hamlet
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Take the role of Hamlet's murdered father in a VR adaptation
If you were relegated to stage crew duties during your high school's production of Hamlet, now is your time to finally get on stage -- albeit in an unconventional way. Google partnered up with the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company to create Hamlet 360, a presentation of the classic Shakespeare play in virtual reality and puts you in the silent role of Hamlet's father.
Hamlet talks raid awareness
If you're at all interested in the world of WoW blogging, there's a good chance that you're already familiar with the one run by the inimitable Perculia and Hamlet. If you're not, Hamlet's most recent post is a very good reason to change that. One thing I've always enjoyed about Hamlet's writing is that he has a very good grasp of perspective, and this latest entry is par for the course. This is a post about how to be a better raider, and it's not about DPS or meters. It's about correcting personal errors, specifically the kind that kill you, and in particular, about not standing in the fire. Hamlet's principle thesis is that raid awareness is a skill that can be learned and practiced. That sounds simple enough in plain terms, but awareness and how to improve it isn't something I've seen often discussed seriously in WoW circles. Sure, I've heard many complaints (and made plenty myself) about people who die to easily preventable things such as fire, or void zones, or whatever, but it's usually talked about as if it's a done deal--"so-and-so pisses us off because they always die in the fire." Not "what measurable steps can so-and-so take to stop dying in the fire?"
The Illusion of Logistics: Elitist Jerks' Hamlet on 10 vs. 25 man raiding
You may remember Hamlet from Elitist Jerks, or you may not. Whether or not you do, he's written an interesting post over on his personal blog discussing the 10 man vs. 25 man raiding issue. I addressed my own thoughts on this issue this week, but Hamlet's take is far more analytical (which is to be expected) and also somewhat epistolary, taking the form of feedback on the issue and expanding from there. Frankly, I'd do the post a disservice by attempting to summarize it, but I'd also be doing it a disservice by carving it up piecemeal here and commenting on it. One aspect of the post of note, that I really found both interesting and a trifle challenging to my own preconceptions, is his deconstruction of the notion that 25 man raiding is logistically harder than 10 man raiding. His points about how 10 man raids can often be far more difficult to run if even one player misses a night is valid, and he goes through all the ways 10 mans are limited by their smaller pool of players in a thorough and convincing manner. This is in service of the main point of the piece, which again I think deserves your full attention. He makes the case that the problem isn't logistics at all, but rather that due to group composition constraints 10 man raiding simply can't be as complex, strategic or difficult as 25 man raiding, and so it's not an issue of logistical difficulty, but rather purely inequality of design. In other words, 25 man raids are generally harder than 10 man raids because they can be, they don't have to be designed to be completed with limited group compositions. There are 34 specs in the game, and 25 mans have more room for more options than 10. Again, this is summarizing a really well thought out piece. You may or may not agree with it, but please go read his argument and don't just rely on my brief on it -- by necessity I'm missing a lot of subtleties here. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Defy the stars: Mabinogi stages Romeo & Juliet
What's in a name? That which we call a free update by any other name would smell as sweet! Or so a little birdie told us when we got word that Mabinogi is bringing another Shakespearean classic to Nexon's quirky title: Romeo and Juliet. Mabinogi players now have a chance to engage with this romantic tragedy and its two star-crossed lovers. The action takes place at Rath Castle, where players will join the masquerade ball and witness the epic love story that bridged the chasm between two warring families. The addition of Romeo and Juliet to the game's landscape follows the Hamlet update earlier this year. If you're not in the mood for love and fashionable costumes, Mabinogi's latest update invites you to grab a new weapon -- the lance -- and joust with your friends and enemies. You'll look even cooler doing this from a fire horse, a flaming steed that's been added to the game. Or if a life of peace is one you crave, then settle down in one of Mabinogi's Homesteads to grow crops, customize your ranch, and trade with others. You can check out the screenies of the Romeo and Juliet update below, go read the full patch notes on the official site, and watch the trailer after the jump! %Gallery-16711%
Nexon brings Shakespeare's Hamlet to Mabinogi
To play Mabinogi or not to play Mabinogi, that is the question. Classic literature fans may have an easier time answering it after viewing two new trailers for Nexon's free-to-play fantasy MMORPG. The tortured Shakespearian prince will be making an appearance in Chapter 4 of the game's story campaign, and if you're scratching your head as to why, Nexon explains all on its official website. "Both Mabinogi and Hamlet are rich stories filled with twists, intrigue, and memorable characters. These similarities, along with the legacy of being one of the most famous of Shakespeare's works, made the story of Hamlet a natural to fit within the world of Mabinogi," it reads. The update will also be bringing new gameplay to Mabinogi in the form of theater missions and a new destiny system that allows for further skill specialization. Additionally, new character skills, shadow mission updates, and item upgrades are coming with the patch. Hit the jump to check out the two new videos and head to the official site for further details.
