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Storyboard: Forming a roleplaying guild is easier than you think
Roleplaying guilds, as I have mentioned before, have a lot of problems that more normal guilds just plain don't. The Guild Counsel discusses a lot of guild problems in detail every week, and if you haven't noticed that guilds make for a litany of major issues, well, it only gets worse when you consider that roleplaying adds a new slice of potential drama and hurt feelings. I do not envy those in charge of these organizations, especially when I think over my brief stints of leadership. As a result, forming a new roleplaying guild seems like an activity best undertaken with great care and personal protection, like installing a beehive. But it's actually far simpler than that. You can start a roleplaying guild with minimal effort and have the foundations in place for it to work. Whether or not it will work in the long run isn't as obvious, but you knew that already.
Storyboard: Profession discussion - the Spy
Long-time readers will remember that back around the end of this column's first year, I wrote a series of columns about character archetypes. It was a series I'm quite proud of as a whole, and one that I've wanted to follow up for a while, but I had to wait until I had an idea that fit. That was when I started thinking about how that series talked entirely about who a character is rather than what he or she actually does. In reality, the two can be miles apart. Take my first choice of profession, the spy. A spy might believe that she's doing something for the greater good. She might see this simply as part of her duty and a necessary task. She might be doing this because she's fundamentally amoral, she might be hoping to find the answer to a puzzle she's long agonized about, or she might even be doing this because she just really wants to know secrets. But today I'm not going to talk about that. You want to make a spy; let's talk about what goes into that.
The Mog Log: Ideas worth taking for A Realm Reborn
So what does the completely redone Final Fantasy XIV engine look like? I have no idea. I'm not in the alpha test. Considering I got into the beta last time only at the absolute tail end of everything, I am not really surprised. That isn't the point; the point that I'm meandering toward is that the game could play like the previous version with quests and a lick of paint or it could play like a completely different animal altogether. I have to wait and see, as most of you do. I will say this, though: I'm hoping Yoshida's awareness of the larger world of MMOs is coming through strongly. Unlike his predecessor, Yoshi-P seems very aware of the fact that there are games out there aside from Final Fantasy XI, and that's not even counting the existing love letters to longtime series fans. That having been said, there are at least a few things I hope he's swiping from the industry for the relaunched version when it finally comes out. As I've said before, it's not enough for the game to just be capable; it has to really stand out, and I think there are a few ideas to draw on in that regard.
Storyboard: A second descent into madness
I had a lot of stuff to talk about on the subject of madness. As it happens, I had so much to talk about that I elected to split it up into two columns instead of writing one monster, scratching and crawling about in a lone column's space. And as I sat down to write this column, I realized that I have an entire column's worth of things to say about a single facet of madness: acting mad. Herein we come to the meat of what bothers me about madness as most players use it: It winds up getting used as something wacky. It's an excuse to do things that are wild and unpredictable because your character is so crazy. That bothers me because there's so much to be done with madness and so many ways to make it an interesting character trait. It's not something for casual or shallow use.
Storyboard: RP 101 - What is roleplaying?
Two weeks back, I received a comment asking, in all seriousness, what was the deal with roleplaying. The author of said comment opined that as near as he or she could tell, it was mostly just talking like your character and developing a bunch of strange romances. If that comment had only listed vampires in there, really, I could have stopped writing this column altogether. All right, there's more to it than that. While I've spent the past 120 installments of the column dealing with creating characters, playing respectfully, and producing stories, I've never actually put down a definition of what roleplaying is. I've never liked opening off by defining roleplaying because it's an awkward beast, and the explanation is always shoehorned elsewhere. So today I'm going to kick off at least one and possibly more columns answering the very basics, starting with the obvious -- what the heck is roleplaying?
Storyboard: Lessons from what roleplaying resembles most
When you get right down to it, roleplaying isn't really like a movie or a novel in which you determine the story. It's not even all that much like a video game in which you write the story; those tend to be structured better. No, roleplaying is most like making your own serial comic book. Think about it. You have a number of charcters with superhuman abilities getting into conflicts on a regular basis. Sometimes those characters pan out into a satisfying story arc, but other times characters show up and then vanish, either because they were awful or because the author didn't know what to do with them. There's a real risk of running on into boredom, and there are a lot of times when characters get kludged into other storylines for cross-promotional purposes. Regular readers will probably guess that I don't think of this as a bad thing. I like comics a lot, after all. And it means that we can take some interesting lessons from the long lifespan of comics because when you realize you're making a big collaborative comic, you earn the right to use some tricks of the trade.
