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Wings Over Atreia: Once more into the rift, my friends
A rifting we will go A rifting we will go Hi-ho, the derry-o A rifting we will go! The Asmo makes a slice! The Asmo makes a slice... Ahh, the frivolity of travel songs; they entertain and amuse as well as pass the time while you're en route to your destination, even in Aion. And where am I headed while chanting this little ditty? Why, deep into the dangers of enemy territory, of course! Care to join me? If you haven't traveled through a rift in Aion, you are missing out on one of the core features of the game, not to mention depriving yourself of some fun. Admittedly, rifting has a bad rap and can be quite a polarizing topic in discussion, but don't be fooled -- it's not just for PvPers. Not everyone who rifts is looking to completely gank others; even carebears can experience and enjoy the thrill of sneaking somewhere fraught with dangers! So what's stopping you from slipping through that colorful swirl? Let me borrow the immortal words of wisdom from a shoe: Just do it! But before you go, let Wings Over Atreia offer a few handy tips to help you make the most of the experience.
Wings Over Atreia: In defense of PvP -- a carebear's conversion
Squealing in delight, the gamer continues down the list, eyes feasting on line after line of the perfect features. Everything ever wanted, dreamed of, right here. Could it be? Could this be The One? Visions of gaming nirvana dance about the gamer's mind. Oh the fun that shall be had! Almost quivering, unable to contain the excitement, eyes finally chance upon the line... wait, what's this? PvP? Window closed/box tossed back on the shelf. What a piece of garbage. Sound familiar? How many times have we heard the phrase "It would have been perfect without PvP" or see gamers just pass over a title that fit their wants and needs almost to a "T" just because of that one feature without even giving it a chance? How many people have been captivated by the beauty and promise of Aion but refrained from trying it because of two little words: "open PvP"? Plenty. Even among my own circle of friends I have heard that refrain many a time. To that I say: It's your loss. In fact, I propose that PvP can be not only tolerated but actually enjoyed by almost everyone. And this week's Wings Over Atreia is dedicated to showing you how. Poppycock! you say? Now, before you dismiss me out of hand, please consider where this declaration is coming from. No one can (accurately) accuse me of being a PvPer. In fact, I more fully fall into the quintessential carebear category than anywhere else -- I am a casual-ish player and a roleplayer. Even so, I can now make the following (qualified) statement: My name is MJ. And I like PvP.* Don't believe that you, too, can make this statement? Take the leap past the break for a look at some tips on how to come to enjoy this integral feature more and not let fear keep you away from Aion.
Blood Sport: Having fun in the arena
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. My internet is down this week (lame!), so I'll be writing about a topic near to my heart: having fun in the arena. I was originally going to write about how to make the best use of your time in WoW when you don't have much of it, but then I thought two things: Everyone spends time in game differently. Some people like PVE, some PVP, some prefer the auction house, and others (mindbogglingly) enjoy reputation grinding. For me to throw out a list of how to best use your time would be madness, absolute madness. Considering we are WoW players, making the best use of your time might not be the most well-received article.
The Daily Grind: What do you find the most fun in MMOs?
"Fun" is one of those wonderful properties that every single game tries to capture, and whether or not a game succeed is completely subjective. Some people find the freedom and constant tension of free-for-all PvP to be fun; others find it limiting and an open invitation to grief. Some people like having a clearly delineated quest experience to enjoy; others find it restrictive, arbitrary, and ridiculously narrow. It's that gap between personal tastes that allows us to have so many different options in the MMO field, from Ultima Online to Vindictus and everything in between. We ask a lot of broad and sometimes abstract questions here, but let's boil this one down to something very basic -- what experiences in MMOs do you find really fun? Large-scale raiding with friends? Acquiring new equipment? Making off-beat characters? Roleplaying? Do you like skill-based action systems like Global Agenda's to let you prove how good you are, or do you like slower group combat as found in Final Fantasy XI to let you flex your mental muscles? What do you find to be most captivating and enjoyable? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Anti-Aliased: The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that
Second Life gets a really bad rap from the MMO community that's largely undeserved. I get to hear all of these slams like it's a usless waste of data, there's nothing to do, it's a bunch of sex sims, and how I should work on my "first life" before my Second Life. Har, har, har.But, like I said at the opening of this column, Second Life doesn't deserve those punches to the gut. The world of SL is pretty vast and has much to offer any gamer, regardless of what they like. It's important to remember that this system is not a game. It has no objectives and no overt goals, but it does have an unlimited supply of imagination and creative possibilities. It's not a place of "serious business," because something that's fun shouldn't be taken quite that harshly. Sure, you can make money, but you guys want to have fun, right?So let's talk about Second Life, the reason the masses hate the system, and how you can find something enjoyable inside of "the grid" even if you've tried it before and got some negative first impressions.
MMOGology: Playing around
Whether it's completing quests, running dungeons, or taking down super villains, any good game has decisive goals for player progression. Most of the time there is a clear and structured path that will get players quickly from one goal to the next. You level up, you unlock new abilities, you get better gear and you take on more challenging and entertaining tasks. It could be as simple as that; a straight and narrow path to completing a game. So why do many of us get in snowball fights outside of the bank in Ironforge? Why do we join others playing music outside of taverns in Lord of the Rings Online? Why do we jump off the highest structure we can find, only to fall to our deaths? Could it simply be because it's ... fun? MMOGs afford us interesting opportunities to goof off with others and "play" a game in ways that developers may never have intended.Of course, many people don't like playing around, even when playing a video game. They love the challenge of being the first to complete every objective. They consider any diversion from the leveling process to be a waste of time and potential experience gained. While I fully understand and appreciate the desire to have the bragging rights as the first guy to hit the maximum level, or the first guild to take down the latest raid boss, I personally could never do it. I guess I'm somewhat of a slacker when I play MMOGs. Sometimes I like to fish, or climb the highest mountain and stare at a virtual moon. I don't mind that I'm not progressing toward the end of the game because I'm just enjoying having fun doing whatever it is I'm doing at the moment. Sometimes when our gaming experiences become overly competitive I think it's healthy to stop and smell the virtual roses. After all, we're playing a game. Shouldn't our main goal be to have fun, however it's defined?
