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One Shots: Kickin' it old school
To follow up on this morning's Daily Grind, where we asked what game you had originally fallen in love with in the MMO genre, I figured I'd follow up with this seriously old-school image sent in to us by Kilawhar! While he didn't send in the name of this location, I actually spent more than enough years playing this game to know just where this is. For those of you who don't recognize the above screenshot location, it's a place called Trainer Hill in the Crushbone zone off of Greater Faydark. In this location, many EverQuest players ground orc xp until they could get into a Throne Room camping group. Then you'd sit and camp the spawns over and over for experience and loot. Ahh, the old days -- when a bad pull meant running for the zone line because they didn't stop chasing you until you were out... or dead! Mmm. Grindy.How about you? Do you have some seriously old-school screens floating around on a 5.25" floppy or tape drive somewhere? Did you have to grind uphill in the snow both ways just to get and from your raids? Perhaps you have an older game installed, and can show us just how much the graphics have changed since the old days. Whatever your flavor, old-school or new, we'd love to see your screens and hear your stories! Just drop them in the mail to us at oneshots@massively.com! Yours could be the next one up! %Gallery-9798%
The Daily Grind: What game pulled you in to MMOs?
It seems like no matter how many people we talk to, almost all of them seem to have a warm fuzzy place in their heart for their first MMO. No matter how many hours it took you to cross the world on foot, how many corpse runs you had to spend hours on without benefit of gear (EverQuest, I'm looking at you here) or how many times you lost a level or three due to getting into a party full of particularly bad players and wiping repeatedly. We've taken the abuse, and we came back for more -- for a while, anyway. For today's question, we thought we'd ask you -- how did your MMO love start out? What was the game that sucked you in? Do you still remember it fondly, despite some now out-of-the-question mechanics, or instead do you now declare it to be the worst game ever?
Under The Hood: Player Economics 101
One of the more contentious points of an MMO is how it treats its economy. The average MMO runs the gamut of no real economy to speak of (besides vendors and drops), to a fully player-run economy such as the one in EVE Online, and everywhere in between (the middle point seems to be crafting and auction houses). So which is best. Well, if the EVE players and, by association, elite-like players in general are to be believed. It's the player-run economy.
Cinemassively: Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
The next stop on our MMO love tour brings us to Everquest II. YouTube machinimator monkeydarren made this video for his wife. It was the first dance at their wedding!I haven't seen many EQ2 videos, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the range of animations that they have, as well as the camera control. He was even able to give her a wedding ring and propose to her. When Bryan Adams wrote this song, I'll bet he never pictured it being used for a virtual wedding, but it fits!
A moment of thanks for our healers
Do you have a friend (or friends, if you're really lucky) in your MMO of choice that choose to play healer? If so, do you thank them every once in a while for their continued efforts in nothing more than keeping you and everyone else alive? Or are you the type of player that endlessly jabs those who would chose to do nothing but heal for not keeping you alive every single encounter? If your answer was "yes" to any of those questions, then it would be worth your time to head on over to Rock, Paper, Shotgun and read through a wonderfully written article concerning healers and gratitude.For as long as men and women have been shooting magical missiles or wielding swords and shields there have been other men and women behind them keeping them alive. Be it World of Warcraft or Everquest, the role of healer has always been one of mixed blessings. So we'd like to take this moment to thank our healers, because without you guys we'd all be dead, dying or at the very least un-buffed.
The Daily Grind: MMOs jumping the shark?
There are many who may argue that some MMOs have already jumped the shark. Two of the examples that came up in our recent debates were EverQuest and of course, Star Wars Galaxies. SWG is perhaps the most obvious one for any potential shark-jumping with their decision to switch to the NGE, and thus completely dropping a new game into players' laps. The idea was to bring more people into SWG, but so far as we've been able to tell, it's still fairly low-population whenever we've logged in. Of course, the unintended consequence also involved many of the original players leaving the game, torching the game box, who have since then taken every possible chance to curse the names of all involved with the NGE. The line in EverQuest is blurry; some say it was Kunark, some say it was Planes of Power, and still others say that it hasn't really ever jumped since there's still a devoted fanbase. Today we'd like to ask you -- do you think that it's possible for an MMO to ever actually "jump the shark?" Would you consider SWG to be alone in that distinction (assuming it applies) like some of the people we spoke to? Do you think that there are far more games that have passed the point of no return than what we've listed? What point do you think is too far? And do you see any games giving off warning bells that they are nearing the danger point?