Storyboard: Breaking into roleplaying for the first time
Roleplaying is probably harder to do than any other game activity. The first time you run a dungeon or take part in PvP, you might fail horribly, but that's a matter of practice and statistics. But the first time you get up in front of a group of other people to roleplay, you're essentially acting on a virtual stage on which anyone can see you, with no lines, no stage direction, and no indication whether you're doing it right or not. And if you screw up, your indication that something went wrong will just be a wall of stony silence. So it's intimidating. It's all the anxiety of jumping into a new social group with added anxiety over whether your character is interesting enough for anyone to care. I'm not going to pretend it's not, but I can offer some advice to make your first attempt as smooth as possible. And hopefully provide some useful tips to recover even if everything goes horribly wrong.
The Mog Log: Starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV, pre-2.0
So you're interested in Final Fantasy XIV version 2.0. You're not alone; really, a lot of people are. But you don't want to be the guy struggling to catch up when the change happens. No, you're buying your copy now and heading into the game, figuring that anything good you accomplish now will be well worth the effort after the end of the world. And truth be told, you're probably right, since you'll be free to bask in all of the newfound glory of the updated game with plenty of money and resources to start. Of course, none of that helps with the fact that you're jumping in to a game that doesn't make the road easy for a new player. It's not like other MMOs. It's a game that seems to have followed a wholly divergent evolutionary path, one that I've previously compared to a species of carnivorous dinosaur lumbering alongside modern tigers. So what would I suggest to someone starting Final Fantasy XIV right now? A lot of things. Let's cover some basic advice for new players who'd like to see the game as it is while they wait for the game that it will be.
The Mog Log: Worthwhile cross-class skills in FFXIV
One of the downsides to writing about a game as in-flux as Final Fantasy XIV is that something that's true today may be false tomorrow. Case in point: Several articles that I did a year or so ago about character building and picking out abilities are now entirely irrelevant because the systems for both have changed immensely. So it's high time to start revisiting these topics, and the best way to start doing that is by examining the abilities that are worth leveling for. (Especially since the excellent Mr. Matt Daniel is playing the game again and could use a bit of a guide.) Fortunately, leveling another class for abilities is easier now than it used to be. Most abilities past the early 20s can't be equipped on other classes in the first place, and the very heavy utility skills are generally grouped early. Depending on your playstyle, you may actually find yourself struggling to come up with all of the cross abilities that you can equip, since your core class will generally have a large enough array of utility. But let's look at what abilities are generally useful for almost every class -- or at least useful to consider.
The Mog Log: A look forward to Final Fantasy XIV pets
Pet classes and I have an odd relationship. I don't generally like them, but I like having them there, and when they're done right, I'm very fond of the option. Final Fantasy XIV currently has a grand total of none of them; we have not even a summoner or beastmaster to call our own, but we've been told that this is all changing in version 2.0. And with November just half a year away, it's time to start thinking about what form these pets are going to take. Of course, this isn't virgin territory for the game series. Final Fantasy XI featured four different pet classes, which have had differing levels of success over time. And even though Final Fantasy XIV isn't meant to be Final Fantasy XI in a new skin, the game can certainly take some inspiration from its predecessor even while forging a unique legacy. And hey, we've got at least three of the four pets from the previous game in Eorzea at this point. So let's talk about the past set of pets, where we are in the present game, and how those systems might make it into the main game.
Officers' Quarters: Suggestions for drama
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available from No Starch Press. Some members, whether by their attitude or their behavior, don't give us much choice but to kick them. That doesn't mean their complaints are always wrong. This week, a guild leader wonders whether a recently kicked member might have had a good point about her guild. Hello Scott, First of all, thanks for the awesome and informative blogs! Lately there have been some issues in my guild. The issues have been solved now (I hope), but I'm wondering about something. The member that has been causing the issues has been known for being dead-set on getting a position as an officer. She had been there from the start and each time the previous GL promoted someone to officer, she'd whisper him with words like "Next time you're promoting someone to officer, it's me!" She never got that promotion for obvious reasons. Last week she caused an uproar in the guild about not being happy with there being a 'Supreme Ruler' (the guild leader) and gave the previous GL and another officer an ear bashing about it . . .
