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Free for All: A week of scheduled playtimes
After a loose week of playing scheduled games, I can say that I have a lot of work to do to perfect my system. Once again, Tim and Jon from the Van Hemlock podcast are my inspiration. They are both dedicated to the art of playing games, to "finishing" games, almost to the point of obsession. It's certainly not for everyone, but they seem to maintain a real balance while skipping around. Perhaps the podcast they host helps them with this balance? I've hosted several podcasts over the years, so maybe putting my weekly gaming thoughts into audio form is necessary to keeping my sanity? In reality, what I need to do is just stick it out and stay the course. I am not sure of many things in this world, but I am positive that repetition and scheduling are more powerful than almost any plan. Humans are habitual creatures, even with their gaming. Especially with their gaming. Over this last week, I started to settle into the role of a scheduled player and even looked forward to it each night. Click past the cut and I'll let you know how it went.
Free for All: Would I play RIFT for free?
Today I got the email informing me that my RIFT subscription had expired. I bought it when it came out and enjoyed the beta, but suddenly the hard decision was upon me. Was I going to subscribe to the game? Was I going to pay 15 dollars a month for basic access to the wonderful world that Trion has created? There is a lot that goes into a decision like subscribing to a game, even when that decision feels easy. A subscription is really a vote of confidence, especially considering that we have no idea what the game might become or where it might go in the future. That automatic payment says so much about our trust in a company and its product, even though lately it seems more and more people are not trusting it like they once did. Click past the cut and let's discuss, and I'll tell you whether or not I subscribed.
Free for All: So what do I play now?
Last week I talked about celebrating your MMO transient status, something that drove some readers into a mini-frenzy. Perhaps my point was not clear enough, or perhaps the two or three sentences I dedicated to clearly stating my satisfaction with the "dedicated" player lifestyle were not enough. I did not talk so much about the players who dedicate most of their time to one or two MMOs because, well, it wasn't an article about them. It wasn't an article about celebrating some kind of digital floozy lifestyle, either, although some readers seemed to take it that way. It was an article about becoming comfortable -- or more comfortable -- with the fact that you, as a ramblin' player, might not gain that virtual glory that your more dedicated buddies will. This week's column will still avoid the topic of the dedicated player simply because I am not one. As I have now indicated several times, I have no issue with such a lifestyle, but I would rather talk about something I am more familiar with. Many of my friends are hardcore dedicated, dedicated to the point of being married to one MMO experience, and although I am somewhat jealous of them, I am even more jealous of a different type of player. Click past the cut and we shall discuss it!
Free for All: Are MMO transients bad for the industry?
I hate downtown Dallas. When I was a kid, it used to be the place to go. We would drive several hours to see a punk rock show, stare at the cool people we didn't have in Oklahoma, and then drive back. Back then, Dallas was a paradise. Now that I am older and have played in bands for nearly 24 years, I realize Dallas is a pit. I hated playing the clubs there. One of the major issues that the city has run into is what to do about all of the homeless people. I hate to sound like a jerk, but right now you can't go into downtown Dallas without being asked for change a dozen times or asked to "look at this spider bite." (This did happen to me once, and it it was nasty-looking.) Despite my attitude of understanding for people in all sorts of situations, I still wonder what a city is supposed to do with a constant influx of people, people who do not reside permanently in the city yet continue to pass through? You can't tax them. MMO gamers who enjoy multiple games are often talked about as though they are the pitiful homeless. While I can see some parallels, I think that such a judgment is not only insensitive but the opposite of the truth. Let's look at the variables past the cut.
Free for All: An interview with Golemizer's lead (and only) developer
Ah, the life of the indie developer: long nights followed by more long days followed by long weekends, slugging through mountains of code to find tiny errors that break entire worlds... it would seem like a thankless job. It's ironic that many wanna-be designers and armchair developers often picture development as some kind of glamorous process, one that puts the developer in an office surrounded by character sketches, 3-D models, and walls of monitors. The truth is that design, at any level, is often tedious and heart-breaking. You will more than likely find a designer surrounded by lists of numbers and spilled coffee before you'd find him tweaking character models. Making games is hard, they say. It's true. So then why are we so fascinated by the process? Why do we daydream of one day making our own world to explore and share with friends? I decided to ask Dave Toulouse, lead-everything for Golemizer, what he thought about the whole process. Turns out Golemizer is pretty darn fun, complex and open... and it runs within your browser! Click past the cut and let's see what he has to say about the ever-so-glamorous world of game design.