Hamlet: The Game coming to iPad, iPhone and Mac
Deins Galanin's independently-developed adventure game based on the greatest play of all time (other than High School Musical: The Musical, of course), Hamlet, caught our eye when it launched on PC earlier this year. And not just because of its preposterously lengthy title -- Hamlet: Or the last game without MMORPG features, shaders and product placement -- but also because of its unique take on Shakespeare's epic tragedy. Soon, you'll be able to see what's rotten in the state of Denmark whilst on the go -- the game's coming to iOS platforms and Mac sometime before the end of January 2011. We'll let you know when the game gets a firm release date and price. For now, you can check out a trailer after the break to get a glimpse of the game's style ... or, you could just go read the play, dummy. It's pretty much the same thing, except it doesn't have quite so many logic puzzles. Or lightbulb hats. Or sea monsters.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Hamlet, or the last game without MMORPG features, shaders and product placement
Being a giant, beloved video game site has its downsides. For example, we sometimes neglect to give independent developers our coverage love (or loverage, if you will) as we get caught up in AAA, AAAA or the rare quintuple-A titles. To remedy that, we're giving indies the chance to create their own loverage and sell you, the fans, on their studios and products. This week we talk with mif2000 (Deins Galanin) about how he turned the unlikeliest of IPs into a point-and-click PC adventure called Hamlet. Joystiq: How did you or your company get started? Deins Galanin: Before I became an independent developer, I spent five years working in a Russian game development company, where I helped develop a number of commercial games. (Some of them are very popular in Russia, but almost unknown in the west.) At a certain point, each developer faces a tough moral choice: either do what you're told to do, or do what you want to do. I chose the latter and became an independent developer.
Hooray for progress: Hamlet game coming next month
You can stop the letter writing and e-petitions, your prayers have been answered: Indie dev mif2000 has turned Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Hamlet into a colorful adventure game, full of itemless logic puzzles, boss battles and seemingly little pathos. Oh, and Claudius has a guitar, so there's at least one thing that's true to the original. The clip after the trailer may give your English professor fits, but if you're intrigued, you can plan to get thee to a funnery on April 8. [Via IndieGames.com]
The space after death in Allods Online
To be or not to be, that is the question -- whether 'tis nobler in Allods Online to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous aggro, or to take up arms against a sea of mobs, and by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep -- to sleep, perchance to enter Purgatory. Aye, there's the rub -- for in that sleep of death what penalties may come when we have shuffled off this mortal server must give us pause. The most recent bit of news out of Astrum Nival's upcoming free-to-play MMO Allods Online concerns the nature of death, and what better way to discuss that then touching upon Hamlet? Well, perhaps actually talking about it. The short version, however, is that the inhabitants of the game consider death as a fairly irrelevant situation altogether. Elves, for instance, view it as an opportunity to create a particularly beautiful moment of their lives. Orcs take it in stride, much like losing a match of goblinoball, in the sense that there will always be another match. The reason for this rather lackadaisical attitude toward that undiscovered country from which no traveler returns is detailed in the latest bit of news, as well as gameplay effects of passing on in the game. Though reading more is not an enterprise of great pitch and moment, lose not the name of action and take the time to read it.
