Anti-Aliased: The mailbag edition
Well hello there intrepid Massively readers! This week, instead of my usual selection of complaints crammed into the tight space of a single column, I've decided to do something different. This Monday, I opened up a call for questions on anything MMO related on the Massively Facebook fan page, the Massively Twitter, and my own personal Twitter. You guys didn't disappoint, and you certainly sent me more than a few intriguing e-mails.
So, for the past three days, I've been preparing responses to some of the questions that landed in my inbox. What did intrepid readers ask me to answer? Whose e-mails did I select from the pile of text I received? What is the airspeed of an African Swallow? These and many other questions (except that swallow one, that one's been done to death, go Google it or something) shall be answered after the break! Thundercats, hoooooooooo!
First question, right off the top of the list:
Dear Sera,
I don't know if this is a question for Anti-Aliased or not, but it is an MMO question, and I can't think of a better site to ask it to...
Outside of EVE Online, are there any other MMOs that eschew level?
-MCC Student
McStudent, this is totally a question for Anti-Aliased! Everything is a question for Anti-Aliased! Unless it's about baked beans. Then it's not a question for Anti-Aliased. That's more of a question for that talking dog in those commercials.
So, to answer your question, yes there are certainly a few MMOs that throw leveling systems right out the window beyond EVE Online. Let me recommend a few for you.
If you're of the PvP persuasion (and you might be, because you include EVE in your question) then you might want to take a look at Darkfall. Darkfall is all about PvP, but it's also all about skills instead of overall levels. As you perform actions in the game, like swinging your sword or mining, your skill in that particular activity will increase.
If you want to go old school, then go back to where it all began with Ultima Online. The game is still running strong (they have a new expansion coming out, Stygian Abyss) and it still holds to a system of utilizing skills over levels.
If you want to be cheap about it, check out PlaneShift or RuneScape. RuneScape is a popular hang-out for everyone, especially those who can't handle games with intense graphics, and has a pretty active community. PlaneShift is much smaller than RuneScape, enforces all players to roleplay, and isn't feature-complete as of this post. But hey, something is better than nothing, right?
And, finally, two games that have an emphasis on skills but still utilize a pseudo-leveling system would be Asheron's Call and Fallen Earth. Fallen Earth is newer and has an intense emphasis on the skills in the game rather than the actual level, giving you a lot of customization options on your character. Asheron's Call uses one of the neatest systems I've played in MMOs -- a general/specialized experience system. As you participate in combat, you gain general experience which is counted towards a "level." However, experience is then allocated by you to your specific skills. So, while the game counts levels, you're constantly using your experience to raise your skills.
Now, this is just a small taste of the skill based games. In the future, you have Mortal Online, Earthrise, and Black Prophecy (although we don't know that one for sure) to look forward to, to name a few more.
Next question! *slams a well-placed gong*
Hi Sera,
I used to play an older MMO called Ragnarok Online which would only allow you to play as the gender you said you were during account creation on the web site. In-game you had to make only male characters if you were male, and vice versa for women. Do you think this is something that should be encouraged to weed out G.I.R.L.'s (Guys In Real Life?) Or do you think it's part of an older way of looking at things, and very outdated? Would you be upset if in new MMOs they only let you play as a guy if you were a guy?
Thanks,
-Matt
Ahhhh Ragnarok... where I had to make two accounts just so I could make my usual female avatar... good times.
Interesting question there Matt (darn it, your name is too boring for me to poke fun at), and I think I need to answer it with an honest, "Does it really matter?"
I dunno why online guys have this odd fear of other guys who play as female avatars. It's a set of pixels on the screen that really has no bearing on anything. Unless, of course, you're trying to find true love in an MMO. My advice: Don't try to find true love in an MMO. If you find love, you find love. If you go looking for it, you'll find guys in dresses.