EverQuest's senior producer talks live events, server merges in 2008
Senior Producer for EverQuest Clint "Jourdian" Worley laid out a letter to the dedicated playerbase this week, looking back on developments in the game last year. He also looks ahead to the rest of 2008, teasing some of the updates to the game we can expect to see this year.The big deal for 2007 was, obviously, the release of the Secrets of Faydwer expansion. Worley sees the expansion as a great success, with particular emphasis on the benefits reaped from their three-month-long Beta period. He states that this year's unnamed expansion (which they're already hard at work on) will receive the same treatement. He found the April Fool's day joke absolutely hilarious, and states that they're looking forward to a new, similarly in-depth quirk in a few months ... though he does note an on/off command will be available for players without a sense of humor. Read on for more from Worley, including news about live events, bug fixes ... and server merges?
Behind the Curtain: Something Unexpected
More often than not, we tend to get stuck in a rut in our gaming careers. I've been quite guilty of it in the past – all of my characters in World of Warcraft have levelled their way up solo. I've decided to take steps to rectify this, by rolling up a new character, a Warrior this time, and I plan on making a concerted effort to get her into as many instances as I can. Even if it means jumping into the PUG from Hell, I'm going to force myself to step out of the rut I've gotten into in my games. My big lottery win hasn't came round yet, so I'm not yet able to play WoW all day long in my boxer shorts. Since I have to work for a living, my time online is pretty restricted, so I like to know that I'm spending it wisely, which means that I tend to end up falling into the same routine – maybe a couple of daily quests, a quick check of the Auction House, maybe clear the odd solo quest out of my log. It doesn't sound very exciting, and sometimes it occurs to me that it isn't.
Exclusive Swashbuckler Epic concept art revealed
Earlier in the week we spotlighted leaked photos of two of the twenty-four Epic weapons being introduced in EverQuest II's Game Update 42 this Tuesday. Today we got our greedy little hands on the concept art behind another one, the Swashbuckler epic, a sword (rapier?) dubbed "Charm's Way." You can click on the image to see a larger version.These class epic weapons will only be acquired at the end of a long quest whose steps are not revealed. Players will have to piece together the clues spread across Norrath to even find the quest starter. No pre-released guides for these bad boys. Why? A short history lesson going back into MMO history explains all.
Where do you want SOE Fan Faire to be?
Craig "Grimwell" Dalrymple passed along word that the voting has begun to determine where this year's Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire event will be held. The Station.com forums are hosting the poll and discussion, which offers four options: June 19 - 22 : Orlando : $149 per night June 26 - 29 : San Diego : $125 per night September 4 - 7 : Las Vegas : $115 per night June 26 - 29 : Orlando : $149 per night The annual Fan Faire is an SOE-sponsored event that allows players to meet with each other face-to-face. It also allows for the developers, producers, and community managers to reach out to the playerbase, putting a voice and personality to the differently colored names on the forums. The company offers MMO-themed events and different panels, to allow the customers to more fully explore their favorite games. You can see details of previous Faires at the official event site, including highlights of last year's Las Vegas show.As you might expect from the price options, Vegas is currently winning this particular horse race. Just from my perspective, I really hope they don't end up choosing early September: Fall is already an awfully busy time for game conferences. San Diego is warm, and Orlando offers the opportunity for Disney-related hilarity! So, your choice is clear: not Vegas.
Behind the Curtain: What's in a name?
How much attention do you pay to the names behind the MMOs we're playing just now? Do you dig up as much information as you can on the developers, producer and designers involved in up and coming games? Do you even pay any attention at all?I'll be honest – I picked up Star Wars Galaxies based on the licence alone. While I've been a gamer since my Uncle gave me a ZX Spectrum as a child, I didn't know anything about the people behind Galaxies. I had heard about Everquest of course – I wasn't stupid after all – but Galaxies was my first MMO, and I was a noob in every sense of the word. I didn't know anything about the designers, the developers, and I didn't even think to check up on them.I was a little more aware when I came round to World of Warcraft. I was, and still am, a big Diablo 2, fan, so I knew who Blizzard were. I hadn't picked up Warcraft 3 when it came out, due to the PC I had t the time not being to run it, but I knew that it'd been a huge commercial and critical success for Blizzard, so I knew that it was a safe bet. Plus, it was taking the world by storm already, so it was a bit of a no-brainer. Maybe I'm just older and wiser now, or maybe the information is just easier to get a hold of, but I pay more attention to the people actually making the game that I'm interested in – I thought this week, we could have a look at some of the names you should be aware of.