Apple TV gets into video discovery, adds movie and TV show Genius Recommendations
Apple added a new wrinkle to its hobby overnight, as AppleInsider reports the Genius recommendation feature added in iTunes 8 now offers up suggestions for movies and TV shows. The new Apple TV feature appears to have been switched on from the back end servers with no firmware update, displaying the new Genius option under Movies and TV Netflix-style as shown above. We're not sure you really needed anyone else telling you it's definitely time to check out The Wire or Breaking Bad, but with competitors like Google already taking aim at improving content discovery and recommendations it's a logical next step for whatever Apple's living room ambitions ultimately become.
TERA's Korean version influenced by Western feedback
While we're still impatiently drumming our fingers waiting for TERA to release in the West, it turns out that our feedback is causing real change in the game's live Korean edition. According to a forum post by Producer Chris Hager, Bluehole Studio has taken several suggestions passed along by En Masse and is incorporating them into the live version of the game. Hager says that this is "just a taste" of how the two developers are interacting and collaborating. On November 24th, the next big Korean update will hit the servers, and with it come the implemented suggestions from En Masse's fans. This update will include a dungeon finder system, rest XP, group XP bonuses, modified PvP rules, a guild battle system, and "more skill diversity through new master Glyphs." Oh, and there will be the ability to sit because roleplayers would be lost otherwise. "This is a very exciting time for us as we are starting to see what true collaboration looks like," Hager writes, "and it also shows that you guys do carry a voice with us. The best part is that there is more to come."
Wings Over Atreia: Socket this
Ooo them's fightin' words! Any time you bring up the subject of manastones, it's like twisting a hot serrated knife in the collective bellies of Aion's community. It isn't the manastones per se, with their little tempting pluses to different stats, but rather it's the actual process of socketing them into gear that brings pain, frustration, and despair to the masses. If you operate under the premise that a game is a form of entertainment to be, oh I dunno... entertaining (dare we hope fun and enjoyable also?), then you have to wonder what exactly transpired to bring about this particular feature. Seriously, who kicked the dev's dog to make him retaliate with a thing like manastone socketing? Despite NCsoft's initial attempt to assure players that manastone socketing isn't that bad (that Shugo obviously works on consignment), the company appeared to about-face by recently offering no-fail supplements in the cash shop for a limited time. While socketing is a repeat headache for many Daevas, this particular move brought the subject (and the whole pay-to-win argument) to the forefront of community discussion. However, what really drew me back into the fray was the fact that I finally got myself a Stormwing armor drop and -- masochist that I seem to be lately -- I actually tried to socket it. I couldn't even get the first one in let alone the other four! Seraphim Lords help me if I have to do another six-slotter! So what's with this game mechanic? Why is it even in Aion? This week, Wings Over Atreia theorizes on the motivation behind this arguably flawed feature and offers some healthier alternatives.
Wings Over Atreia: Rant powers activate!
So there I was, with another topic planned and article well on its way to completion when fate intervened and thrust a new subject upon me. And not in a happy-Fed-Ex-guy-handing-it-over kinda way either, but a growling, grumbling, grit-my-teeth-and-try-not-to-speak-in-asterisks (%#$**!) kind of way. Oh yes, this is a topic of great rantiness for me. I freely admit that I rarely reach the heights of true frustration within Aion (not counting launch queues where I simply chose to stop logging in altogether), especially to the point of actually tossing aside another column to express and share said frustrations with you. But now, you have a second opportunity to witness my small yet developing rant lobe -- placed, I believe, somewhere behind the occipital lobe judging by the fact that when it revs up people tend to see red. And the truth of it is, I am going to derive great pleasure from venting about this topic. So what has me so fired up right now? The venerable AP harvesting grounds of the truly lazy: AFK Dredgions. Queue up then enter past the break for a discourse on the evils of this practice and what NCsoft should do about it.
