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Why I Play: EverQuest II
Because. Remember back when this answer was lobbed at you as the definitive answer (often by moms tired of incessant "why"s or as a precursor to "I said so!")? But since I am not your mom -- and more importantly, the boss isn't about to pay me for a one word article -- let me elaborate, though, I warn you, you may regret it; once I get going I may not be able to stop! Seriously, they had to restrain me from taking over Why I Play. Obviously I broke free mwuahahahaha! Simply put, I love EverQuest II. I log into it daily. Sometimes I don't leave for more hours than I am willing to admit. I can hum the guild hall music from memory. I have a list of things I want to do so long I can't possibly get it all done. All this after taking a multi-year break. Yes folks, I left the game for a long time -- a move I am still kicking myself for. But certain features pulled me back, and let me just say, I am so glad I came back. So why do I play EQII? Where to begin...
Some Assembly Required: Six must-haves for creative expression
Creativity. It is expressed in so many ways in so many mediums. Art, literature, architecture, music, performance... I love it all, conventional and unconventional. Heck, I revel in it! Why do you think my work and recreation include gaming? Wait, gaming?! You betcha! Beyond the artistry of the developers, MMORPGs offer outlets for player creativity in a variety of ways. I am not ashamed to admit that the primary reason I delve into MMORPGs is not for the gameplay but to explore and experience the creative expression of others (and to express some of my own as well). In fact, finding and sharing that very creativity by championing and highlighting player-generated content is precisely what Some Assembly Required is about. Between (or in lieu of) the hacking, the slashing, and the plundering, players seize proffered tools in myriad virtual realms to build works of art, pen masterpieces, construct edifices, compose melodies, and take the stage, all within the pixeled confines of a virtual world. Unfortunately, not all games have adequate tools for such creative expression. While inspired players can make do if they must, having supporting features exponentially enhances a game (and positively affects retention). Thankfully, some games provide a few standard-setting features that -- in my opinion -- should be included in every game on the market. Here are six of those must-have features.
Some Assembly Required: SWG housing extravaganza
The sunsetting of Star Wars Galaxies. Beyond the obvious, that statement holds more meaning for me, something deeper and more personal. See, throughout my years in SWG, I would often stop whatever I was doing just to sit and watch the Tatooine suns set. Honestly. Just a simple act of sitting upon the plateau -- sometimes alone, sometimes with friends -- quietly watching one of the universe's greatest pleasures inside an MMO. It was amazing to me how vibrant this galaxy was, filled with so many little details that breathed life into it in a way that I think is still unmatched. Details such as sunsets made the world real, but what really made it "home" was the housing. Few, if any, games can claim the mastery of housing that Galaxies attained. Quite frankly, it is still the standard by which I measure housing. And there is almost no way to sum it up and do it justice in one short article. Despite this challenge, Some Assembly Required dedicates this 12th issue to immortalizing (and hopefully prodding future developers to emulate) one of the greatest housing systems ever and highlighting the very thing that made this great feature phenomenal: incredible player ingenuity and creativity. But don't just take my word for it. A number of readers joined in and sent in screenshots of and waypoints to these expressions of creativity. So step on over the threshold for our tribute in word and image to SWG housing and the player creativity it engendered.
Wings Over Atreia: Over the river and through the woods
To Aion's housing we go! Oh, if only it were that simple! And quick. 'Cause I got my hiking boots on and am raring to go. Heck, I will even wade through rivers of enemy blood to get me some housing! Now you all know what kind of statement that is coming from PvP-challenged me. Sadly, there is still a long wait ahead as there is no real official word on the release of 3.0 and its accompanying features. To be honest, with my all-too-obvious love of housing, I am not entirely sure that the information that trickled out of Korea this past week was more exciting... or painful. TEASE!! Either way, there is no ignoring the fact that the tantalizing information has come, posted front and center on the Korean Powerwiki for all to see. Thanks to some kind translating, those of us not fluent in Korean can also get a glimpse at what NCsoft has in store for us. Truly, I think that it is only fitting that last week's focus on a major frustration is followed up by something many are actually looking forward to! In all, some of the information revealed is exciting, some is pleasantly surprising, and some is even disappointing, Excited about Aion's upcoming housing or maybe just curious? Cross the threshold past the cut and join Wings Over Atreia as we explore the impending housing opportunities in Atreia.
Some Assembly Required: Issue #2 -- There's no place like home, Kojani style
Good mornin'/day/evenin' everyone and welcome to the second edition of Some Assembly Required. It is my pleasure to be your host this time as we delve into the realms of player creativity and ingenuity. And let me tell you, I am quite excited to take on this challenge; in fact, it is this very aspect of gaming that I love most! Hopefully, you won't mind my skulking around your houses and events as I seek out all that is player-created. On many occasions, Jef and I might very well tag-team as we crash -- I mean attend -- your various functions (although I don't think he is much of a skulker). For my inaugural SAR column I chose to focus on one of my favorite canvasses of creativity: player housing. Both housing and decorating are things I am quite passionate about; there are few aspects in games that let you express your creativity like housing. Of course this is certainly a broad topic, so to avoid a 30-thousand-word column with enough pictures to bog the site down, I narrowed this showcase to the world of Telon (and the continent of Kojan in particular) in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Luckily, no packs of wild dogs nipped at my heels as I ventured about for this first exhibition of player decorating. Open the door and enter past the cut for a tour of housing in Kojan.%Gallery-128862%
The Guild Counsel: My kingdom for a house
You work hard in-game, so it's understandable that you'd want a place of your own, outside the auction house and hustle and bustle of city life. What better accomplishment than constructing your own guild home! On the surface, it seems like a great idea. But to quote Dr. Ian Malcolm, "Oh yeah, 'Ooh, aah,' that's how it always starts. But then there's running and... screaming." In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at guild housing -- the good, the bad, and the "good heavens, what made you think that tapestry goes with that sofa?!"
