Ancient-Gaming-Noob
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Sci-fi MMO, you're my only hope...
The Ancient Gaming Noob wrote a fascinating article about why sci-fi MMOs haven't flourished. It's certainly not a new topic, but the Noob backs his argument up with credible facts and a strict analytical comparison (as opposed to the boisterous blatherings of the typical forum troll) that prove his point.In Is there hope for a science fiction MMORGP?, the Noob posits that fantasy MMORPGs came about (and became more popular) due to a series of environmental factors that were present for the fantasy genre, but not for sci-fi. He compares four major factors: literature, table top RPGs, computer RPGs, and MUDs (aka Multi-User Dungeons). The body of historical fantasy literature provides the major ground work for the other three categories. While "The Lord of the Rings" might pop into your head first, Tolkien's great novels were not the beginning of the fantasy genre. As illustrated by the Noob, much older works such as Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe," and Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur" existed. But the trump card? The 11th century Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem written in the English language. It's a fantasy story. The entire fantasy genre has been ingrained into our collective human psyche for centuries.And what does science fiction have? Uh, not much. At least not compared to those legendary scripts. Granted there are some "old" science fiction tales, but the genre as we know it today didn't exist until the early part of the 20th century. I don't mean to knock the likes of Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, or Kevin J. Anderson, but in a historical context the space traveling genre is the new kid on the block. And as the Noob so eloquently points out, some of Asimov's own underlying scientific theories haven't held up so well over the years.Take a gander at Noob's article then come back here and let us know what you think. Are you a fantasy fanatic? Or do you yearn for a great sci-fi game that will even the decidedly lopsided MMO table back in the favor of ray guns and aliens?
2008: The year of the MMO?
This funny little bestseller list comes to us from Brenden over at Another Here. He takes it as a sign that MMOs are far from dead, but I'll say the same thing a different way: MMOs are more alive than ever. As great a year in gaming that 2007 was, 2008 is going to be that much better, and there is no doubt at all that MMOs are going to play a handy role in all the great gaming we'll see this year.And which MMOs matter now? Ancient Gaming Noob just saw this list (which we looked at a while ago), and which looks as definitive as any in determining the most-loved MMOs of all time. WoW is number one (duh), but look how high DAoC has come on the list-- does that mean the hype behind WAR is worth it? Planetside is another one that seems higher than it should be, and it seems that if another MMO can tap into that action-in-a-persistent-world feel that Planetside has, it'll do just as well.Whether 2008 ends up being the year of the MMO or not, it's going to be a good one. Buckle your seatbelts.
Ancient Gaming Noob talks to WorldIV about how far we've come
One of the things I love about being a gamer (and especially an MMO gamer in particular) is that we're here to see history in the making right now. We were around when Ultima was being played, and when World of Warcraft was being formed and becoming known as the first mainstream MMO. The guys writing on blogs right now and the players playing in game at this very moment are literally the pioneers of the field. And so it's exciting to see what we gamers have to say-- that's why this interview with Ancient Gaming Noob is such a great read.Not only does he talk about some of the great MMOs he's played since 1985, but you can get a real sense of how far gamers and games have come. Just thirty years ago, they were the realm of arcade games and quarters, and now, AGN is finding time for them among his family, and picking LEGO Universe as a game he and his daughter can play together. He also has some great insights on blogging about MMO gaming, and it's completely true: "more than crickets" is all you can really hope for.Nice read. So exciting to think that for all the progress and evolution online games and gaming has made, we're still living in the first generation of gamers. Us kids playing MUDs and Asteroids are grown with families of our own now, and it's amazing to look back at all the different audiences playing games nowadays and realize that it's still only the beginning.
Could Planes of Power be the next EverQuest II expansion?
The Ancient Gaming Noob is a great title for a blog. Even better: the blog offers insightful and intelligent commentary on Massively Multiplayer games. In fact, about a year ago Wilhelm (the blog's author) prognosticated the Kunark setting for the next EverQuest II expansion. When he stepped up to the plate with another guess earlier this week, I couldn't help but pay attention.Wilhelm figures that Sony Online Entertainment is going to be dipping back into the EverQuest lore, but with a twist this time. Instead of more terrestrial real-estate, he imagines they're going to look to the heavens for inspiration. In essence: a revisit to the Planes of Power. His logic is great, and his argument is fairly persuasive. It hinges on what high-end players want most: Raids. Progression. Equipment. All of those in enough measure to keep the high end guilds busy for a long time. Perhaps all of these aspects in enough measure for some EverQuest guilds to take a serious second look at EverQuest II. While I expect that the basics of the new planes will be the similar to how the exist currently in EverQuest, which is to say instanced versus wide open, there will have to be changes. The gods will no doubt have revised their defenses. Of course, they won't go overboard, as you can only have 24 people on an EverQuest II raid, unless they chose to change that as well. For the rest of us, he predicts a new Beastmaster-style class that draws a lot of elements from the Hunter in World of Warcraft, as well as new AA options. To me, it sounds totally reasonable. Are we looking at new planes? Perhaps zones somewhere on the shards of Luclin? Certainly they wouldn't pull Velious out of the closet? What do you think?
The MMO scorecard
Ancient Gaming Noob has a scorecard up-- after all the hype about the next big MMO after World of Warcraft, he's listed out eight criteria an up-and-coming MMO needs to meet to really be as big as Blizzard's epic game is.And I tend to agree with everything. A great MMO needs to be both a brand of its own and a strong IP, and that right there is enough to get rid of most of the contenders. Tabula Rasa is a good idea, but what makes it unique to any of the other "sci fi legends" settings throughout the rest of history? System spec compatibility, quality and polish, and solo play are Blizzard standbys, and they had the genius and the knowhow to put them into an MMO. Not many game companies can do these three things effectively, although I'd put Bioware on that list (what they miss out in system specs they make up for in quality), and their upcoming MMO will be something to see for sure.PvP and Sandbox play are two things that can turn a good game into a really great game, and again, there are only a few companies so far that can really get it right. Mythic is an old veteran of PvP, but the big question with Warhammer Online will be whether it can appeal to a casual audience in the way that WoW does-- remember, you have to meet all eight of these criteria to really have a chance at beating WoW. And finally, AGN lists financial stability as a must, and that's a no brainer-- it's why Gods and Heroes didn't make it.It's a good list-- I'd say that if he's missing anything, it's that you need to make 100% sure your game is socially accessible. WoW does that with a strong guild system, an easy to navigate realm system, Horde and Alliance factions (you're more likely to make ties when you know an opponent is hunting for you), lots of emotes and waves, and pop culture references that even new players can "get" and see as familiar. Even a terrific game won't reach WoW heights if nongamers log in and don't understand what they see.
