September 22, 2008
I’m sorta torn on this topic, because the research nerd in me loves to let my fingers do the walking and get instant answers to pretty much any MMO question I have. But there is definitely something to be said about the “good old days” of Everquest, when fansites, wikis, databases, and, yes, even bloggers, were few and far between. Sometimes it really is best to leave something to the imagination.
“Back in the day,” I remember people arguing about what the spell harmony did – some insisted it was a mana buff, and would cast it on other players, while some, correctly, said it was a threat reducer (although it was still up for debate on whether the spell should go on the player or on the mob).
I also remember being half dazed from doing our second guildie camp of Zordak in a row, (my 16 day proof of insanity) taking an afk, and feeling the blood drain from my head when someone told me that I screwed up the timer because I was sitting on the Zordak spawn point. Practically every night in /ooc, as adventurers settled in to their nightly camp claims, the neverending debate about the Anti-camp code would always find a way to surface.
There were lots of mysteries in Everquest – some true and some still unresolved. Don’t kill bixies or you’ll spawn griffons; don’t fall in the lava or you’ll die and have no corpse to loot; Lake Rathe is home to the Krakken, a giant underwater beast; the Tower of Frozen Shadow has a secret 8th floor; don’t organize monk protests outside Freeport or you’ll face the wrath of a 100 foot gnome named Smedley….
………
For better or worse, Everquest had a lot more of “the human element” in it than current MMO titles. On the downside, players survived the upheaval from such scandals as pie tin exploits, and tumpy tonic turn in abuse. But we also had the thrilling metagame called vendor diving, where you could explore the recently sold items on any particular vendor’s inventory and, possibly, find a real steal or two. Some poor sap’s careless sale was another man’s phat platz.
The content of Everquest was also more varied than the crisp decorum of level tiers and linear progression that so many MMOs sport today. Some zones were definitely better experience than others, but we didn’t have the benefit of a numerical exp tally with every kill, so patchtime often brought on careful exploration to see what the new best hunting spots were. Market prices were also unpredictable due to changes in drop rates – or the discontinuation of an item altogether. Rubicite armor was valuable to begin with, but skyrocketed once it stopped dropping. (and while it was a quest item, I still /mourn the end of the BFG). The fluctuating drop rates made the market a lot more interesting, because that certain worthless trash drop could suddenly become an overnight diamond.
Over the summer, Everquest 2 has had a lengthy in game event about the invasion of the void, and the murder of the Priestess in the North Qeynos temple. I’ve participated in each part of the live event quests that launch with every game update, and while I’m impressed with the unique rewards and storyline, I found myself thinking, “why did they have to tell us about it in the patch notes?” They have kept it vague enough that the mystery is still up in the air, but it would have been cool to log in one day this summer and, out of the blue, run into one of the black void clouds, with no warning or explanation. We wouldn’t know what these clouds were all about, and we wouldn’t know why the creatures nearby were suddenly afflicted with some sort of tempest-illness. There would be lots of in-game discussions about the back story, and eventually players would track down and share the locations of the quest NPCs. These in game chats about the quests would not only do a better job of getting the word out to the playerbase about the live event, but would also help to build *ta-da!* Community! I’m sure there is a very good reason why so much is revealed in patch notes these days, but I still think it would be cool if we were kept in the dark a bit more.
Warhammer suffers from this a little…..ok, a lot. By the time the game was launched, so much was written, screenshotted, podcasted, and video’d about it, there is little left to solve. Heck, a bunch of revelations came straight from the official site, in the form of regular journals, videos, and site guides. It’s almost like George Lucas blurting out that Darth is Luke’s father. Or Orson Welles announcing that Rosebud is the sled. The bright side is that the game is PvP heavy, so no one can predict exactly what’s going to happen (larger side will win).
Developers are, in a way, playing the role of MMO gods. Why not imitate the ancient gods of Greek and Roman mythology, and keep us on our toes a little more? More giant Smedley gnomes, less talk.
