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The Soapbox: Defining the word "grind"
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Ravious has a post about grind and content over on the blog Kill Ten Rats, which started a great discussion that immediately attracted me like a rare earth magnet. Ravious presented a fake quest example and asked readers whether it equated to grind. Like he says, grind isn't a new concept, but revisiting it has the word-nerd in me hashing it over. Can we all agree on the term? On some level I think we can, but when it comes into use as a way to describe specific details about the grind itself or other aspects of MMOs that are affected by grind, confusion can easily set in. What I wanted to do was congeal my thoughts about this term, what its purpose is or should be, what I think it should mean, and why I dislike Wikipedia's entry on grinding. Maybe in the end we can all come to terms with it.
Flameseeker Chronicles: The faction grind in PvE
Friday's surprise confirmation of the Guardian class in Guild Wars 2 is the subject on everyone's mind, and initially I thought I'd cover it in this week's Flameseeker Chronicles. However, anything before Thursday's official reveal will only be more speculation without hard facts, and we've had more than enough of that over the past few months. With that in mind, I decided to save the Guardian for the end of the week, when I'll do my usual full rundown and analysis of the new class. Today's topic will be the one I originally had in mind: the Guild Wars faction grind. If you watched last Thursday's MVOP outing on our Livestream channel, you know we arrived at House zu Heltzer and need to accumulate 10,000 Kurzick faction before we can proceed. (If you missed it, by the way, check it out under "Latest Videos" at the bottom of our Livestream page.) Our goal to gain that faction before next Thursday, combined with the fact that Savior of the Kurzicks has been the only thing standing between my main and GWAMM for well over a year, set me to thinking about the PvE side of the faction grind in Guild Wars. As one of the many PvE-only players in Guild Wars, I thought it might be fun to take a look at what is involved in making that climb up the faction ladder -- it can get a little overwhelming! If it's a title that interests you, one that seems like an overwhelming uphill climb, I've got a few basics to help you get underway (or back on track). Follow along after the jump and let's look at what is undoubtedly the closest thing Guild Wars has to true MMO grind.
The Anvil of Crom: Breaking down the Khitai grind, part one
So I'm attacking the endgame faction grind with renewed vigor. After spending the past couple of months thoroughly engaged in Darkfall and somewhat distracted by Global Agenda, I have to confess to (formerly) being less than enthusiastic about Khitai repeatables, marks of acclaim, and 6-man pick up groups in Age of Conan. Time away from Hyboria (or at least, less time in Hyboria) makes a man yearn to return, though, as there is no place in MMO land that compares in terms of sights and sounds. That said, I'm still not a fan of the grind, and I still think Funcom needs to address the fact that it takes the average player months -- if he's lucky -- to get a full suit of Khitai armor (never mind jewelry and a couple of weapons). It does seem a bit less daunting when you break it down into chunks, though, and when you set yourself a reasonable goal and stop worrying about if or when you'll ever have time to play an alt.
Breakfast Topic: How do you respond when grinding goes competitive?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. I recently finished my Shatar Skyguard reputation grind. I'd previously done my share of rep grinding, including repeatedly decimating the populations of Felwood Timbermaw and Nagrand ogres, but I was, um, not prepared for Skettis. We tend to be a friendly group on my server, and my previous experience rep grinding involved everyone giving each other a respectful distance, taking turns and sharing a friendly wave here or there. It is quite a bit different in the cutthroat world of the Skethyl Mountains, where more than once I detected stealthed Alliance lying in wait trying to grab my summoned mobs. When it came to summoning Terokk, I quickly learned to save that for early mornings and to scope the area beforehand just to be safe from Allies, but quite regularly, someone of either faction would swoop down into a camp where I was merrily grinding away and kill the very next mob in my sights, regardless of the fact that the next camp over was completely unoccupied. I had no idea Skyguard Rep was such serious business! I eventually finished my grind and earned my Purple Riding Nether Ray and matching Nether Ray Fry, but I am still surprised by the experience. Ever enter into a WoW endeavor to find it unexpectedly competitive? Did you stick with it, or did you decide it was more trouble than it was worth?
New EverQuest progression server coming this March
Yearning for the good ol' days of corpse runs, mob trains, and grinding your eyeballs out on the EverQuest leveling curve? You're in luck, as SOE is gearing up for a brand-new progression server for its long-running fantasy opus. Beginning in March, EQ fans will have their own personal time machine, and the dial will be set circa 1999. The new server will be time-locked, meaning that EQ's laundry list of expansion content will make its way onto the shard on pre-determined dates (as opposed to being linked to player content completion). While details are somewhat sketchy at the moment, SOE has thrown up a forum thread and invited fans to join in christening the new shard. Head over to the official EQ website for more details and the official name list.