Lost Pages of Taborea: Fun with housing
I've briefly mentioned housing in previous articles, but I haven't done any in-depth looks into it. Plus, with the addition of new house contracts, the housekeeper system, and some creative ideas I've discovered, I thought it was about time to give housing some exposure. For the uninitiated, Runes of Magic's housing is a feature that lets you have an instanced area for yourself to store items, earn bonuses, and decorate to your heart's content. I've seen some players refer to RoM's housing as Everquest II lite. Apart from a handful of boss furniture-recipes, you don't craft the majority of furniture. You can buy furniture from NPCs or select from a wide range of choices in the cash shop. Once inside your house, you'll have access to the housing interface. Your items of choice can be moved into the furniture slots and then placed anywhere you want. You can get a more detailed how-to guide on housing from the Runes of Magic Wiki. In this article, I want to take a look at some creative things you can do with furniture and housing.
House decoration contest running for Final Fantasy XI
The Mog House has always been one of the venues for Final Fantasy XI players to show off their creativity and personal sense of style, even more so when it became possible at long last for other adventurers to step inside. Allakhazam knows that it's one of the most celebrated parts of the game as well, which is why they've launched the first Mog House decorating contest. Arrange your furniture carefully, mail in some images of your uniquely adorned home, and you could find your dwelling renowned for its taste (and potential Moghancement benefits). Entries on the contest run until April 12th, with judging to conclude on April 20th via on-site poll. There are, of course, the usual requirements for all entries to be safe for work and not involve any hacking of the game client. Prizes include a signed copy of the Distant Worlds CD and a Japanese calligraphy set to help decorate the place you actually live, which is a nice touch. For full rules and submission guidelines, take a look at the contest page. Or you could just start by beautifying your home away from home, something most Final Fantasy XI players are inclined to do anyway.
Apple debuts two Holiday Get a Mac Ads
Apple released two new Get a Mac ads, just in time for the holiday season. The two ads, entitled "I Can Do Anything," and "Tree Trimming," are animated, and very amusing. In the I Can Do Anything ad [direct video link], PC shows off what he can do because he is animated. He then talks to a rabbit that is on its way to the Apple Store.In the Tree Trimming ad [direct video link], Mac and PC are decorating a tree. When PC plugs in the tree, Mac discovers that the lights actually say... well, we don't want to spoil it (sorry!).You can watch both of the ads by visiting the Get a Mac ad website.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
VC Friday: Tetris Party drops in PAL regions
A port of casual PC title Home Sweet Home (succumb to your IKEA nesting instinct) and The Incredible Maze (succumb to possibly the worst game on WiiWare) would struggle to get noticed in most weeks, but on the day Tetris Party finally lands in Europe and Australia? Poor things don't stand a chance, cos' there ain't no party like a Tetris Party! Tetris Party -- WiiWare -- 1200 Nintendo Points Home Sweet Home -- WiiWare -- 1000 Nintendo Points The Incredible Maze -- WiiWare -- 500 Nintendo Points %Gallery-18122%
Deco Tendances: the game for cutthroat Animal Crossing players
Do you love Animal Crossing but hate all the communicating, working, running errands, and maintaining the town bits? Also, is it too much of a game for you? Deco Tendances (Deco Trends) is perfect for you: it focuses entirely on home decoration. The program is designed to help with principles of interior design, featuring 24 tips in six major categories, including painting and wallpapering, window decoration, and complementing colors. Each tip is accompanied by multiple photos, and a color wheel is included as well. In addition, just because, there are four minigames.The immediate reaction to something like this is to dismiss it as shovelware and get angry about how it's destroying the industry, and maybe that's accurate (the first part). But we also see somebody doing something new on the DS, that may be helpful to someone. And you still don't have to buy it. Besides, as we suggested above, interior decoration is the heart of one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises.
World of WarCrafts: Edible timberling
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.This cupcake is sure to resonate with anyone (Alliance, sorry Horde) who has done the Planting the Heart quest in Teldrassil. The Cleansed Timberling Heart you receive as a reward allows you to summon an ally for 20 minutes, but don't expect this tasty treat to last that long.Here is what you will need: Cake Batter (cake mix and ingredients required) Frosting Food Coloring (green, red, blue) Decorating Bag with Tip Blue Candy Pieces Fruit Leather (grape) Knife (to cut the mask) Optional supplies: Yellow Food Coloring Gushers Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions. %Gallery-22898% DISCLAIMER: Don't stab yourself with the knife.
Our House gets competition from Home Sweet Home
Somehow, the Wii is now in the position of being the game system with two games about designing and building houses -- not including MySims or the inevitable Animal Crossing. We're quite sure that when Majesco announced Our House, they'd be comfortably alone in a genre of their very own.Home Sweet Home is a WiiWare game from BigBlueBubble based on a casual PC title of the same name (and the same gameplay!) Rather than home-building, Home Sweet Home focuses on interior design and renovation, casting the player as a professional decorator. You'll talk to your clients about their needs, and then direct a team to do the appropriate building and decorating.In addition to the 'home-design' genre, Home Sweet Home also joins Our House in the category of games whose titles remind us of songs. Enjoy some Mötley Crüe! It's Crüesday.%Gallery-20603%[Via press release]