Posted by jayernh under Archive,Gaming Commentary | Comments (6)
September 20, 2008
It’s not like we didn’t see this coming. Right now, in this little slice of the blogosphere, the launch of Warhammer Online has turned blogger against blogger, with the Warhammer enthusiasts facing off against, well, anyone who isn’t a Warhammer enthusiast. It’s the blogosphere version of RvR, only there are no squigs and no living cities. (Plenty of Waaagh though).
I remember a long discussion that my “Shut Up We’re Talking” Common Sense co-host Darren started about whether bloggers are press. Lately, the answer seems to be a resounding NO. The main job of the “press,” is dissemination of information. Yes, bloggers can help generate interest in a game, but journalistic credibility evaporates when the focus becomes “them.” And while it’s true that commentary can fall under the definition of “press,” there is a fine line between insightful analysis and slightly longer versions of mundane forum replies.
The recent interview of Erling Ellingsen by Daedren of MMOCrunch is one example of that blurring line between journalism and ownzj00 forum flaming. What should have been a newsworthy and timely interview of AoC’s Product Manager instead turned into a piece largely about Daedren. His original review of Age of Conan was important, because whether one agrees with it or not, it presented a thorough recap all things wrong with the game. But he did himself a disservice when he forgot that it was the review, and not him, that readers found newsworthy. As soon as he inserted himself into the equation, credibility was lost, and the result was a Jerry Springer-esque feel to the interview, rather than a professional tone that might have helped to push forward the discussion of AoC’s troubles.
There was also a certain weirdness to the whole revelation of Tobold getting a lifetime subscription to Warhammer Online. Tobold is definitely an established blogger, with a prolific entry count, and a plump readership. But when he made the announcement that he accepted a lifetime subscription, it made for a very awkward moment. What’s the point of A) taking a subscription that he probably won’t use much at all and B) making it newsworthy by devoting an entire blog entry to it. With the title, “Full Disclosure on my Relationship with Mythic,” it’s little surprise that Tobold, the Blogger, was the focus of the debate. Right on cue, the blogosphere abided, and Toboldgate was born.
And in the past few days, we’ve become witness to a tag team blog-off about Warhammer Online that included references to Kool-Aid, Communist Russia, and the Bible. I don’t necessarily endorse the beehive-prodding strategy of Tipa (although her recent entries are hilarious and have become the only sparkling gem that’s emerged from this showdown), and I also disagree with going so far as to start a crusade against Warhammer fans. But at the same time, it’s slightly ridiculous that the same people over and over are making it personal, and rejecting any thoughtful criticism about this particular game.
Tipa wrote an entry a while back that still rings in my head from time to time. She threw down the gauntlet, and challenged the blogosphere to roll up their sleeves, dive into a game, stick with it for a year, and write about it. Not write about press releases, developer videos, and breathless anticipation of future titles, but about what exactly we are doing nightly when we log in to the game of our choice. That’s something that I used to do regularly, and something that I have had trouble doing of late. I agree with her that we don’t see enough of that, and it’s too bad, because that’s when blogger personalities are a welcome part of the writing process, and, if done well, really improve the quality of the storytelling. Tipa, Stargrace, and Van Hemlock are just three bloggers who do it well, and make me wish I could get back into that groove again.
Over in my guild, I’ve made it our philosophy that if someone has visions of their toon’s name, lit up with flashing bulbs that become so bright they explode into flames because the name is so powerful, they probably should look elsewhere for a home. I think the same should go for blogging. I’ve never had any aspirations of this blog becoming anything newsworthy, and I also don’t consider myself press. But to those that might, it’s worth noting that it’s the games, and what happens in those games, that’s newsworthy.
Posted by jayernh under Archive,Gaming Commentary | Comments (7)
August 14, 2008
I was putting together the “Fall Goals” for the guild today, and it gave me a nice opportunity to step back and look at the big picture for a moment.
Above: RnH on our first trip to Shard of Hate.