The Anvil of Crom: Time for F2P?
Welcome to the Anvil of Crom, folks, and to the new year. I kicked around a lot of ideas for this initial column, including some raid and endgame commentary, an analysis of Craig Morrison's latest development update, and a look at the new Jhebbal Sag PvP minigame. While all that stuff is worth talking about, it will have to wait, as I stumbled across a thought-provoking thread on the official forums last week that demands attention. The thread addresses, both directly and indirectly, the two most important Age of Conan issues that Funcom needs to fix in the coming year (those being the game's population and its grind). The title of the thread? Time for F2P.
The Daily Grind: What's your longest journey to the level cap?
So I recently hit the level cap (again) in Age of Conan, and it got me to thinking about how rare an occasion that really is. While I've played a huge number of MMORPGs over the years, I can count the number of times I've managed to reach the mythical endgame on one hand. I came close on a couple of occasions (notably in Aion and Lord of the Rings Online) only to have an expansion come out and bump the cap beyond the reach of an unrepentant game-hopper. Recently I've returned to Atreia for a bit of dabbling, and given the stately pace of NCsoft's updates, it looks like I might possibly max out at 55 in the near future. If and when that momentous occasion occurs, my Sorcerer will be well over a year in the making. Conversely, I'm about to ding 50 on my first Global Agenda character even though I only started playing the game in October. These two titles sit at opposite ends of the MMO progression spectrum. One has been watered down from its grindy roots but still boasts a disheartening 50-to-55 summit, while the other is expressly designed for lighting-fast progression (made even faster by boosts from Hi-Rez's store). Today's Daily Grind is all about leveling speed. What's yours? What is the longest time frame you've ever spent maxing out a character? 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!
Choose My Adventure: Singing the skill grind blues
Well, here we are folks, smack dab in the middle of our Darkfall run for Choose My Adventure. With three weeks down and three weeks to go, I have to be honest: I feel pressed for time. There's so much to see and do in this game that six weeks simply isn't enough to really do it justice (to say nothing of the fact that it's not nearly enough time to build a competitive character in terms of the skill grind). In any event, I'll do what I can to give you an accurate read on the game, and as my first couple of columns have admittedly erred on the side of fresh-faced enjoyment, today's entry will touch on a few of the game's less than savory aspects. In addition to that, I'll recap a few of my gameplay highlights from the past week. Join me after the cut for a look at my Darkfall present and future as well as a video diary of my adventures thus far.
The Daily Grind: Do you multitask in MMOs?
One of the defining maxims of my life is "Two birds with one stone." No, I'm not an avian serial killer (well, not yet...), but I do like to combine activities as much as possible, particularly when one is boring or repetitive. While MMOs definitely have exciting parts, it's hard to deny that there's a good chunk of time where one enters the Grind Zone of repetitive tasks. Because of this, I am a proponent of multitasking while playing MMOs. I usually listen to a podcast, set up a movie on a portable DVD player next to the monitor, or even let my character auto-attack a bit while I do a bit of correspondence. I am always paying attention to the chat box scroll -- and the laughable debates that folks have in world-wide channels -- and I've been known to bounce a baby or two on my lap while downing a boss. Are you like me? Do you multitask while playing MMOs? If so, spill the beans -- what else do you do while you play? 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!
Rise and Shiny recap: Legend of Edda
Legend of Edda is a bright and shiny new game from Games Campus. It pits your character against uncountable, endless hordes of all types of monsters and even other players. According to my on-again-off-again education about Anime (I consulted those weird teens that sit in the Barnes and Noble reading Manga) the artstyle of the game is called "Chibi," the Japanese word for "little people." I was sure to ask if the word could be offensive, in the same way that calling any little person a "midget" could be. I have been assured that it is not used in such ways. Still, I hesitate to say that the game is cute. It is, but not just cute. It speaks to that same area of us that enjoys Domo, or that relishes in YouTube videos of puppies barking in their sleep. It's not just cute -- it's something deeper than that. I love how tough everything seems, how every character has such a low center of gravity. The standard top-down view is perfect for such a world. But, what about the grind? How about the PvP?
The Daily Grind: What kill gave you the most satisfaction?
"One day, I swear, you'll be the death of me!" our moms promised. While this never happened (and if it did, we at Massively will not be caught harboring fugitives in the comments section), it turns out that we did become the death of many, many things. MMOs are virtual slaughterhouses, full of bloodthirsty warriors and crazy-eyed mages looking to exterminate the local fauna in exchange for a few pieces of coin and an experience point or two. Killing is what we do, and we do it quite well. In the spirit of rat-murdering sprees, we want to ask you: What kill in an MMO gave you the most satisfaction? Was it a major raid boss that you and 39 of your closest friends finally downed? Was it the final death blow at the end of a super-long grind? Was it even a PvP victory in which you finally got even with an annoying nemesis? Today it's OK to admit that you're a stone-cold killer. In fact, we welcome it. Share with us, so that we may admire your savage strength! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of our 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 The Daily Grind!