Free for All: Your guide to a freemium Ryzom
While some details are still a little foggy, we recently learned that the unusual sci-fantasy MMO Ryzom will be going freemium on March 9th, pretty much the time that this article will go live. To say that this was exciting news is quite the understatement, especially since I have been a fan of the game for several years. I even hosted a podcast dedicated to the game and have always tried to play it when I get the chance. Of course, a $10.95-a-month subscription kept me from dedicating too much time to it, as did the fact that I keep myself busy with every other game under the sun, so getting the chance to take as much time as I want in the game is thrilling. Also, this means that new players can try the game out without fear of running into the end of a 21-day trial, although since free players are capped at a level limit of 125 out of 250, they'll eventually be asked to pony up for the rest of the game. Let me tell you why this is exciting and give you some basic information to get you started on the wonderful world of Atys. Later in this article, I've even embedded a two-year-old video I made about live events in Ryzom. It's funny, I have my work clothes on, and I talk really fast. I felt it was still relevant because live events still happen in Ryzom, and I wanted to show off some of the games graphics while I was at it. Click past the cut and let's discuss!
Champions Online gains profits and players as a free-to-play [Updated]
Since Champions Online's relaunch as a free-to-play title a little less than a month ago, any player who has logged into the game has undoubtedly noticed the sheer number of folks running around Millennium City and environs. There are spandex-clad super-people everywhere you look, and groups are significantly easier to get. These are all good things for MMO players! Today we're also treated to the first official word on the success of the relaunch from Cryptic Studios and Atari, which both declare that the move to free-to-play has been -- as we suspected -- a huge success. To celebrate, they're offering all players, both subscribed and free-to-play, a thank-you gift for helping to make the game's reboot so great! The present offered is a free experience-boosting item that can be picked up from the Champions Online C-Store for at least the next little while. While the companies have not released any specific subscriber or traffic numbers, they have noted that unique logins, concurrent users, and revenue totals have increased by "over 1,000 percent" since Champions Online went free-to-play. As John Needham, CEO of Cryptic Studios, stated in the release: "We're extremely proud of what the Champions team has accomplished with the Free for All launch. It's a pleasure to thank our fans and welcome new ones with this gift." As for how long the gift will be around and whether it is one per account or one per character is currently anyone's guess as the item does not appear to be in the C-Store as of this writing. The gift appears to be a one-hour, 20% experience boost that you can acquire once per account. They also appear to be tradable! [Update: We've updated this post as the gift is now available in the C-Store, and we've also added the most recent trailer behind the cut. Enjoy! And guys... remember to keep the comments clean and on track with our CoC!]
Free for All: Playing pretend and the Vanguard F2P experiment
For a little bit of fun, I decided to perform a mental experiment. You know that whole "make Vanguard free-to-play" thing? Well, let's just say that it happened. There, it's done. See? That wasn't so hard. All we had to do was close our eyes real tight, do the Slappy dance three times and wish with all of our heart and it was done. Of course, it's not that easy. We need to see exactly how our pretend free-to-play version got to where it is now and how it might pan out in the future. How did pretend Sony Online Entertainment do it? Is it confident that this pretend move might bring in more pretend players? Do pretend players translate to more pretend profit? Click past the cut and let's play with it. Leave your ideas in the comments section.
Free for All: A hardcore raider shines light on F2P issues
My gaming moods come and go, but generally I always avoid heavy grinding. I am 36 -- all grown up -- and the last thing I want to do is put myself into a position in a game that makes me feel like I am working instead of playing. In fact, I think participating in a heavy grind will only encourage developers to make more of the same, so I try to do my part by avoiding it. I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but I believe that heavy grinding is ruining gaming. Allow me to explain. We humans love to establish rules and boundaries. Many of us need rules and boundaries or we don't know what to do with ourselves. We like to achieve goals, and some of us are obsessed with surpassing those goals. Have you ever stopped to wonder how we got to the point that a standard work day is eight hours and how the weekend is set on the days it is? This is all due to our ability to fall in line, to give into the demands that we place on ourselves, to give into a set of rules and guidelines. One only need attend an average wedding to see how ridiculously far we accept certain guidelines in the name of tradition. Funerals can be equally silly. What does this have to do with free-to-play gaming? Well, click past the cut and we'll chat about it.