Brazil ban on Counter-Strike, EverQuest goes into effect
A ban on the sale of Counter-Strike and EverQuest in Brazil has gone into effect. According to AFP, the ban was ordered by federal court in October 2007 but is just now being imposed. Said judge Carlos Alberto Simoes, the titles encouraged "the subversion of public order, were an attack against the democratic state and the law and against public security." (Just so you're clear: EverQuest is an attack on democracy, but censorship isn't.)Of course, the ban is just on the sale of the two games. Each title is about nine years old, with their latest respective sequels (EverQuest 2 and CS: Source) released in 2004 - not exactly the most timely censorship. By that timeframe, World of Warcraft has about five years left before Brazil drops the banhammer. Let's hope Blizzard can get out Wrath of the Lich King before 2014.[Via CVG; thanks, Vitor]
A Brazilian court bans EverQuest
In a classic moment of governmental insanity, word has gone out that a court in the Brazilian state of Goias has put a ban out on Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest. The consumer protection agency for the country has apparently picked up on the ban, and is noting it on its official website.Kotaku readers have been writing in to that site, expanding on this decision and a similar one that has been handed down on the tactical shooter Counter-Strike. This ban technically applies to the whole country, as decisions made in one court system are technically the law of the land throughout Brazil. A reader noted that at the moment only the state of Goias is applying the ban, as other court leaders seem to think the decision may be flawed.Fascinatingly, EverQuest isn't even commercially released in the country of Brazil. Even more interesting, reader comments seem to indicate this is a forced ban: copies of the game reported being 'taken' by the police. The ban (on EQ, anyway) seems to stem from the moral ambiguity of many of the quests:As for EverQuest, Procon states that it "takes the gamer to complete moral conflict and 'heavy' psychological conflicts; for the tasks that are given to them could be bad or good. (...) Violent videogames that use violence are capable of forming agressive individuals, making it evident that is strong its influence on psyquism, reinforcing aggressive attitude against certain individuals and social groups".Further commentary is available at Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
Video game giants awarded at CES 2008
Several video games and their respective creators were honored at the fifty-ninth Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards at CES 2008 in Las Vegas. The awards spotlighted some of the most groundbreaking titles in development of massively multiplayer online graphical role playing games as well as user generated content or game mods. The winners of the first category for development of MMORPGs were Sony Online Entertainment for Everquest (Laura Naviaux), Blizzard for World of Warcraft (Mike Morhaime) and AOL/Time Warner for Neverwinter Nights (Don Daglow).And the winners of the second category for user generated content/game modification were EA for Pinball Construction (Bill Budge), Id Software for Quake (John Carmack) and Linden Lab for Second Life (Philip Rosedale).Pictured from left to right: Daglow, Budge, Carmack, Naviaux, Rosedale, MorhaimeWe really only have just one thing to mention. If you're the representative of a multi-billion-dollar international corporation like Activision Blizzard, shouldn't you consider something other than raiding your dad's closet for a 1970's brown polyester suit? Although, only really rich people can afford to look broke, because they buy good stuff and wear it forever. So when Mike got it, it was probably very chic... in the 70's.
Holidays of the MMOG universes, past and present
Christmas. Everyone chooses to celebrate it in a different way. The majority of us will be spending the time with our immediate family, some of us will actually get the chance to play these MMOs we've been visiting all year, and one or two of you will be writing on a laptop older than Chuck Norris jokes, trying to avoid being force-fed eggnog.96.4% of MMOs commemorate the holidays in their own special way, too, so you might want to read the latest Warcry editorial that covers most of the major MMOG winter holidays, past and present -- even Anarchy Online is there. A bit of lore, some background, and Emperor Palpatine's boxer shorts (!!!).Don't forget to check out the Guild Wars event if you get a spare minute. Snowball for great justice!
Why are fantasy MMOGs so popular?
