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The Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining
Any time you mention EverQuest Next Landmark, you get a score of people saying that they just don't quite get it. To help alleviate that, devs hosted another EQN Landmark livestream and dished up more details about the upcoming sandbox and treated viewers to their first look at actual mining gameplay footage. While a large part of the stream focused on harvesting and mining, that was not the only topic touched upon. Senior Producer Terry Michaels teamed up with Producer Emily "Domino" Taylor and Community Manager Colette "Dexella" Murphy to answer various questions and share information about naming, beta news for SOE Live 2013 attendees, and more. If you missed the stream, we've compiled some of the key points right here for you. And since seeing is believing, we've got the entire livestream as well!
The Daily Grind: Do you come up with unique avatar names?
So Star Wars: The Old Republic is doing a name purge. What's a name purge? Well, it's when an MMO company goes through its database and frees up character names that were claimed by players who haven't been active in some time. This in turn allows the names to be used by both newer players and/or veteran players rolling alts. While the practice makes sense, it also begs the question of why duplicate names are so prevalent in the first place. We're all unique snowflakes, after all, so how hard can it be to come up with a unique snowflake of an avatar name? How about it, Massively readers? Do you take the time to come up with a creative or unique avatar name, or do you roll with Darth Legolas in each new MMO? 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!
RIFT frees up inactive character names
No one likes changing a character's name because of a server merge, but there are definitely ways to add insult to injury. If you wind up losing your original name to an active high-level character, it feels fair. If you lose your name to a naked bank alt someone made years ago and has almost forgotten, it feels like cheating. That's why RIFT is freeing up the names of inactive characters prior to the next major server merge. Any players with characters flagged as inactive will be sent a letter stating that the characters in question are in danger of losing their names. If it's a mistake, you can just log in on that character and you'll be fine. If you legitimately don't play the character, then someone who does use the name will be able to use it. Everyone wins -- assuming that there aren't two active characters with the exact same name, in which case we're back to the default situation where someone wins and someone loses.
The Daily Grind: What's the story behind your character name?
I love me a good character name. Before I settled into the habit of using the same handful of names over and over again, I used to rely on a multi-page list of interesting names that I added to over the years. Many of these names would be chosen just because I liked the sound of them, but sometimes the names had little stories behind them. My World of Warcraft Hunter, Ghostfire, was named after a Magic: The Gathering card. I started using the moniker Yeti Yesterday in Guild Wars because I love alliteration and it sounded like a strange superhero. And my standard nomer, Syp, was created because I have a theory that everyone only types in your first three letters of your name anyway. So what's the story behind your character name(s)? 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!
Breakfast Topic: Your cleverest character names
What's in a name? Only your character's identity from here onward! Without a doubt, finding the perfect name for a character is the toughest part of character creation. More than once I've created a character, carefully customized the face and looks just how I liked them, and was then stymied by the blinking cursor in the name box. (And, occasionally, I've timed out while trying to think of a perfect name that's untaken after my first choice wasn't available, meaning I had to go back and start again with customization.) But my trouble figuring out names just means I've all the more respect for those characters with particularly clever names -- those of you who not only managed to think up a clever name but also claim it before anyone else did. So, dish, fellow Azerothians: what's your cleverest character name?
The Daily Grind: Would you buy a game based on the people in charge?
Between watching what Naoki Yoshida did to the original version of Final Fantasy XIV and getting a hands-on with the new version, I will now play absolutely any game that lists him as the director. I don't care if his next project is Barbie Dancing Fun Time -- I will buy it if his name is on the cover. Or download page. The point is that the man has convinced me that he can take a game and make it into something great. Of course, video games in general have shown many times that a name doesn't make for a game. And a big-name MMO designer doesn't necessarily have the same luck with the second game as with the first (see Ultima Online vs. Tabula Rasa). But there are a lot of names out there that are associated with big projects, for better or worse. So would that influence you? Would you buy a game based on the people in charge? 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!
The Guild Counsel: The battle for character names
Identity is a theme that comes up a lot in The Guild Counsel column. Guild identity shapes a variety of areas, from recruitment policies and guild rules to tone and atmosphere. And for players, everything they do in game shapes their character identity. But one of the first things players select when they make their character is a name, and that's also the first thing that identifies our characters to other players. It sounds simple, but getting a name, and then keeping it, is actually harder than it sounds. And for players, not getting a favorite name can actually take away from enjoyment of the game. How important is a name? And do players have a right to keep it forever even if they aren't necessarily using it on an active character? Let's look at some of the complexities behind a simple name.
Breakfast Topic: Do you use proper in-character names for all your characters?
Confession: My very first healer, the one I made after discovering that I liked to heal but which I still very much considered an alt, had a joke name. This was in a game that allowed surnames. When I dinged the level at which I could finally choose a surname, I found myself overly dry on inspiration and overly moist with wine -- and it was thus that I burdened my stalwart cleric with "Bubuquisser." It wasn't 10 levels before I was petitioning a GM for a name change (which he magnanimously granted, thank goodness). I'd learned my lesson. Silly names are not for me. I'm not a full-on MMO roleplayer, but I do strive for a sense of immersion. Even something as common as naming conventions makes me uneasy at the character creation screen. I have a few patterns that I follow, and I keep things like race in mind, but I break away if I get even an inkling that another name might better fit my idea of that character's sensibilities. What's your naming style? Do you use a mix of in-character and out-of-game, real-world references? Would you find a tip of the hat to a fictional or historical character or reference off-putting? Are you cool with pun names?