Behind the Mask: Making concessions for roleplayers
There's been almost universally positive feedback for Champions Online since the Free For All expansion launched. Although there has been some criticism of the C-Store prices increasing (bad!), the vast majority of changes in F2P have been positive. In many ways, it's been sort of a new genesis for the game, and I feel as if it's overcome a lot of the negative press present at its launch. But not everything about F2P has been positive, and while I put a small amount of blame on the devs (especially since I brought up the issue with Poz in an interview), much of the trouble was really inevitable. The problem in question is RP griefing. Champions has a large, robust roleplaying community.The center of roleplaying in CO is Club Caprice, and Caprice is currently under siege by unruly heroes lifting and throwing chairs around, spamming powers that destroy nearby tables or chairs, and being disruptive using the in-game chat. As one friend said, "Everyone who has thrown a chair in here has been under level 20, in a F2P Archetype, and wearing a lame costume."
Free for All: The difference between East and West
Like many gamers, I find myself going through stages of obsession. Once in a while, I'll get on a PvP kick, followed by having a thing for immersion, then I'll be consumed by running dungeons or grinding. Lately I have been investigating older Western MMOs, games like Asheron's Call, Ultima Online, Anarchy Online, and EverQuest. While I have already played all of these titles at one time or another, they can become different games between visits. This recent kick of mine started me thinking about the first free-to-play MMOs I enjoyed, as well. The first one was either Flyff or Rose Online, around six or so years ago. I've chatted with a developer who used to work on Flyff, and she claimed that those were some of the very first free-to-plays to see success in North America. What are the differences between the two, Western and Eastern? Is there a difference? If there were, are there still differences between Eastern free-to-play games and Western games? Click past the cut and we'll take a look.
Everything you need to know about Champions F2P
It's no secret that Champions Online is rolling out with its free-to-play update tomorrow. In addition to everything offered for free members, there's just a ton of new stuff. While this patch isn't quite Revelations in terms of content, it is one of the biggest full expansions Champions has seen. Whether you're a returning player giving CO another shot, a new player checking out all the free stuff, or a current player itching for a rundown of all the added features, we've got you covered. With this full review of all of CO's latest features, you'll be well-equipped to start your new adventures in Millennium City and beyond.
Free for All: Ten tips for the virtual traveler
This week I decided to take a break from analyzing cash-shop models and theorizing over what players might consider "nickel-and-diming" (hint: it doesn't exist) to bring you some frequent MMO traveler tips. Now, if you are the type who enjoys playing one game for years and years or who doesn't have any interest in most any other game, this is not for you. These are a few tips that I have learned from covering games over the last years of my life, especially during my time with Massively. Since I have been here (it will be a year in March, if I recall) I have been embarking on a journey across all types of MMOs, one MMO per week. I might not remember everything I have done, but I do remember how to make sure that I feel satisfied after spending only a week in each game. Granted, many of the games I have played have stuck around for a long, long time, some of them becoming favorites. Recently, though, I put so much more into playing the current game that I have to let it go in order to put that much into the next one. How do you live this virtual vagabond lifestyle and still feel good about yourself? What about the golden rule -- a week isn't long enough to get any ideas about an MMO? Well, click past the cut and I'll try to explain.
Free for All: Is free to play turning our kids into Vegas pirates?
I think it's the hair. In fact, I know it. The constant flicking -- it drives me nuts. How in the world did wearing your hair like 60-year-old businessmen become such a fad? I've now had my groceries bagged by 16-year-old kids with eyeliner on and dual piercings in their lips. When did looking like a Vegas pirate become so popular? The flicking of their hair -- it does something to them. Justin Bieber, in a recent interview, said that he was crazy. He insisted on it. Of course, his agent wanted to push this tiny public cry for help off as some sign of genius, but we all know what Bieber meant: "This hair is *flick* driving me *flick* flat-out bonkers." What also seems to be an issue with the youngins these days is an unfiltered access to the internet. I'm not kidding -- next time you're at the mall, ask the kid with the 30 Seconds to Mars t-shirt on who the vice president is. Then ask him to spell "lose." See, on the internet and inside any number of free games, he doesn't need to know this information. After all, the only time he might be worried about "loosing" anything is when he is busy PvPing. I might be onto something. Get the hair out of your eyes, join me after the cut, and we'll discuss it further.