We started up as a guild back in January, about 8 months ago. In that time, we have successfully raided almost all content up to T8. We also worked together to complete several heritage quests and some of the larger questlines, like the class hat quest. Several members have dinged level 80 in adventuring, or tradeskilling (or both!), and many of those have completed their fabled adventuring epics and tradeskill epics. Our guild has reached level 60 now, and this past week, we ventured into our first Tier 8 raid zone – Shard of Hate, to try our luck on scooping up loot from the trash and to play around with Demetrius Crane.
Above: Ah, memories. Guild pose on the pyramid in the “Spirits of the Lost” raid zone, after taking down Venekor.
The part that I think is the coolest, though, is that we did it on a very laid back, casual playstyle. We only raid two nights a week, and raiding isn’t mandatory. Any guild events we do run from 8:30 EST to 11 EST, and I think we’ve gone over that 11 PM time only once. Our motto is, “Focused progress, but not at the expense of a good night’s sleep.” For me, it sunk in last week that we actually have been able to do exactly that.
Above: Celebration after taking down Harla Dar in Temple of Scale.
Funny thing is, that moment has come and gone. I’m always uneasy about the direction of the guild, and I’d love to know if that’s a common feeling among guild leaders, or if it’s just me. I find that leading a guild can be a lot harder than other leadership positions, like coaching or teaching, primarily because it’s impossible to know whether everyone in the guild is “on board,” with your philosophy. When you’re facing a team or a class, you can instantly tell how your words are being received. That’s impossible with a guild, because of the distance between you and everyone else. That can make things very frustrating at times, but it also makes guild accomplishments that much more enjoyable.
Above: RnH taking on Cthulu, one of the Guild Raids. This was one of our first raids, “back in the day.” (about 4 months ago).
We’re definitely not a uber guild, but we’re also not trying to be one. Given our limited playtimes and flaky schedules, I think we’re doing pretty darned good.
Above: The RnH carpet brigade, back in March, taking on Rahotep for the Scepter Heritage Quest.
…and now I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop…..
Posted by jayernh under Archive,Everquest II,Gaming Commentary | Comments (0)
August 11, 2008
One feature that often gets overlooked in Everquest 2 is the betrayal system. “Back in the day,” when being good or being evil actually had some semblance of importance, you could choose to betray sides early on in your toon’s existence (I think it was level 17). So, if you played an evil class, you would become the good aligned equivalent, and vice versa.
Above: Shard of Fear. Why the heck am I running *toward* the wall of fire?!
The whole “good vs evil” thing in EQ2 has been watered down a lot in the years that followed, but the betrayal system not only remains in place, but has been revamped to allow you to betray at basically any level. So if you played a templar (the good aligned cleric class), you could switch over and play an inquisitor. If you got tired of playing an evil dirge, you would betray and become a troubador, or good bard. You still might be playing the same basic class (bard, cleric, enchanter, warrior), but there are some noticeable differences between each good and evil pairing. The betrayal system is great, because it offers a chance for someone to freshen up their gaming without having to reroll. It also offers flexibility for those that might be looking to raid with a particular guild that has closed recruiting to their particular class. Maybe the guild of your dreams is no longer seeking mystics (the good aligned shaman), but wants defilers. Betray and you are in!
There is a penalty, of course. When you betray, all your spells and abilities are gone, and you no longer can live in your original city. You are exiled to Haven until you do enough faction work to earn the right to live in your new city of choice. Also, if you have class specific armor, you’ll need to replace it. Honestly, it’s the perfect penalty – not too timesinky, but severe enough to prevent people from making betrayal a nightly ritual.
So why stop there? Why can’t I switch classes within my archetype, so if I am a monk, I could betray and become a guardian? If I’m a fury, I can betray and become a templar. Heck, why stop at archetypes, why can’t someone retrain as an entirely new class? (Lemme interject here and toss out the disclaimer that I’m only thinking about this for a PvE environment. This idea might create huge problems in a PvP game) Obviously, the first argument against it is that the bigger the jump in class, the harder it would be to properly learn that class. True enough, so why not make the process of betrayal contain a series of challenges that force someone to study their class, and only allow them to “graduate” if they have passed the challenges? Much better than slaughtering newbmobs for faction, I’d say.
