accomplishments
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The Daily Grind: Are there non-achievements you're proud of?
Achievements, by definition, require you to actually do something. Which is why it's oddly satisfying in some games to acquire a list of non-achievements, things that you specifically haven't done despite the fact that it seems like you should have done them. Like never raiding in World of Warcraft, or never engaging in PvP in Aion. Or sometimes they're even sillier, like being proud of never using auto-fire weapons in Star Trek Online. None of these things are really accomplishments. But depending on your playstyle and what content you like to do, some of them can certainly feel like it. If you hate big-group endgame content, refusing to ever set foot in an operation in Star Wars: The Old Republic feels like a victory even if it sort of isn't. So are there any non-achievements that you're proud of? Are there things you are proud of not having done but having specifically avoided? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
PSA: 3DS firmware update is live
I just updated my 3DS, and other users are reporting that they've been asked to do so as well. This is the delayed "November update" meant to add DLC capabilities, 3D video recording, and more. Looking around my system, I see a new "Nintendo Zone" app for interfacing with "participating locations," to receive special content from certain free wi-fi hotspots. The "3DS Camera" app now has a toggle for video or stills, and -- most unexpected of all -- there are new "accomplishments" (achievements, kind of) in the StreetPass Mii Plaza. A few popped up immediately upon starting the app (above). You can see them all in a list within the Mii Plaza. I have 20 total (!) relating to the number and location of the people I've met. Other new stuff in the StreetPass Mii Plaza includes a music player for Mii Plaza music, new Find Mii stuff (Find Mii 2 game and lots of new hats, accessible only to those who have all the hats from the first game), new Puzzle Swap puzzles, and even some kind of new SpotPass connectivity, to bring Miis into your Plaza from the internet. I'm not sure how this works yet. Though the eShop was down all day in preparation for this update, I didn't see anything new there yet -- except for a news item about the 3D video update.
The Daily Grind: What's your end-of-the-year MMO to-do list?
With only a little less than three months left in 2011, it's time to start thinking about what we want to accomplish before 2012's crop of MMOs arrives. Maybe you want to reach level cap in some of 2011's launches like Allods Online or DC Universe Online or dive into the newest shinies like Lord of the Rings Online's Rise of Isengard. Either way, there's a good chance you're completing your goals with one eye on 2012, which looks to be quite a year for the MMO industry. So tell us what your end-of-the-year goals are. Is it something related to completing a current game or some kind of rigorous sleep-deprivation exercise that gets you ready for the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, or another anticipated MMO? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: What are the highs and lows of your MMO history?
For all the hubbub that people like to make about MMORPGs being stale, predictable affairs where little changes from day to day, history tends to judge that as a lie. The truth is that the growing nature of the game worlds, coupled with our varying perspectives and our developing online social relationships means that our experiences in MMOs change with time. We have good days and bad, highs and lows, excitement and drudgery -- much like real life, as a matter of fact. Today we're all about balance -- we want to hear what was your greatest MMO experience as well as the worst. What MMO accomplishment, session or even first impressions made you hug your computer with glee? On the flip side, what caused you to throw your keyboard across the room in frustration, scream into Vent or /ragequit? What was your thrill of victory and your agony of defeat?
Breakfast Topic: Happy New Year! What are your 2010 resolutions?
Happy New Year everyone! 2009 is behind us and we now have 2010 to look forward to. This year, we'll be anticipating Cataclysm to come out (but after we take down Arthas). Speaking of goals, were you able to fulfill the personal achievements you set out in 2009? Maybe it was to go after the Violet Proto-Drake. Or it could've been to join a raiding guild and see end game content. Perhaps it was to kill Arthas (which none of us have done yet, to be fair). For myself, I set out a goal to exceed 7000 achievement points. I managed to score about 7400. Oh, another important resolution? I'm still playing the game and having fun on my priest! I didn't think I had it in me to go another year but I did! I still have that Inner Fire burning within me, I suppose. Here's my list of resolutions for 2010: Take down Arthas (on Heroic difficulty) Get the Loremaster achievement Earn (and hold onto) more than 10000 gold Finish getting my druid to 80 Start a pure DPS class and at least get it to 40 (Mage? Warlock?) What about you? What do you resolve to do in 2010?