The Daze of Darkfall week 4: The terror of Agon pt. 2
The second hamlet: Wherein we learn that fire is hotWe rode onwards to our next target when suddenly a fireball roared towards Wardragon, barely missing him. The next hamlet had already seen us, and a fire mage was casting spells from atop the main keep. We rode onwards, splitting up our formation to avoid the incoming fire (literally.)Once again, we quickly cleared the hamlet of everyone, except the fire mage, and three of our men started to clean out their quarry and their farm. The other three of us played an annoying game of cat and mouse with the fire mage who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, keeping his interest while we cleaned them out and put their stuff into the bank.Once again successful, we jumped on our mounts and rode towards the sea. The last hamlet was on an island out from the mainland, so we reached the beach and jumped off of our mounts to swim across. It was here that our trailing 6th man reported that he was being followed by the people from the last hamlet. They were apparently angry, and concerned about the security of their shit.Wardragon noticed a smaller, desolate island on the map that was close to us, and we used that ground to make our stand. Initially we had counted 6 men in the force... then that was 8 men... then it was 12 men. Arrows were being flung from all sides as we darted between broken buildings. I peeked out from around a corner only to catch a sword to my chest from... Pluto Nash?Hamlets one and two had teamed up to end our reign of theft and tyrrany -- combining their forces to out-man ours. I danced around on the beach for a while with Pluto, who was now wearing a very nice sword and a full set of banded armor, jumping and parrying his blows while I asked for help over Ventrilo. Wardragon came to my aid, but it was too late. With one last slash I fell over onto the ground while Wardragon picked up where I left off.The end of an eraWhile I lay on the ground, coughing up blood, I thought back on all of the things I had seen and done in Darkfall. All of the harvesting, and then more of the harvesting, and then all of that time grinding PvE mobs, then more harvesting, then killing newbies, then more harvesting, then admiring my city, then AFKing on the bloodwall, AFKing on the bloodwall, AFKing on the bloodwall...Dying here was actually more fun than most of the things I had done in Darkfall. There was more action in one 30 minute stretch than my entire playing experience, and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. Plus, as I lay there dying, I was about to lose most of the work that I had done during those long stretches of playtime. Darkfall is an interesting game that varies between an intense grind and a game of cat and mouse. It is competitive and brutal in its nature, where only those with large amounts of time or a willingness to cheat the system prevail. On the flip side, however, when it all comes down to a battle or a clash of forces, Darkfall gets to be quite fun. I guess what remains is a very Machiavellian question -- "Do the ends justify the means?" Is it fun if the culmination of hours of tedious gameplay is an extremely fun sequence? Dear readers, I'm not touching that question with a 30 foot pole. As for that battle, I'm sure you're wondering about the outcome. Did Wardragon and his men win the battle? Or did they die horribly like I did? Well, I don't know much about that, but I can say that I love my new set of banded armor. My compliments to the designer -- Mr. Pluto Nash.
The Daze of Darkfall Week 4: The terror of Agon
It's the last week already? Well that went fast! It seems like only yesterday when I woke up in a daze to find my computer had "Thank you for purchasing Darkfall, n00bcakes!" splashed across its screen. Yet, here we are, four weeks later! My clan's city now looks like a real place of habitation instead of a pile of smashed rubble, combat is starting to become more commonplace than one attack every week, and I'm actually wearing armor instead of being naked most of the time. Amazing how things change over time.This week's events seem to all come down to one sentence: "Are you concerned about the security of your stuff?" (NSFW) You should be concerned, as my clan's warbands were taking what they wanted from cities and hamlets, all with me in tow. What happens when I get exposed to "hardcore PvP?" Well I guess you'll just have to read and find out.