Above: RnH on a recent Harla Dar kill in Temple of Scale.
You might argue that it would lead to rampant betrayals, and the population would always be lopsided in favor of a certain small number of classes. First, the current betrayal system in EQ2 proves that it would not be rampant. Some do betray, but of the 100 different individuals in my guild, to use a small example, only one has betrayed. As for it leading to population imbalance, the law of supply and demand will always smooth it out. Even if, suddenly, every single healer decides to betray and become a fury, some will settle back into the other classes, simply because it’s no fun to be druid #400 that’s sitting lfg, or fury #15 that’s waiting to get on a raid.
I’ll admit, I have a bit of a bias here, because I believe that leveling is archaic. So the standard argument of “don’t like your class? Reroll and play an alt!” doesn’t fly with me. There is no good reason that someone should have to redo every level, and re-grind all the content, to play another class. If there was one, WoW and all the other MMOGs wouldn’t be making it faster to reach the level cap as their respective games grow long in the tooth, and larger in levels. I’m also on my soapbox because I’m so totally done with the concept of raid limits, especially in EQ2. 24 classes, and 6 are tanks. The math doesn’t work, and it never will.
The only drawbacks I suppose are that A) low level areas would be a lot more sparsely populated, since there might be fewer twinks running around and B) there might be less of a demand for lower level items on the broker. The broker issue could be easily solved, if you reset a newly betrayed player’s skills to zero, and then went with a skill based requirement on items, rather than level based. As for the low level areas possibly losing population, it’s not ideal, but let’s face it, the longer a game is out, the lower the population in low level zones anyway. And more often than not, most are soloing through the low level content anyway, simply because it’s faster and easier.
If I want to switch my class and turn my level capped whatever into a new class, and I pay a fairly steep penalty for it, along with a rigorous retraining and challenging tests (Trainer NPCs actually acting like trainers?! Get out!), how does that affect someone else’s game experience? And I’m asking out of all honesty, because I don’t see any serious issue other than the fact that “that’s not the way it’s done” in MMOGs.
Posted by jayernh under Archive,Everquest II,Gaming Commentary | Comments (2)
July 21, 2008
I’m probably the only person on the planet who hasn’t seen The Dark Knight. Instead, I spent my Saturday night podcasting with Darren, Scott, and John. The two topics were fun – one was about Warhammer’s cuts with a focus on project management, and the other was about WoW, and whether it’s long in the tooth. Thinking about both topics later, it’s interesting how they fit well together. One thing that stands out between WoW and Warhammer is the stark difference in hype. WoW tends to play it a lot closer to the vest than Warhammer when it comes to specifics, so they haven’t had to do the spin job that Warhammer has of late. Maybe that has helped WoW age so gracefully.
Also, regarding Warhammer’s city cuts, I meant to cite Michael Zenke’s article from over a month ago that expressed concern over the less-than-completeness of four out of six cities. If he noticed it a month ago, you’d have to think it’s been on Mythic’s mind for quite some time. That brings up the issue of whether the cuts should have been made sooner, to focus the resources on the stuff that is fairly complete.
Anyway, the show was fun, and a little more lighthearted than some recent episodes. (Seriously, what *is* the deal with Dr. Horrible?!) Hopefully the comments will stay civil!
Speaking of lighthearted, earlier in the week I did a podcast with Troy for EQual Perspectives, and we invited my old gaming friend Shawn (Orko) to join us on the show. Shawn has a nice way of summing up the big picture, and he knows his gaming. “Back in the day,” I used to lean heavily on him in EQ for raid ideas, and he never failed to deliver. On EQual Perspectives, he gave a great rundown of the inquisitor and templar classes, and also talked about the betrayal system. But most notable was his marketing idea for EQ2 – during a “free play” period like the current Living Legacy promo, why not offer up a new race to play, but make it a temporary offer. So you can create characters of that particular race only during the promotion. New and old players alike will be excited to make a limited time race, and chances are they’ll be more likely to stick with it, since it’s something special that allows them to stand out. There are lots of “one time” game events and item rewards that get removed from game after a certain time, so why not a race? It’s a very interesting idea.