Over at the Terra Nova site (a great Academic blog all about online worlds), well-respected designer and author Richard Bartle has asked a seemingly simple question: Why Fantasy? The discussion that erupts from those two simple words is very much worth following. I'll use designer Damion Schubert's first comment on the topic as a sort of shorthand, as he quite thoroughly covers the issue: 1) It's double-coded. It has both massive geek appeal as well as large mass market awareness - go to Michael's and look at how many cross-stitches there are of unicorns and dragons.2) It's got a heroic arc. It is typical and acceptable for players to start killing rats or orcs, and end up going toe to toe with the gods. This is a much more impressive growth path than what many games have available.3) It's inviting. Fantasy games have a good sense of 'home' - you typically start in a tranquil village, and while you may go to scary places, there's still a sense that the good places are worth living in and fighting for. Compare to post-apocalyptic worlds, where being in the worlds for very long play periods is downright depressing.4) Solid team-based roles. Say what you will about tank-healer-mage, but those roles are archetypically fantasy, and offer a team-based game experience where everyone is a roughly equivalent contributor. Compare to, say, Stargate, where the MMO designers have struggled with how to create an 'Archaeologist' class, where the Archaeologist's role in the TV show is to decipher one set of rocks per mission and try not to get shot.5) It's character-driven. Fantasy tends to be about characters, whereas sci-fi tends to be about ideas. This lends itself well to MMOs, which has need for a world rich with player heros.6) It has resonance. Players understand what's going on in a fantasy world to a greater degree, because names tend to be more familiar and easier to relate to. Don't believe me? Most people I know who played Alpha Centauri felt a strong urge to go play Civilization again afterwards. You just relate better to 'the Wheel' than 'Nanotechnofische Armorium'. And, of course, other blogs picked up the question as well. The discussion on Tobold's site is fairly interesting, and Passively Multiplayer offers up their opinion on the query. As you can imagine, this is something that's been talked to death in the past of the mmogblogosphere, a reality that Damion notes at Zen of Design. His post is definitely something you should check out, if only to read the exchange between J. and Dr. Bartle in the comments. Jeff Freeman also lays out a historical perspective of this discussion, with plenty of new thoughts on the subject.What do you say? Why do you like fantasy games? If you don't, why don't you?
Holiday bonus XP weekends in EQ and EQII
SOE's customer support team may be off for a bit of holiday time, but the dev teams have given Norrathian players a nice big gift to tide us over. Both of the big fantasy titles in Sony Online Entertainment's lineup are offering bonus XP weekends for the holidays! EverQuest II players will see a 20% bump in XP this weekend, through 10:00 AM PST on Monday, December 24th. The second bonus experience weekend will begin Friday, December 28th at approximately 3:00 PM PST and last until approximately 10:00 AM PST on Monday, December 31st. EverQuest players have even more to celebrate, as their Frostfell bonus of 25% xp lasts from now all the way through to 1:59 pm PST, Tuesday, January 1, 2008.And remember: if you haven't picked up Vanguard in a while your account has been re-opened all the way through to January 20th! Go have a happy holiday on SOE, then.
SOE gives customer support a holiday break
The holidays aren't fun, games, and brightly colored trees for players alone. Even the grunts who ensure that the games run smoothly get to have a break too. Sony Online Entertainment has issued a friendly holiday warning this week, reminding players that because of the impending holiday, customer support is going to be severely limited. On Christmas Eve Day, support will be closed promptly at 5PM EST and will remain closed for the duration of Christmas Day. For the remainder of the week from the 26th to the 28th, support will be limited to chat and email during regular business hours. Tech support will also be limited to chat and email for New Years from December 31st to January 1st.So try not to break anything over the next couple weeks, because there might not be anybody there to feel (and attend to) your pain.
Under The Hood: Running Out Of Time
It's very debatable, but the biggest investment into any MMO is time. It's one thing to just pay to play the game, as there are several per-month services you can pay for, such as cable television, or car insurance, or sometimes simple things like a book club. But no normal service, however, require both the time and monetary investment like an MMO does. They are designed from the ground up to be full of grinding, time-wasting, and slow experience gain. But why is that?
What are your Top Ten MMOs?
A few other MMOGblogs have pointed to a thread in the F13 forums in the last day or so, and for good reason - it's fascinating. Some of the core users asked a simple question: What are your Top Ten MMOs? The following discussion gives a lot of insight into the thinking of some of the most dedicated players out there, and the running tally at the top of the thread should make the developers on that list of ten mighty proud. Here's the gestalt top ten list as of Wednesday night:647 pts. - World of Warcraft408 pts. - City of Heroes/Villains357 pts. - Ultima Online349 pts. - EverQuest345 pts. - Eve Online337 pts. - Dark Age of Camelot278 pts. - Star Wars Galaxies253 pts. - EverQuest 2185 pts. - Planetside171 pts. - Lord of the Rings OnlineSome of the great comments that follow highlight other amazing titles that don't get nearly enough recognition, like Puzzle Pirates, A Tale in the Desert, and the still active community of Asheron's Call. It's a great conversation, and I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to take part - just make sure to read the directions first.So, let's hear it Massively: What are your Top Ten MMOs?