Free for All: Four games I'm dying to play in 2011
The year 2010 was a great year in gaming. If anyone tells you any different, look him in the eye -- you've just met a madman. In fact, 2010 did so much for me, personally, that it might be hard to top it for a while. I actually started getting paid to write my blog entries this year, discovered so many wonderful new developers this year, and played more hours than in all of the previous years combined. As luck would have it, there are already several new games being announced that are making 2011 look like an even bigger year for me. Browser-based technology is only growing more robust and rich, indie gaming is finally starting to get a lot of the respect it deserves, and I now have the ability to contact almost any developer I want for use in my columns. All of this adds up to some exciting times ahead, for sure. All thanks to Massively, of course. There are four games in particular that I am very excited about. More will come, I'm positive, but these four have already cast huge spells on me. Click past the cut to see what you should be excited about, too!
Free for All: An insight on indie from Alganon
Recently I decided that I wanted to ask different indie developers how their world revolves and what it's like to exist within that world. Development is a funny thing and often much more difficult than many of us will ever know. In my experience, the budget doesn't change the basic goings-on in the development studio, but it can effect what developers are willing to talk about. I would never expect certain mainstream developers to ever open up to certain questions, while many indie developers seem more than willing. Last time, I asked the developers of Istaria what they thought, which you can read here. This time, I decided to send some questions to Quest Online, the maker of Alganon. I received my answers from Derek Smart, president of QOL. Alganon has been one of my surprise favorites of the last year, so I was eager to ask some questions -- after all, he says exactly what's on his mind.
Free for All: The Immersion Project, a standard
In preparation for this week's article, I thought I would play through a few games to compare which ones might fit into the Immersion Ruleset. Instead of listing off several games and how a "normal" player might apply the rules to them, I decided to share a few examples of some of the best games that force immersion onto a player -- whether he likes it or not. Of course, this doesn't work for all people and all times. It might be a good idea to discuss how forced systems affect the game as compared to optional systems. As much as it pains me to say so (I am the biggest believer in allowing players to choose), forced immersion really does make a difference. When there is a standard, all players must abide by it -- no shortcut will do away with it. So, here are a few games that force a player to immerse himself into a game through a combination of systems, environment, and setting. Of course this might or might not be a good thing, depending on the player.
Free for All: Revisiting the rules of immersion
Years ago, I found myself wanting something more out of my gaming. I never was a "typical" player; I never achieved max level or defeated the greatest enemies. After some thought, I realized that I played the same as I lived: always curious, needing to explore, willing to step into someone else's story, or wanting to create my own. I needed games to mean more than just a stat-sheet or a weekly raid schedule. I needed to feel more connected to this activity that was taking up so much of my time. Otherwise, it was just a job. At the time, I was very much into Vanguard. I still am, but my schedule has left me without enough time to play as much as I'd like. I loved how the world of Telon sucked you in with its massive landscapes and endless waters. Yes, the game has many issues, and yes, the community does as well. I wasn't going to let that stop me from writing up a series of rules -- more like guidelines -- that would almost force myself to slow down, to connect to the character I was playing, and to have fun. I've decided to re-examine and update the rules, especially because I could use them now more than ever. We'll start by breaking down the original set.
Free for All: An insight into Istaria's indie development
Last week I was able to hand off some questions to Amarie, the Community Manager for Virtrium and Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted -- the game formerly known as Horizons. While the game might be getting a little long in the tooth, it's important to note that development is still a priority and that the game is still very enjoyable and playable. It boasts 11 different playable races (including dragons!) and an open character development system that puts some more modern games to shame. I recently received a copy of a producer's letter and was impressed by its open, frank nature. I quickly contacted the team and its members agreed to answer several questions. There's a lot to read, so grab a coffee and let's take a look into the world of indie development.
Free for All: Lessons from the world of indie and free-to-play
I'm no expert at anything. I'm sort of like the Mario of gaming -- not an ace in one particular area, but relatively experienced in all. Luckily, this has worked out for me. Name a title; I either have played it or know about it. Name a developer, and I can probably tell you something about it that sticks out. Granted, this ability might not come in handy when Twitter is exploding in the usual "Hey, we all love football" Sunday chatter, but look where you're reading this now. On this turf, being a well-rounded gamer has its advantages. Over the last 11 years, I've noticed quite a few trends and picked up on some unique ways that developers do business. I would never say that the information I have is 100 percent accurate, but it does come from a very open mind. I'll also not pretend that all these lessons will lead to massive piles of cash and free booze. Some of them are examples of what not to do. In fact, stop listening to me. Go read the examples right now, after the jump.