Former president of Square Enix calls corporate merger a disaster
Corporate mergers always create hard feelings. Combining two separate groups of people into a single culture is naturally going to generate some feelings that the companies were better off apart. That's certainly the case for Hisashi Suzuki, the former president of Square Enix who recently called the merger of the two companies a "complete failure" via Twitter, claiming that the company has absolutely no vision for the future. It's undeniable that the studio has seen some titles with poor reception in recent years, with Final Fantasy XIV's launch proving a major misstep for the company at the time (and being the most relevant to the MMO industry). At the same time, Suzuki left the company seven years ago, and the company is in the process of completely revamping Final Fantasy XIV following the mistakes of launch. Whether or not Suzuki is correct or simply a bit bitter after the fact falls to personal interpretation.
10 most common names for monks
It's another expansion with a new class, making it a perfect time to kick back and reflect on our auspicious naming conventions. After all, certainly the most popular monk names are steeped in lore and dignity, right? Our good pals over at GuildOx have sorted through huge, mountainous stacks of data to find the most popular monk names. These are the same folks who told us about popular warrior names like Cleaveland and Sunderwear, as well as common paladin names like Layonhooves and Unstopbubble. So, what are the most popular names for monks? Are they roleplaying names or original creations? Well, let's take a look and unveil the top 10 most popular monk names.
The Daily Grind: What's the best character name you've seen?
The other day I learned the word "onomastics," because Bree likes to club us over the head with big words so that we'll go away whimpering and leave her to playing Guild Wars 2. Anyway, we were talking about how we both have a character name file, although on my computer it's just called "character names" and not something that makes me think of doing back flips off of a high beam. I love a good name. A good name, in my opinion, sets you apart from the pack. It tells others that you didn't just slap letters together like a common monkey learning how to type for the first time. It may even generate respect among some. It gets you noticed, is what I'm saying, and it gets you remembered. So what is the best character name you've seen that wasn't one you used yourself? Was it just a great word, a clever pun, or something else that exuded awesomeness? 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!
Decoding Apple's naming rules
Apple's naming style for its products may seem silly at times -- the iPhone 5, for example, if it is even called that, will actually only be the second iPhone granted a numerical moniker, after the iPhone 4. Now there's actually a way to put a real, concrete formula on Apple's naming schemes, and blogger Marko Savic has figured it out. Essentially, Apple names its products around three different ideas: Premium vs Regular differentiation, Form Factor naming, and Generational naming. Premium vs Regular differentiation is probably best seen in the MacBook/MacBook Pro names -- Apple's got two similar products for different audiences, and it uses those names to show consumers which one is which. The Mac and the Power Mac (or Mac Pro) is another example. Second, form factor is another big element in Apple's naming conventions -- this is how it delineates the various products in the iPod or iMac line. And then there's generational naming, which has been most confusing so far: The iPhone 3G meant that consumers started expecting the "numbers" to get bigger, which leads us to next week's expected iPhone 5 announcement. Savic suggests that with a brand new product like the rumored iPad mini, Apple will simply just add yet another marker to the existing brand, signifying that this is a completely new product, and spreading the line out. I think, however, that regardless of any "rules" in naming, Apple will just do what it has always done: Pick a name that consumers will most identify with (not to mention desire). No matter the reasons behind Apple's naming schemes, the company always seems to land on something that clearly shows where the product exists in Apple's lineup, and it will no doubt continue to keep trying to pick names along those lines going forward.
The Daily Grind: How should MMOs handle character names?
Names are a big deal in MMOs. I've struggled through many a horrible launch to score a good name and camp names for friends until they can log in because only rarely does a game allow unlimited copies of a name. Ultima Online is one such game, as is Champions Online, though your global handle there is yours alone. The Secret World requires a unique nickname; your "real" name can be a duplicate. But most games just code for one use of a name per realm. (After all, one Malcolm Reynolds per server is plenty.) City of Heroes took a stand on the issue. Years before CoH's F2P conversion, Paragon Studios boldly adopted name-recycling. If your account was inactive for three months, your characters' names were put back into the pool for other players to use. You didn't lose your character, but you were forced to rename her the next time you logged in. It was wonderful for active players who could make more immediate use of names no one was actively using but not so great for encouraging former players to return. So how do you think MMOs should handle character names? [Thanks to Joel for inspiring this topic!] 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!
