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Stick and Rudder: Five reasons Star Citizen isn't a dedicated PvP game
Is it just me, or does a new PvP-vs.-PvE fight break out on the Star Citizen forums every five minutes? In fairness to everyone involved, the jousting we've seen over the past few months is pretty typical of every early adopter MMO community. There's plenty of preening, pseudo-intellectualism, and outright trolling on both sides of the aisle as two player groups make their preferences known early and often in a blatant attempt at influencing game developers to develop something more to their liking. With Star Citizen, though, and with the all-PvP-all-the-time crowd in particular, I'm constantly left wondering whether these people have bothered to research the game they're backing.
EVE Evolved: Will Star Citizen or Elite harm EVE?
Publishers haven't been willing to put a lot of money behind a sci-fi sandbox for some time, but upcoming games Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous seem set to revive the genre thanks to the power of crowdfunding. Star Citizen in particular has collected a world record $19.6 million in pledges so far from almost 258,000 individuals, eliminating the need for publishers and heavy investment entirely. Though both games are designed to be a primarily singleplayer or small-scale multiplayer adventures, their respective developers have already promised shared online universes and sandbox gameplay that could give EVE Online a run for its money. The past decade has shown EVE to be one of the most resilient MMOs on the planet. It's survived several major scandals, barely noticed the release of giant World of Warcraft, and has somehow maintained its subscription-based business model in a market rapidly being overtaken by free-to-play titles. Even at its lowest point, the game managed to survive the 2011 monoclegate scandal and the subsequent fallout that saw CCP Games lose 20% of its staff worldwide. EVE's subscriptions and concurrent user numbers have historically been unaffected by the release of new MMOs or sci-fi titles, so why should Star Citizen be any different? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE Online has lived with very little direct competition until now and ask whether Star Citizen and Elite could be among the first games to directly draw players from EVE.
Free for All: Taking my turn in Ecol Tactics
Last weekend, I spent some time with Ecol Tactics, a new turn-based MMO brought to us by Games Campus. It features a lot of the same mechanics we have seen before, similar art design to other titles, and a browser-based, Flash-based accessibility that is always welcome. Sure, I was able to enjoy it for only several hours, but during that time, I noted just why Anime and turn-based combat is still successful and why Ecol Tactics is wise to take such a successful genre and launch a new title within it. Anime is easy to digest. The characters on the screen feel chunky but agile. There's something instantly likeable about the characters in Ecol Tactics. They are detailed like an army of miniature soldiers. Wisely, the developers show you some high-level spells and combat before you even get out of the newbie area. I have to admit that I looked forward to the day I would be able to lay waste to a half-dozen monsters with a single swipe of my weapon. %Gallery-176948%
Anarchy Online gearing up for more major updates in July
Anarchy Online is still going strong several years after release, due in no small part to several rolling upgrades from the development team. The latest monthly developer update makes it clear that the team is nearly done with another major update -- after spending April through June getting the existing game to work with a new game engine, the task of getting art assets lined up and working is underway for July. But it's more than just a new engine on the way. The developers are actively looking at making the new player experience more engaging and accessible, as well as looking to roll out further improvements to the game's market system. The procedure for server migration of organization-run cities is also covered, with some vague statements about the land previously reserved for non-instanced cities. If you're a stalwart player of Anarchy Online, there's plenty of interest within the latest update, even if it's not quite on deck just yet.
Anarchy Online celebrates 10 years this weekend
It seems like there's an MMO anniversary happening every other day around these parts. While it's indeed commendable for some of these games to last a year or three, Funcom's Anarchy Online has just reached the lofty summit reserved for the likes of EverQuest and Ultima Online: Yep, Rubi-Ka is 10 years old and still going strong. Funcom has issued a press release that's heavy on the innovative aspects of the world's first sci-fi MMORPG. "Instancing, massive player vs. player combat, digital download of games, in-game advertisement, virtual world radio, concerts, virtual items, and freemium business models" are just a few of the initiatives that showed up early in Anarchy Online. The release also serves to accentuate how much has changed since the game's genesis, as it notes that AO's original 1995 design document questioned the future viability of the internet and hoped for 2,500 subscribers. No 10-year anniversary would be complete without a respectable bash, and Funcom's release also outlines the festivities coming your way in the form of events and new content. The party (jointly produced by Funcom and Gridstream Productions) starts tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. EDT and will continue into the weekend. Even if you're not up for virtual dancing, you'll want to check it out for a new birthday raid, new vehicles, clothing, gear, action figures, and pets. Head to the official website to learn more.