Free for All: Everything I know I learned from Iris Online
OK, so the title is a little overly dramatic, and I should clarify. I meant to say: Everything I know about how I currently feel about the different types of MMOs coalesced once I downloaded and played Iris Online. I will admit to being extra-excited at first, since I had a great conversation with Tara from gPotato about the game, but my excitement has carried through so far. Iris Online comes from the same people that published Flyff and Rappelz all those years ago, so I was eager to see how similar games have evolved since that time. After all, everything in the industry has changed since even a few years ago, so why would imported "grinders" be any different? I would have to spend some time revisiting old games and downloading new ones. I had no idea that playing Iris would set off a chain reaction of realizations that I previously thought I already had. The game simply lit the spark under my foot and set me off on an even deeper exploration of this classically styled type of game.
Wings Over Atreia: Mira, mira, on the wall...
Who is the happiest to be done with it all? If not me (I will certainly defer to those who endured 10+ attempts at the hot heart of magic craft), then I surely rank right up near the top! Yes folks, there is a Santa Cl... I mean an end to the Miragent/Fenris questline in Aion, and I have found it. To those naysayers, those unbelievers who think otherwise, I say I am living proof that Mira does not stand for mirage! I admit, I am indeed grateful to be looking back on the experience, instead of ahead to it. Between the grinding, the spawn camping, and the curse of the RNG, to say that the journey to obtain Miragent or Fenris armor is a rough road is putting it mildly. I spent a fair share of time just being grateful the questline doesn't include belts and hats; I think there would be a mass exodus if NCsoft introduced Miragent/Fenris jewelry. Although each leg of this race has had rough patches, I still believe it has been worth it. Make a final dash past the cut to experience the end of an era: the completion of the quest for Miragent armor.
How Star Wars: The Old Republic tackles the grind
Star Wars: The Old Republic systems director Damion Schubert hosted a panel at GDC Online 2010 this week about that excruciating aspect of gameplay known as "The Grind," which he defined as any time developers ask players to do something they don't enjoy in order to open up something that they will enjoy. Most developers use the grind to fill out gameplay content -- handcrafted, "gold standard" content is much tougher to make, whereas grindy content is cheap to put together. But sometimes it comes in handy, said Schubert. While making SWTOR, BioWare actually found that it was putting "too much gold-quality content into the game." Players would be confronted with a Star Destroyer to fight through, a lost Wookiee to save, and a Sith quest to complete; and Schubert said that "we had, by jamming all of this good stuff together, actually made it grindy." So to fix the issue, BioWare first cut some of the least powerful stories (the lost Wookiee didn't make the cut, Schubert confirmed), and then spaced the rest of them out. Additionally, a feature called "bonus quests" will create optional tiny grinds -- players will be offered extra grind-style goals ("Kill 10 Stormtroopers") while running other quests. That "keeps the activity level up, but lets the gold-standard content breathe," according to Schubert. He admitted that the grind isn't always a bad thing -- developers sometimes have great reasons to add grinding, and there's a perception factor to consider, as well (one player's maximum effort is another's boring grind). But developers should be able to balance the grind with content and activities that players do care about, Schubert urged, creating a full experience that requires different kinds of efforts for equally different kinds of rewards.
Wings Over Atreia: Miragents -- let there be pants!
Whew. I made it through acquiring three pieces of the Miragent armor set in Aion relatively intact -- even with the majority of my sanity (although, I really didn't have that much to start with!). A decent accomplishment, I must say. However, a girl simply can't be running around Atreia without pants! So with my eyes affixed on the fourth piece of my set, I take a deep breath and plow ahead on the next lap. The biggest cause of grief for most Aion players is none other than this fourth quest of the Miragent/Fenris questline -- the leggings. If (when, should I use when here?) you succeed, there will never be heard more exalted shouts of joy among all the lands. In fact, you can't convince me that the Reian tribe in Gelkmaros doesn't hear these carried on the winds. Yet if you fail? Such weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as to bring to mind fiery pits of brimstone will reverberate throughout Atreia instead; even the walls of the Temple of Scales are sure to tremble at such a cacophony of anguish. With Assault on Balaurea released and the consequent introduction of new armors for levels 51-55, is there any reason to continue clawing my way up the Miragent/Fenris mountain? Perusing the new offerings of gear demonstrated that yes, indeed, it is worth staying in the race; Miragent armor still comes out as a very strong choice in gold apparel for the high-level Daeva. Admit it, how many of you want to skip to the end to see if I made my first attempt at crafting the Hot Heart of Magic? Mmhmm, thought so. Go ahead -- peek past the cut to follow the next step of the journey and see how exactly I fared.
