complexity
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The negative impact of complexity on MMOs and virtual worlds
The relative complexity of MMOs in comparison with more standard PC and console titles is a major draw for many of us. We like the crafting systems, the economic underpinnings, and many of the other trappings of massively multiplayer online titles. Complexity can be a core strength of a solid MMO title, but at what point does it become a detriment? Sometimes, emergent complexity changes the environment and the rules which govern it in some negative ways. Likewise, too much complexity-by-design can be equally problematic. This is the focus of a recent discussion at Terra Nova -- "Irreparable Complexity, Game and World" -- kicked off by Timothy Burke. Burke writes, "I've found that virtual worlds, massively-multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have provided some great examples of Rube-Goldberg complexity-by-design, and have also demonstrated why this phenomenon can be a source of so much trouble, that you can end up with systems which are painfully indispensable and permanently dysfunctional, beyond the ability of any agent or interest to repair." Burke explores this complexity in depth, through analysis of Star Wars: Galaxies and Warhammer Online, but also how this plays out in virtual worlds. This leads him to the dilemma of developers wanting to keep their game design opaque enough to players so that systems aren't easily exploited, at the risk of becoming ensnared in broken systems and overly complicated game mechanics -- where even the developers themselves can't figure it all out. Have a look at Timothy Burke's "Irreparable Complexity, Game and World" over at Terra Nova for his views on how game designers should handle both emergent complexity and complexity-by-design.
TUAW Hands-On: Square Enix's Song Summoner for the iPod
Square Enix dropped a huge bomb at E3 a few weeks ago with the fact that their latest Final Fantasy title, number 13, was coming to Microsoft's Xbox 360. But a week before, they dropped another piece of surprise news on iPod owners: that they had released a game for the music player, and that not only was it an RPG, but it was actually a tactical RPG that used the iPod's own songs as characters.If you're a Squeenix fanboy, your mind is probably just blown by the idea, and as we reported last time, our Nintendo-biased friends were thrilled to hear about the game. But how does it actually play -- is it worth picking up if you're not a Square fan, and/or you just want to hear music on your iPod?Short answer: Probably not. While Square Enix's Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes is a pretty amazing game for the iPod, the iPod is meant to be a music player, not a game platform, and a few hardware drawbacks keep Song Summoner from shining as a game just for iPod owners. Square fans will enjoy it very much, RPG gamers will probably get their money's worth (the game is only $5, cheap by any estimation), but anyone looking for a pick-up-and-play iPod game will likely get mired in the slow pace.
Massively takes on EVE Online's learning curve
EVE Online is a complex game. There's no doubt about that. That complexity is a large part of the draw, but that doesn't mean learning about the game has to be a daunting experience. With that in mind, Massively has EVE Online in its sights. We've brought solid writers on staff who are quite knowledgeable about the game and are here to give some in-depth info on how EVE is played. CrazyKinux and Crovan of The Drone Bay podcast joined us in April, and since then have provided Massively's readers with some helpful columns. CrazyKinux, aka David Perry, writes the Have Clone, Will Travel column. David's most recent piece, 3 Essential Tools for Capsuleers, provides a great overview of some of the third-party programs and resources available to help you plan your skill progression and your ship fittings. But we're also running two more EVE-centric columns at Massively. Read on after the jump to see what else we're bringing to the EVE community, and how we're easing that learning curve.
Ten Ton Hammer takes a closer look at EVE Online
Ten Ton Hammer's Managing Editor, Cody 'Micajah' Bye writes about EVE Online in his latest editorial, 'The Temptations of a Unique MMOG.' The piece -- the first of many to come -- is an exploration of a game where that standard MMO skillset, employed in virtually all of the industry's dominant fantasy titles, no longer applies. Bye cites a few aspects of EVE that drew him to the game: depth, no level caps, no class restrictions, skills not determined by grinding time, and open gameplay. He also notes that EVE is becoming a game where players can (slowly) begin to change the rules and systems of the world. In these respects, EVE is largely free of many of the limitations found in other MMOs. However, he notes what many people on the outside looking in lament: EVE can be a very complex game.
Breakfast Topic: Multitasking highs
My favorite class of the day is the Hunter, mainly because I get to control both my main character and my pet at the same time. I love the dynamic of how these two entities fit together and do damage together so nicely. I have also played a warlock up to 30, but so far the dynamic of doing multiple things at once with demon master doesn't seem as interactive to me, though I suspect it may get better later on. I love the multitasking involved with controlling two game entities with cooperative abilities at the same time, but some people hate it. One friend of mine wishes that hunters didn't have pets at all -- it feels too much to him. One thing that I can't see myself getting into though, is multiboxing: running multiple WoW accounts on different computers and linking them up so you can control them at the same time. The prohibitive cost is the main reason I'm not interested, but also I like the sense behind the hunter class that the hunter and the pet were designed to work together as a single entity. I feel like multiboxing would only leave me doing less than would be possible if we actually had one real person playing each character.What's your opinion on doing multiple things at once? Do you love such complexity, or do you prefer a simpler playstyle? Which class do you think has the most things going on at the same time?