MMOGology: WoW on easy mode
My buddy Rob and I play World of Warcraft frequently, but between the two of us he's got the most /played time. He's got a few 70s on a PvP server and a few 70s on the PvE server where we're spending most of our time. He's also an alt-a-holic and has tons of mid-level characters. He's played every class in the game; most of them thoroughly. After spending so much time leveling so many characters he recently resolved not to level another character until the release of Wrath of the Lich King.His resolution didn't last long. When Blizzard announced their Recruit-a-Friend program a tiny seed was planted in the back of his mind. A seed that slowly germinated, wrapping its diminutive roots around his cerebral cortex until every thought in his head screamed, "MUST HAVE TRIPLE XP." And so, after a very small amount of convincing, I joined him to level up yet another alt. Our new goal was to level a couple of spacegoat shammies.After about 12 hours of /played time we were level 26. I know that's not a record by any means, but for us it felt pretty amazing. In fact, it almost felt like we were cheating. In a way it was like paying for a power leveling service where you do all the work. Sure the XP flew by, but Rob had paid for the game and the expansion all over again, as well as paying for a second account. Still, watching a level 14 paladin run by us and knowing we were out pacing him so drastically, it made me wonder if the Recruit-a-Friend program had somehow cheapened the accomplishment of hitting 60. Remember when hitting 60 felt like it meant something?
Soloing can be epic, too
Though everyone talks about it a lot, raiding or even grouping isn't the only way to achieve something in the World of Warcraft. There's something for everyone.While I do raid, there's a lot of solo content that I really feel proud of completing. At the top of my list is mastering the Shartuul's Transporter event. For quite awhile it would just stomp me into the ground, until one day I found my groove and was able to get through to the end. It took a handful of the Charged Crystal Focuses(foci?) for the 'special' abilities, but I did it. From there, I did the event as often as I could, until I could get through it without using any Foci. Now? Easy as pie. The event is basically free potions and potential epics for me now. Assuming it doesn't bug out. Spawn, you stupid eyeball! Spawn!I've also been working on rep for a Wintersaber, but even after the buffs to reputation gains on that grind, I have a hard time staying interested. I've been doing it in little bit and pieces, and I really look forward to when I finally get a pink kitty.So I'm curious, what are your solo accomplishments? That little(or big) thing you met head on and mastered on your own?
Time, time, time is on the designer's side
Taking a break from his recent infatuation with updating the back-end of his website and rattling his plastic saber at Moorgard, Ryan Shwayder has posted a new rant that gives his perspective on the pervasive, though oft-bemoaned, time-sink quest. You know the one -- that fed ex quest where you're sent to an NPC fifteen or twenty minutes away, click through a few windows of text, then run back for your piddling little reward. Ryan argues that while those quests certainly have their place, especially when it comes to introducing and endearing players to new zones, in excess they make for very dry and mundane gameplay.I take Ryan's point, but I still think there's more to the issue. He says that while filling up a game with fun content is difficult, it can be done without artificially extending the durability of the content. Perhaps my perception is limited by experience, but it's hard for me to imagine an MMO that doesn't rely substantially on wasting time to spread out the rewards and keep gamers coming back time and again. Part of what makes accomplishments in MMOs so much more profound is the sheer volume of time it often takes to complete them. Without that commitment, would these accomplishments mean as much? Would getting Anathema/Benediction on my Priest way back when have meant as much if I could have farmed for it for a couple days? I doubt it.
DMC4 accomplishments are intriguing
We've been happily playing Devil May Cry 4 for a wee while now (check out our review and awesome series retrospective) and whilst doing so we noticed something a little strange about the game's accomplishment system. It's not the first multiplatform game to include the Xbox 360 achievements inside the PS3 version, by any means, though it is the first to allow players to check out their online accomplishment rankings as well as check out exactly which individual accomplishment goals their friends have achieved. The interesting thing is that the "Accomplishment Unlocked" screen is a part of the PS3 Operating System, similar to the network connection screen, rather than an in game messsage. What does this mean? Well it could mean that DMC4 is the first game to include specific data which Home will later be able to turn into trophies (when it's finally released). It could potentially indicate other exciting things, but we'll leave the rampant speculation to those who do it best: you, the commenters.