All the World's a Stage: Center of the universe
All the World's a Stage returns today after a week off due to reasons beyond the comprehension of mortal man. Mysteries abound in World of Warcraft, and roleplayers are there to enjoy them.In roleplaying, one's own character is never the center of the story -- this is true. But from another perspective, your character is always the center of the story -- and this is also true. It seems like a paradox, but it's actually a way of understanding your own relationship to the world.In most stories, the main characters are usually the ones who have the most impact on the world around them: they are the heroes who save the day, fall in love, and make the choices that determine the ultimate outcome of the plot. In a way, the whole story circles around them, like planets around the sun. The structure of Warcraft lore is built with the stories of characters like this, whose choices made the World of Warcraft what it is today: Arthas, Thrall, Jaina Proudmoore and the like.But the roleplaying community of imaginative characters is not such a centralized system. When immature roleplayers fail to understand this, they end up with a chaotic mess where everyone wants to steal the spotlight. But mature roleplaying environments are quite the opposite: they are cooperative rather than competitive, and quite unlike traditional storytelling patterns. Where traditional stories are like a solar system, with main characters around which all the other characters revolve, roleplaying in WoW it is like the expanding universe itself: a web of interconnected stories and characters in which the center appears to be nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
Some literary humor for your Saturday in Warcraft
Here's two bits of literary fun for your Saturday afternoon.First, earlier this week, I saw this nice little piece of fan fiction over on WoW Livejournal. I'm not usually a fan of fan fiction, but this one just explains so much. And I really do hate those things, too.And then yesterday, swampers put together this terrific little Shakespearean parody in the World of Warcraft style. "To quit, perchance to /afk" -- that's great. "Out out, brief arena match -- life's but a walking Shadow Priest, a poor player, who struts and QQs while the tank goes down, and then runs OOM."Great stuff. Literary humor is always fun, and mixing it in with WoW makes it even better. Laugh and enjoy.
Cinemassively: SL Shakespeare Company
Since the beginning of August, Ina Centaur and crew, in collaboration with SLiterary, have been plotting a reproduction of Hamlet in the virtual world of Second Life. According to their production blog, they researched everything about the characters to recreate them, down to the skin and clothing. In addition to explanations of wardrobe, animation, and tech, they also feature ways you can sponsor their shows, which take place at the SLiterary Globe Theater.Ina prepared a storyboard Machinima of Act 1, Scene 1 as an example of how the show will be. The SL Shakespeare Company will be hosting a screening, followed by a question and answer session with the Hamlet directors and cast, on Sunday, November 25th, at 4pm PST. There will be an encore presentation on Saturday, December 1st, at 11am PST.
Live performance in a virtual world
This piece on Terra Nova got the gears turning in my head again about something I've been thinking about for a while: a live dramatic performance in the virtual world. The article goes a little deeper than that-- basically, it suggests that we're all performers in the virtual world, and all the world (of Warcraft) is a stage for us to perform on. You may not be a roleplayer, but you still play a role in the game, whether it be the stalwart main tank or the ganking PvP moonkin.But I'm talking about something a little more concrete: an actual dramatic production performed inside a virtual world. Unfortunately, my background in drama is tiny (I did some production stuff in high school and college), which is probably why I've never mustered up enough effort to pull it off, but others have, and I'd love to see more of it. The colorful, fantasy world of WoW seems perfect for putting on a production-- can you imagine Hamlet in the corridors of the Stormwind castle, or The Tempest down in the tropics in Stranglethorn Vale? It'd be a lot of work (not to mention a lot of typing) for all those involved, but a finished, complete production created entirely within the world of Azeroth would be incredible to watch.There have been a few groups aiming for something like this (the Synthetic Worlds Initiative even planned an entire online world about Shakespeare, at one point, though I'm not sure what happened to it). And I can't believe this idea is original-- someone has to have performed something in WoW at some point, I'm sure; I just haven't heard of anyone really taking the time to do it professionally (and live). We're already playing our own made-up roles in the virtual world-- the idea of going one step further and recreating fictional characters in that world fascinates me.
