WRUP: Desert disclaimer edition

Massively.com is not a desert. As a result, it is not necessary for you to make sure to plot your route across the site prior to navigating here. Should you become thirsty, do not attempt to find a cactus filled with life-giving water. Instead, go to the kitchen. The site's temperature will not sink dramatically during the night, nor will it in fact be measurable. Similarly, do not attempt to drive a bus through the website, even if Penn and Teller tell you to do so.

This week's WRUP might seem a bit more like a desert than normal, as everyone's talking about some new offline game. (Probably a Mario game or something.) But you can still click on past the break to see what the staff will be up to over the weekend, as well as hear about what turns us off from a game before we even try it. And, of course, you can let us know what you'll be up to in the comments.

@Beau_Hindman: Well, that settles it. People are buzzing because Evony is attempting to do something new with its ads. Well, something different than before. Well, something, at least. I've played it before, but now I need to revisit it just to talk about its actual gameplay. I'll also see if I can verify that Evony did, indeed, invent sexy women in MMO advertisement. It's not like there has been more than a decade of pretty sexy stuff going up in the name of MMOs or something.

I am normally turned off by a game if the developers start pitching it too hard. If they claim it is different while simply renaming the same mechanics we've seen before, then it just feels like they are hiding something. I just want developers to talk about how their game works and to own it. They should be proud of their product. If it's the same class-based gameplay we have seen before, or if it's pretty much the same lore we're all familiar with, that's cool. That is just part of a genre, like gunslingers are to Westerns. Tell me why it's good, but don't try to convince me it's original when it's not.

@bfelczer: This weekend I am away on vacation. No games for me!

@nbrianna: Skyrim! And probably some World of Warcraft too with the guildies.

The worst turn-off for me is actually UI and movement. I'm open to trying lots of styles of games, weak graphics, and limited mechanics, but if the UI is crap and the movement/animation is clunky, I just skip it because I know I won't stay anyway.

I've got access to a certain beta, which I'm not allowed to talk about, although regular readers can probably guess what it is. So I'm going to be digging into that this weekend with Ms. Lady and possibly fitting some Final Fantasy XIV in there as well.

There are a lot of elements that can tell me a given game isn't for me before I play it, almost too many to list. Mandatory open PvP is pretty much always a deal-breaker, though, and I'm not too keen on most games that require competition in order to play. (Even Warhammer Online made it an option... a strongly preferred option, yes, but an option.)

I'm dabbling in EverQuest II, Global Agenda, and DC Universe Online (and trying very hard to pretend that Skyrim is a figment of my imagination until I have enough free time to do it justice).

My worst turn-off is when a company who makes what I consider to be sub-par products gets its hands on either a) an interesting concept or b) a beloved IP. For example, the words Bigpoint and Game of Thrones in the same sentence make me feel a bit like Arya at the Sept of Baelor.

@Jeremy_Stratton: I'm really digging Fallen Earth. I love how the crafting is integrated into a skill-based character-progression system. I'm finding it very satisfying. Apart from Fallen Earth, I'm hoping to get into EverQuest II, to work on my house — I've become quite obsessed with decorating and getting everything just right. I would also like to get some Runes of Magic time in, as well.

I'm turned off of newer MMOs that have little or no real crafting system, like older MMOs have, or MMOs that have crafting but in which it's obviously pointless and can't be used to interact with other players. I'd even welcome newer systems and methods for playing crafter and digital merchant, but I also realize that's largely weeded out of the entire industry, right now. Give me back mah crafting!

@Sypster: I'm actually not on board the Skyrim train, so my game time will most likely be confined to a dash of Lord of the Rings Online (I'm in Gap of Rohan, woo!), Fallen Earth (crafting FTW!), and perhaps... perhaps some EverQuest II now that it's in the forefront of my mind once more.

The worst turn-off to any game would probably be prohibitive pricing and/or difficult means of acquisition. If I have to jump through tons of hoops to play your game or put a ton of money up front without any good idea if your game is worth it or not, I won't. Period. Full stop.

@mvmatt: YOU'RE INTERRUPTING MY SKYRIM TIME GO AWAY.

My worst turn-off to a game is that it wasn't Skyrim. Now leave me alone.

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!