The Anvil of Crom: Server merges, separation, and why both are potentially swell
Last week I mentioned that the Age of Conan Unrated announcement has given us a lot to talk about. There's the 800-lb. free-to-try elephant in the room, there's a bunch of new content that's both coming soon and already here, and there's also an endlessly fascinating quote from Funcom game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison that is, well, endlessly fascinating. This last bit got lost in the big announcement blitzkrieg, and because it was buried in the depths of a thread about roleplay on the EU boards, it's safe to assume that 99.99% of Age of Conan players didn't read it. Regardless, it may well be one of the more interesting and exciting developments in Age of Conan's short history. What was it about? Well, it involves servers, server merges, and new technology that could change the way we think about MMORPGs and server populations.
The Daily Grind: Why don't you like PvE?
You might know that it's not real. You might be reminding yourself that all you're fighting are lines of computer code sitting on a server somewhere with no connection to a real heroic struggle. But if you're even remotely a fan of fantasy, when you find yourself drawing your weapon of choice against a dragon, you can't help but identify with a long-held tradition. There's a reason many players will judge a game solely on its PvE -- while PvP is all about balance and mechanics, PvE is all about showing you something new and amazing. But we come here to bury PvE, not praise it. Maybe you get annoyed, from time to time, at the thought that all you're really doing is dancing according to a known pattern in tune with computer code. Maybe you don't like realizing that all of your accomplishments will be reset along a set pattern. Or maybe you're just not a fan of fighting internet dragons when you could fight real opponents sitting behind a keyboard. Whatever your reason, tell us -- why don't you like PvE? 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!
Blizzard working on ways to improve dungeon finder
The current dungeon finder is of course a vast improvement over the old LFG channel, but it can always be made better. In response to a forum thread about the dungeon finder's ever becoming performance-based, Zarhym weighed in with some interesting news. Zarhym - Dungeon queue should be performance-based We would love to implement better ways for Dungeon Finder to detect if players know what they're doing in dungeons beyond just the gear they've accumulated. We have some long-term design goals in mind for this we're not quite prepared to share this early on though. ;) source What was more interesting was the idea that Blizzard wants to improve the educational aspect of the service, however. With the current vote kick system, often players who are forced out of a group may have no idea why they failed, especially when they are new to the game.
GDCO 2010: Spacetime Studios' Cinco Barnes talks mobile design
Spacetime Studios, the developer of the popular mobile MMO Pocket Legends, was started back in 2005 to create large-scale MMOs. Its founders decided to make a mobile platform MMO upon seeing the obvious marketing opportunity that the iPhone provided. After all, the players would already be connected and would be accustomed to microtransactions through exposure to iTunes and the app store. Of course, development could prove disastrous if the wrong game plan were followed, so Spacetime decided to keep it simple. How simple? Cinco Barnes of Spacetime was on hand at GDC Online to explain how his team members did it. What they found was a chance to do more than they'd initially planned on -- and an audience ready to gobble up everything the studio could create.
The Mog Log: We interrupt this broadcast for a conversation
The verdict on our Chains of Promathia trial is... postponed for a little bit. (I did warn everyone.) With the revelations of E3 and the new Final Fantasy XIV benchmark, not to mention the upcoming June version update, we've had plenty to talk about in the community of late. There's news about how the game will play, new areas to explore, new cinematics and previews, and the chance to annoy everyone in the months leading up to Final Fantasy XIV's release by posting your computer's score whenever possible. I'll admit to finding the benchmark a bit surprising, actually. The benchmark for Final Fantasy XI didn't come out until it was fairly close to release... which implies to me that the game is more finished than Square-Enix is letting on. That, in my mind, ties into the most interesting part of our interview with Tanaka, where he mentioned that this entire phase of testing was created for player feedback. I'm not saying anything, just speculating. But it's not my place to speculate this week, is it?
The Daily Grind: Want a private server?
When someone says 'private server' with respect to MMORPGs, it's hard to avoid mentally swapping a few letters and coming up with 'pirate server.' Rarely, if ever, have game companies licensed their software to individuals or groups, preferring instead to maintain tight control over the end user's options and general gaming experience. The lock down hasn't stopped many enterprising coders from rolling out their own versions of their favorite games. Titles as diverse as Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Lineage 2, Aion, and World of Warcraft have all been accurately replicated by third parties in the past, and many of these private communities, while illegal, boast very respectable user populations. Clearly there's a market for a customizable MMORPG experience, and I'm curious why development teams and publishers haven't tried to cater to it. Is it the costs involved? The technology? Surely with all the instancing in use in today's games it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to rent copies of the game world to roleplayers, immersion enthusiasts, and others who prefer a little more control over their experience. What do you think, dear readers? Would you, or your guild, pay a premium for your own MMORPG server?
