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Breakfast Topic: The Importance of Lore
One of the reasons the world of Azeroth made a decent starting place for an MMORPG was its long history in the Warcraft series of games. Azeroth already had a detailed history that potential players were aware of and that could be built on in the construction of a larger virtual world. However, as WoW's appeal has broadened beyond the traditional gamer demographic, we're seeing new players who may be visiting Azeroth for the first time - with no knowledge of the world's history. What do you think - is the deep history of the world an important part of your play experience, or is it all about the gameplay?
History of the Blood Elves
The official World of Warcraft site has been updated with a new feature, detailing the lore & history behind the mysterious Blood Elves, soon to be gracing Azeroth in the Burning Crusade expansion.The story follows the legacy of the outcast elf Dath'Remar Sunstrider, and how he led his people to their new home in Azeroth, millennia before the first war. From reading this, it looks like Blizzard has done another excellent job in setting up the backstory of the new Horde race & incorporating their history into the World of Warcraft; you can check out the story right here.
Text sex: the naughty MUD that wasn't
In this week's Escapist, MUD legend Richard Bartle takes a look at a project that was never released -- an erotic, text-based massively multiplayer game. According to Bartle, sex via text has the advantage of being completely freeform, allowing anything and everything, and holds a greater appeal for women.An interesting design twist means that the act of intercourse itself was implemented "using a modification of the classic MUD combat system". Instead of getting points yourself, however, you gained points based on your partner's prowess. Sadly, the game was not to be -- the company behind it ran out of money -- but comparing it to today's heavily graphically-oriented sex games, we have to wonder whether 3D is the answer to everything sex-wise.
Ron Wayne quits Apple - 30 years ago
The company was just a couple of weeks old, but he had to quit. Ron Wayne, one of the original stakeholders in Apple Computer was apparently worried about debt. I sympathize with Ron's decision, having been involved in one too many startups. Unfortunately, Ron could be a billionaire today if he'd stuck it out. But that's life, isn't it? To hear just a bit more on Ron's decision, and to hear a lot more from some of the first Apple employees, listen to TWiT #48. It's Dvorak-free. [Via Apple Matters]
Horror history: Inside 3D Monster Maze
Developed for the Sinclair ZX81 twenty-five years ago, 3D Monster Maze occupies a tender spot in European gamers' hearts; consisting of a maze rendered in contemporary 3D and complete with a monster, it truly lived up to its title. As the first 3D title for a home computer, and the first corridor-based horror game, 3DMM is considered by some to be the first FPS, a precursor to the likes of Doom -- technically the game features no shooting, but there are similar elements.However, it wasn't developed as a game at all, as this behind-the-scenes look by Edge reveals. Originally a learning exercise, the frightening T-Rex only came to life after a casual suggestion, and the game's air of horror and suspense developed from there. This story really brings to life the days of bedroom coders and the times when a game could change on the creator's whim, although anyone who remembers the cold sweat induced by the words "HE HAS SEEN YOU" is probably quite glad they're over.
Twenty years on: gaming now and then
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. This short but sweet comparison shows games from the 1980s put side-by-side with their modern counterparts, helping to show how far gaming has come in two decades.What's harder to judge is whether the games on the left are fundamentally any different from those on the right. A glossy graphical coating might mask identical gameplay, and you may have had as much fun playing The Bard's Tale then as you do World of Warcraft now. The success of various Xbox Live Arcade titles is testament to the timeless nature of some games; next-gen graphics are undoubtedly nice, but they serve to hide any advances being made on the gameplay fronts.[Via /.]
A Brief History of ClarisWorks
Ah, ClarisWorks...the first software I truly admired. One of the developers of ClarisWorks, Bob Hearn, recounts the history of the software as it developed from an independent title into the productivity package that so many of us used on our early Macs.I still admire the way "frames" worked in ClarisWorks/AppleWorks and know of several people who continue to rely on this feature every day to get their work done. The simplicity of being able to move objects (for example, a spreadsheet, a table, or a graphic) around between the different components of ClarisWorks was a model I wish many other programs had.
"The world's biggest backyard fence to talk over"
MacTV has posted a really interesting videocast 'flashback' on the early days of computing in 1981 (iTMS link), including news footage and computing expo coverage. An intriguing but brief interview with "multi-millionaire Steve Jobs" made it into the vidcast, and barring any discussions of how ruthless his Steveness may be, he exhibited the same kind of well-spoken zest for computing in 1981 that he still has on stage today. At the least, it's a short but fun glimpse at what all this computer stuff was like 25 years ago. If you haven't subscribed to the MacTV vidcast (or the iPod edition) yet, this is a great time to start. They consistently post interesting video bits like this both new and old, covering topics you typically won't see elsewhere.
Sexy games: a rich and racy history
If you want a refresher course in the history of sex and games, 1up and OPM have just the thing. Their illustrated timeline gives a quick rundown of the seedier side of gaming, hitting important milestones such as the advent of Tomb Raider and Rez's infamous vibrator.Like some games' attempts at sex, it's ultimately shallow and unfulfilling, charting mainstream milestones for the most part. The advent of realistic "jiggle" technology isn't necessarily on a par with the GTA "Hot Coffee" mod in the history of sex and gaming; however, sexual content in games continually skirts the boundary between mainstream acceptability and outright scandal. The increasing acceptability is demonstrated by a recent sex-based advergame for Running Scared--it seems the motto "sex sells" has well and truly found its place in video games.See also:If you're looking for a special gift this Valentine's, the Sex and Games shopping list is a good place to start, and there are several sex-based MMOs in the pipeline if you're still mulling over the idea.
Warcraft lore
In my daily search for WoW material for all of you, I stumbled across one of the ultimate stores of lore material! It appears that dedicated warcraft lore fans have gone to extreme lengths to give us this great reference. You can find everything in there, from the Dalaran mages to the Draenei. I would highly recommend taking a gander through it all, I have learned a ton just clicking on a few links. The wiki even houses material about the upcoming expansion, including the rumors, so comb through and see what you can find - I have started to firm up my opinion based on info in the wiki! If I were a bettin man, I would look for the race to be Draenei for sure...