The Daily Grind: No grind?? No pre-order!!
This week's internet furor over Final Fantasy XIV's fatigue mechanic has been fascinating to watch. First off, as I'm a relative outsider to the franchise, it's given me an excuse to read up on the title as well as its predecessor, Final Fantasy XI (one of the few MMORPGs that couldn't hold my attention for the full free month). More importantly though, the walls of flame incoming from fans all over the internet about what amounts to a grind-limiting mechanic has been, shall we say, perplexing. Regardless of whether the actual mechanics and their effects have been lost in the language translation (which I'm still unclear on, to be perfectly honest), the fact remains that many, many players clearly want to grind when they play MMORPGs. A quick perusal of the comments on Eliot's article confirms that for many folks, nothing in these games aside from the ability to continually advance your character matters. The question of the day, Massively readers, is this: do you have to grind to enjoy your MMORPGs? Is there nothing aside from character advancement that compels you to play an MMO?
The Road to Mordor: Rep pony riots
Last week I received a note from a LotRO player named Shawn who was concerned about one of the controversies revolving around the LotRO store and was wondering if I was going to touch on it. Now, it's no personal surprise that the store was going to have controversial aspects to it -- I can't even imagine a scenario in which it wouldn't -- but I assured him I'd tackle the subject and more after downing a few strong drinks and subjecting myself to 414 straight pages of forum rants. My reluctance to talk about this is due to a combination of (a) not feeling that strongly to the point of frothing at the mouth about a lot of these items for sale, and (b) the fact that no matter what position I'd take, I'd lose with at least some readers. Hard place, me, rock. So what the hey, why not take the reputation horse by the reigns and see how I can muddle through this and come out with a majority of my skin unflayed! I'm only going to do this with one provision, however -- that next week I get to talk about what I actually like about the store. There may be hugs and ballads involved. To controversy and beyond, tallyho!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Back to basics
With all the talk of Guild Wars 2 these days, many players are beginning to pay attention to Guild Wars, something they've not done before. And there's good reason to jump into Guild Wars right now. It serves as the backstory to Guild Wars 2; the entire Guild Wars trilogy plus the Eye of the North expansion can be had for a song these days; and there's no subscription fee. Players who are a little burned out on their previous games of choice are thinking that maybe there's something to this game after all, and I've been getting more than a few emails with general questions about starting this five-year-old game. So while we've been focusing pretty heavily on Guild Wars 2 in Flameseeker Chronicles lately, I decided to take this week to discuss why it's never too late to start Guild Wars while you wait for GW2 to arrive.
The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: The history
After a two-week hiatus to recover from rattlesnake bites and a bear to the face, the Game Archeologist returns to travel to England, but not the England we know today. No, this is the England-That-Could-Have-Been, the England of King Arthur, Excalibur and pointy-hatted Vikings. This is the England of fairy tales and legends and blocky 2001-era polygon models. It is the England of three realms constantly jockeying for supremacy and power. It is Dark Age of Camelot. It's a pretty awesome place to live, even though the property values are way, way down after the last 18 marauding hordes trampled through the neighborhood. This month, the Game Archaeologist is trading in his copyright-infringement fedora and whip for a sturdy suit of armor and a fiery sword as he slashes his way into Dark Age of Camelot. It doesn't matter if it's only a model -- it still inspires him to break out into song anyway.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guilds, grind, and Gamescom
Thursday evening was fairly eventful for me. Thursday is our regular Massively night in Guild Wars, so [MVOP] arrived in The Wilds and began setting up for our run through the mission. We found a few players waiting for us, extended guild invites, sorted out our grouping, and off we went. We made it through the mission with only one hitch -- which I'll address in a moment -- then headed over to the Eye of the North to begin tackling the Asura storyline. The plan was to make the full trek through Vloxen Excavations to the Asura Gate, but once we arrived at Umbral Grotto, certain party members (me) were falling asleep in their seats and had to bow out and get some rest. The plans for this week are all set, and everyone is welcome to join us. Now, about that little hitch. We were traipsing around the jungle in The Wilds when I got an IM telling me that the level cap had been set for Guild Wars 2. What? No way. A quick check confirmed it, and my wonderful group sent me off to a safe corner to leech and knock out a quick news story while they continued the mission. They even came back to find me after I returned and demonstrated my truly dismal navigational skills, because they are wonderful like that. The leveling and progression information was pretty big news, so there was no question that I'd look into it a bit more deeply for this week's Flameseeker Chronicles -- follow along after the jump.