Totem Talk: Why enhancement AOE doesn't work
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem Talk for elemental, enhancement, and restoration shaman. On Saturdays, Josh Myers tackles the hard questions about enhancement. Can we tank? Can we DPS with a two-hander? How does one shot web? The answer to the first two is "no," and roll a hunter for the third! I love making the best of a terrible situation. When life gives me lemons, I make a cake. When I'm at the gym in the morning and the only thing on the television is Rachael Ray's talk show, I focus hard on committing delicious recipes to memory. And, when Blizzard hands us the worst area of effect ability in the game, I write a post about how to maximize its limited potential. I'm moving away from that line of thinking today. Instead, this post is dedicated to diagnosing why Fire Nova is so bad and what Blizzard can do to change it. To begin, I'd like to say that I actually enjoy our AOE at its most basic level. Fire Nova erupting from Flame Shock to me really fits enhancement, which is a spec defined by its use of shocks and other instant-cast spells. I think the actual feel of the spell works and fits with the overall theme of enhancement, and the problem lies in the actual implementation of the ability.
Twitter adds 'Suggestions for You' feature, has impeccably good taste
Ask Twitter, you can never follow enough people. The company has offered numerous ways to expand your lists, but this one will probably prove most effective. The Suggestions For You tab, rolling out now for most users (you might already have it -- check the "Find People" section), shows you users that might be relevant to your interests and / or are an extra degree off of our social circle. Worth a look, at least; if nothing else, you might find an account or two you thought you already followed (apologies to @engadgetmobile). And while you're meddling with your follow list, consider checking out our "Who Should I Follow" series for some more suggestions. Hey, editors need love, too.
Storyboard: Getting into the scene
So, I lied. While I had originally been planning on something different for this week's column, I had a new topic more or less thrown to my doorstep from Bio Break. It's all well and good to talk about roleplaying as if everyone has been doing it since small times, but there are plenty of players with a vague curiosity who have never tried it out. For them, roleplaying is like heroin, vaguely promising a good time while always seeming dangerous, with the failures so publicly visible that... You know, I'm dropping that analogy right now before it starts looking terrifyingly appropriate. The point is that people are interested who aren't sure quite where to start. Thus, we're taking this week to put together a few things that help make it just a little easier to get into the joy of roleplay without getting bored, unintentionally stepping on toes, or winding up as the butt of everyone's in-character jokes. We can be a catty bunch. But you can get started without drama or too many issues, and it's not as bad as you might think.
360iDev: Marketing and promotion on the App Store
To start off day 2 of 360iDev here in San Jose, California, Henry Balanon hosted a panel to discuss the marketing and promotion of iPhone and iPad apps. Panelists Brian Chen of Wired, Rana Sobhany (author of "Marketing iPhone Apps" from O'Reilly), Doodle Jump creator Igor Pusenjak, and Playhaven's Raymond Lau held court and spoke to developers about how to promote and market their apps, both, with the press and on the App Store. The suggestions ranged from the broad ("have a good idea") to the specific ("Use the What's New section in the App Store to promote your other apps"), but over the hour or so, the panelists came up with a lot of solid advice for developers looking to get the word out about their App Store offerings.
Dear Apple: What we want to see for iPhone 4.0, part 1
A week ago we asked you, the TUAW reader, to help us tell Apple what you want in the next iPhone: the OS, the apps, the hardware. Within two hours, I had over two hundred emails in my inbox. Within four days, the email total topped 1,100. As I was shifting and sorting through all your suggestions, one thing became clear: you love the iPhone, but you want to see it better, more intuitive, and more versatile – and you know how the iPhone can accomplish those goals. This is the first of a series of letters to Apple on your behalf, telling the gang in Cupertino what would make their wonder-phone even more wondrous. This letter strictly focuses on the iPhone OS in general – the home screen, navigation, and settings. Future letters will deal with hardware and applications. There were so many suggestions, I needed to whittle them down. To do that, I tabulated how many times a feature request was made. If more than 50% of you mentioned it, it made it into the letter. If you guys want to see the others (most were one-offs or had less that 15% of you requesting it), perhaps I'll add an extra letter onto the series at the end of its run.