Reserve your Guild Wars 2 name by July 31st
Guild Wars 2 fans, it's almost time! ArenaNet has released a new blog post detailing the process for name reservations, which means that launch day can't be far behind. What's that? You've got August 28th tattooed on your forehead? OK, but the date for reserving your character name is considerably sooner, so be sure to mark July 31st on your calendar. You'll need an active Guild Wars account to participate, and it's also worth noting that these reservations aren't indefinite. "You must create a Guild Wars 2 character with the same name as your Guild Wars character during the headstart access period or on launch day. Shortly after launch, we'll free up all the unclaimed names for new Guild Wars 2 players to use," ArenaNet says.
Choose My Adventure: Chasing TERA's BAMs with Rielene
Higiri will be delving further into the depths, seeking that fundamental alchemy that separates a generic implementation of mechanics from a standout one. I wish her luck, but this week doesn't focus on her adventures. No, it's time for Rielene to once more take center stage, complete with her twin blades and her dangerous game. Rielene's destiny was to hunt the great beasts of TERA, the monsters whose colossal stature relegates them to assault by groups or fearless individuals. I speak, of course, of BAMs. OK, for the epic names that could have been chosen for these creatures, that's probably not one of the better ones. But they're still pretty distinctive. They're these roaming monsters that don't just wing you a bit if they connect with a hit; they shred you to pieces. They're bosses that roam around, daring you to try and take them on alone. And I did just that, and I emerged victorious, and it was undeniably worth the price of admission.
ArenaNet talks about naming Guild Wars 2's world
While it's easy to get caught up in the big picture side of the development process, we risk overlooking the smaller but crucial work that goes into gluing the game together. One of these tasks is the naming of the world and all that lies within it. Content Designer Annie VanderMeer Mitsoda wrote an ArenaNet blog post about the challenges and decisions that went with labeling everything under the sun in Guild Wars 2. Mitsoda said that the team has established a system for nailing down names. After coming up with the name, the team sends the moniker through a "sanity check" that makes sure it's not too hard to spell or say. The team also tries to weed out the more obscure or overt pop culture references, then passes along the names to the team's "loremasters," who check it against an internal wiki for consistency. She goes on to share a few anecdotes about the naming process, such as the evolution of Charr names, the difficulty of putting a label on an animal that has no Earth equivalent, and how the creepy rat-dog Murellow got its name. It's an interesting read into a different side of the development process that often goes unnoticed, so check it out!
Reserve your Guild Wars 2 character name today
Everyone seems to freak out about grabbing his or her special character name at the launch of a new MMO, and we imagine Guild Wars 2 will invoke the same emotions. Instead of leaving this oh-so-important action to Day One, ArenaNet is giving players a chance to reserve their Guild Wars 2 names... starting today. The way it works is that ArenaNet will be reserving all current Guild Wars names for the launch, and players attached to those names can then swoop in and collect them from the start. Three caveats are attached to this process, however: You have to log into Guild Wars sometime in 2012, you have to claim your names in Guild Wars 2 by launch day, and you can't secure Guild Wars 2's single names (as Guild Wars forces you to make two-word names). The studio says that there are 20 million two-word names in use at this point, and we suspect that list will grow much longer after today. These names can be reserved at any point from now until whenever ArenaNet decides to compile its master list. After launch, ArenaNet promises to free up the unclaimed names for others to take.
Blizzard renames Blizzard DotA to Blizzard All-Stars
What's in a name? Quite a lot, as it turns out. A name alone was enough to send Blizzard and Valve to man the lawyer cannons over two upcoming games, DOTA 2 from Valve and Blizzard DOTA from Blizzard. The companies have reached an agreement, however, which includes Blizzard renaming its game to Blizzard All-Stars while retaining use of the "dota" name for noncommercial use in the fan community. Valve retains the commercial use of the name. It sounds like a little matter until you remember that Warcraft III was the source of the map that spawned this game type, leading to both companies developing competing versions of a sequel. Blizzard All-Stars currently has no release date, while DOTA 2 is due out sometime next year and is currently in beta testing. Luckily, the terminology is only being changed on the corporate side, meaning players are free to continue discussing the games as they would have anyway.
Breakfast Topic: Will your pandaren fit into your character naming convention?
Many veteran gamers (be they of the tabletop or computer variety) have long held their characters' names as sacred. Naming your character in a roleplaying game is a very important and special thing and should not be taken lightly. Even if you are to make a name to troll a thousand trolls, at least put the time, effort, and passion into your awful name to show your dedication and understanding of this sacred thing. I've written about my naming conventions before, using the prefix Gen- or Genz- for most of my characters because of my own affinity for my middle name. Every character but two fit this mold and use some sort of variation on the theme. Thankfully, my pandaren monk easily fits into the Asian-themed culture. The pandaren monk that I made at BlizzCon was named Genzji, and I liked it, so I'm happy to use the name come live. Will your pandaren characters fit within a predetermined and established naming convention? Or will you take this opportunity to break the character-naming mold?
Shoot Many Robots introduces squirrely, hot and gassy robots
It's nice to know the names of the things you kill, and Demiurge wants you to have the most pleasant experience possible in its coming title, Shoot Many Robots. In the video above, meet Hot Rod, Hummer, Gasbag, Six-Pack and Dirt Screw. One of them "screws dirt." We'll let you deduce which one.
