WRUP: All's fair for love of WAR edition

Color me surprised. With two days left to go, it looks like my Choose My Adventure poll is all but set, with Warhammer Online coming out as a real dark horse victor. Let this be a lesson to fans the world over: If you want something to win at a poll, posting a link on the official forums and saying "go vote for this" works remarkably well. It's really just that easy!

This week's edition of WRUP contains no further discussion of the game in question, however, instead being solely focused around what games the Massively staff will be playing over the next couple of days. It also details our opinions on flying mounts and how they affect the state of the game worlds we live play in. So read on past the break to see what we'll all be up to, and return the favor by letting us know your weekend activities in the comments.

Beau Hindman (@Beau_Hindman): I have way too much to play this weekend. New Lord of the Rings Online goodies, Eden Eternal, Miramagia, Fleck gardening, Dragon Nest (if Pando Media Booster will ever work!), and starting on City of Eternals for Rise and Shiny. I'm sure I'm missing a few.

Are flying mounts bad for gameplay? This all depends on the game. I would say that in any game that featured flying mounts, it was only a good thing. It gave a sense of scale to the worlds, and they were a better way to travel in a lot of cases while still being immersive.

Brandon Felczer (@bfelczer): This weekend I will be spending the majority of my time squashing bugs on the Star Trek Online test server. Season Four, the games latest update, has just been uploaded to it, and there are some amazing updates! One of them is the new ground combat shooter mode and updates to all the powers. I can't wait for this to hit the live server because I think it is the update the game has needed since launch.

As for the bonus questions, I think that flying mounts are great — my mounts only fly (maybe because they are starships? :P). In terms of other games, I think they are great as well for it allows you to get around quickly and see some great sites.

Brianna Royce (@nbrianna): If I get to play anything this weekend, it'll be City of Heroes. Playing the Black Market is still playing, right?

When World of Warcraft added flying mounts, I was pretty happy with the speed and scope of them — I've never appreciated games that intentionally waste my time with slow or mundane travel (give me Ultima Online's Mark and Recall, please!). I've always found that faster travel increased my explorer's drive rather than lessened it, especially when I can get up high and really see how vast and detailed the world is and know I can get to a cool place in my allotted time. Nevertheless, I was bummed when non-flying mounts basically became obsolete with Cataclysm, making my collection worthless. I think there's only a problem when flight is added to a game/world not really designed for it from the ground up (pun intended!).

Eliot Lefebvre: While my gaming time will soon be taken out of my hands for a little while, right now I still have time to take up whatever hobbies I want. Of course, I'll also be running around much of the weekend, but I think it might be time for me to give RIFT a try. I'd also like to finish up Guild Wars: Nightfall, since I've had it on the brain as I prepare to see The Book of Mormon in a couple months.

Flight is a tricky issue in MMOs. On the one hand, it's one of the most tangible ways to feel as if you've reached a new level of power, moreso than newer and bigger abilities; hitting for big numbers is nice, but it's not the same as being able to fly wherever you want. On the other hand, there's a persistent problem when it divorces the player from having any real sense of place in the world, as you can go from point A to point E without bothering with points B, C, and D. It's not bad, but it needs to be very carefully used.

Jeremy Stratton (@Jeremy_Stratton): I have a whole new chapter in Runes of Magic to explore, and while it's only the first chunk of Chapter 4, it's still a lot. I also broke down and bought RIFT.

I think Karen summed up my feelings perfectly. I'm all about a living world to explore, and that would most definitely benefit from flying mounts. And yeah — the first time flying in Vanguard is awe-inspiring.

Justin Olivetti (@Sypster): I'm hoping to get in on Weatherstock this weekend in Lord of the Rings Online, although my schedule makes that proposition look shady. Otherwise, I'll be playing a smooth blend of Guild Wars, EverQuest II and RIFT, with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on top.

Flying mounts are, in my vast and unparalleled opinion, terrible additions to gameplay unless it's a superhero title. While they certainly are cool rewards, they diminish the content of the game overall by allowing players to bypass danger and ignore the scenery (and obstacles) that the devs worked hard to create. It was a huge disappointment when World of Warcraft added them in The Burning Crusade, and I've hated them ever since in all games.

Karen Bryan (@JayeRnH): I'm playing RIFT and hopefully some EverQuest II.

As for flying mounts, I'm fully in favor of them. As far as I'm concerned, there should be no barriers to fully exploring a world. The first time I got on my griffon in Vanguard and took to the skies, it was a game-changing experience. I was able to see terrain and landmarks that I never could have spotted from the ground, and it was amazing. I've been rediscovering that experience in EQII, and being able to fly through zones that, for years, I've had to cross by foot, is really terrific.

MJ Guthrie: My plans are to drag a friend into the Empyrean Crucible in Aion. Then I am going to dive deeply into EQII; I am really enjoying the content SOE added in the lower zones since I last played (so many more instances than I remember). I also have a vast network of houses to expand and decorate. I do believe I will meander some in LotRO if I have enough time.

As for flying mounts, I am all for them no matter what — as long as I get one, that is. I happen to love flying so much that if you put it in a game, it significantly increases the odds I will play! And to soar around up in the clouds or skim the ground... I don't feel it detracts from a game; it simply adds another way to experience it.

Patrick Mackey (@mackeypb): I will probably not be playing too much this weekend. Champions Online is having a big free boost weekend so I will at least try to log in some for that.

Generally I think that flying mounts are a bad idea, even in superhero games that are designed around them. I like being able to travel along the z-axis, but raw flight is a terrible idea. I have to echo the sentiment of some of the other writers: Flight basically removes danger from the game. I find that game scenery is often nice from a bird's-eye view, but there are ways to accomplish that without giving players an unlimited license to fly everywhere. Global Agenda's jetpacks, for instance, give limited enough flight that zone travel is often dangerous while still giving the player a good escape mechanism when things go sour.

At the start of every weekend, we catch up with the Massively staff members and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" (Otherwise known as: WRUP!) Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game — and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!