On a total side note, I’m irritated with my lack of EQ2 screenshots. When I played Vanguard, I took thousands of shots, and I sorta got hooked on getting just the right lighting, framing, and subject matter. I certainly am no professional photographer or artist (my brother got all the artistic talent), but I really did enjoy looking over my in game snippets after a night of gaming. Whether it was a panoramic view or combat deep in a dungeon, there were tons of moments where I thought “that would make a great picture.”
I don’t feel that way about EQ2. Part of it is that claustrophobic feel of the zones and dungeons, but a big part of it is the lighting. More often than not, my screenshots look way too dark, and even though I’m using max torches and shadows, it doesn’t seem like it from the pictures I’m taking. Any tips are greatly appreciated, because I am tired of looking over recent screenshots and not being able to use any.
Posted by jayernh under Archive,Gaming Commentary | Comments (2)
July 16, 2008
With all the recent discussion about smart project management, it’s very interesting to see how 38 Studios is coming along. A while back, they licensed BigWorld Technology and the Unreal Engine 3, and yesterday, they announced that they had licensed Morpheme, from NaturalMotion. The demo video of Pure, one of the games using the technology, looked pretty neat.
38 Studios seems to be focused on taking advantage of any service or tool that will allow them to save time and focus their resources on all the other tasks that are needed to make an MMO. I just hope, hope, hope that whatever tools they use, whether in house or not, we don’t have to read about how this game is unplayable on anything but the top notch computers that are out when it launches.
Posted by jayernh under Archive,Gaming Commentary | Comments (3)
July 14, 2008
It’s safe to say that there is a big malaise hovering over many gamers these days, and it seems to loom even larger over those of us who blog. Of the two big AAA titles released this year, Age of Conan seems to be mired in siege lag and breast damage issues, while Warhammer Online just cut a tithe from their heavily promoted game. Bloggers have become the new Karch Kiraly – you serve us up the MMO of the week, and we’ll spike it right back down, in your face, hard.
Recently on Shut Up We’re Talking, Darren, Michael and Brent were discussing the fact that blogging about games has actually become a game itself. For whatever reason, we bloggers enjoy talking about games almost as much, if not moreso, than the actual act of gaming. We come armed with our proud gaming resume and our wordpress accounts, and when we talk, people listen! (Or so we think) WAR, the blog MMO, is about 100 times better than the real game will be.
Well, as if our summer of discontent is bad enough, along come four drunk guys doing a podcast (which, arguably, is just as bad as blogging) and reading *our* blog entries out loud, in a random assortment of voices. It’s part of Channel Massive’s show segment called “Blog-o-steria,” and it’s basically a combination of Beavis N Butthead plus the Emperor’s New Clothes. They scour the internet looking for the hotbutton MMO blog topic of the week that everyone is blogging about, and they relish in poking fun at our self-importance, our expert analysis, and sometimes, our bad grammar. In a nutshell, it’s hilarious!
I stumbled on this yesterday, while I was reading Virginworlds and saw a blog entry from Mystic Worlds, who took exception to the blanket lumping of all bloggers as part of a reactionary knitting circle. I took a listen and even heard them mention my blog entry about Age of Conan’s gender damage issue. Luckily, they didn’t really lay into me, although whoever it was that blurted out the “Jaye, let me be the first to say….” comment, I want to know what the rest of it was going to be! Finish it, go on!
Anyway, the Blog-o-steria segment is definitely not something I would do, and I’m sort of torn over the fact that I got a big laugh out of something that I totally disapprove of, but I do think that bloggers have more or less been asking for it for a while now. I also realize that I’m wading right into a Blog-o-steria about Blog-o-steria. But then again, hardly anyone reads my blog anyway, so I think we’re safe.
Posted by jayernh under Archive,Gaming Commentary | Comments (5)