat in hand.  Granted this reasoning isn't the case for everyone who wants solo content.  There are peope for whom, all things being equal, just want to quest or grind A-lone.