GDC10: Land of Chaos Online interview
MMOs are a strange genre without many of the clearly-defined borders for something that is or isn't a part of the field. Not surprisingly, there's a lot of innovation in the field that's confined strictly to the absolute edges of what could be considered an MMO. Games such as MAG and Global Agenda feature several shooter conventions mixed with several MMO conventions, and it's an interesting formula. Land of Chaos Online is pushing the formula as well, by adding in third-person shooter elements to a Defense of the Ancients-style match format. The game is on the outer edge of the genre, but it draws much of its gameplay and feel from MMOs, with a strong emphasis on coupled character persistence and more shooter-style elements. We caught up with Achim Kaspers, managing director of Burda:ic, during GDC to talk about what the game would play like and get an idea of what we could expect. More information on this unique game after the cut.
What effect does the Dungeon Finder have on smaller servers?
For a few days now, I've been mulling over a point raised by Spinksville in a blog post concerning the Dungeon Finder's impact on smaller servers. It was her contention that, although the Dungeon Finder makes getting 5-man runs faster and easier for people on underpopulated realms, the new tool was contributing (or likely to contribute) to the depopulation of realms without a lot of options for raiding. It's never been easier to gear up a character, she observed, and someone with a geared character is increasingly likely to want that toon raiding. However, smaller servers rarely field the array and depth of PuG raiding opportunities offered by larger realms. Her conclusion? "Being on a smaller server has never been less attractive for a casual player." While I go back and forth on that point -- lots of people will just gear a toon for its own sake without necessarily planning to raid on it -- I don't think she's entirely wrong, and I also think the larger point concerning the Dungeon Finder's potential impact on server communities is probably accurate.
Drama Mamas: Spoilsport speed demons
Dodge the drama and become that player everyone wants in their group with the Drama Mamas. Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are real-life mamas and experienced WoW players -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your server. We're taking your questions at DramaMamas (at) WoW (dot) com. What happens when the Dungeon Finder matches up a group of players with the right mix of roles but the wrong mix of goals? Who "wins" when veteran players want to speed-run a lower-level instance, while the new players want to savor every surprise and puzzle over every trick? Lisa and Robin are on different sides of the fence this week. No matter which philosophy rings true for you, it's something worth agreeing on with the rest of the group at the beginning of the run. Dear Drama Mamas: Having played a mage for the last 18 months, I decided to level my first alt, a priest. I ran into unexpected drama problems running my priest in the entry level instances using the random Dungeon Finder. You've offered excellent commentary on issues arising in endgame instances. I am soliciting your insight on conflict unique to the low-end random instances. In contrast to endgame instances, where gear issues arise, random entry-level instances are mixing highly experienced players with people who are new to World of Warcraft. The principal conflict that arises is the first group wants to get geared and leveled as quickly as possible. The new players are there to experience what the instance offers. The first wants to run the instance quickly, the second need time. Regards, Anonymous
Anti-Aliased: Yu rack disriprine pt. 2
CasualLolz player, meet OMGHARDCOREBBQ player The last part of odd group dynamics comes from how much our genre has grown since the days of EverQuest and Final Fantasy XI. Back in the days pre-Warcraft, the MMO community was a small group of gamers who, for the most part, had the same play styles. If you didn't like the genre, you probably didn't play the games. The games presented their basic dynamics to the player very quickly, and people who didn't like how the game was going had the chance to drop out at level 10 or earlier. That's not how the community is today. Thanks to the rampant success of Warcraft, friends are inviting non-MMO friends. People who haven't even touched a game before Warcraft are picking up MMOs. They jump in, do their soloing, fall in love with those dynamics instead of being immediately introduced to party dynamics, and then enter into parties with explosive consequences. It's then, at this late point in the game, when they realize that they don't want to be with other people. They don't want to re-learn everything because they feel that they have mastered what the game is all about. Then you have the player that has played the older games, who does know what to expect, and who runs his endgame content with an iron fist. Do one thing wrong and he screams at you, because in the "olden days" doing one thing wrong netted you extreme penalties and raid wipes. Putting these two people into the same group is not going to work. Yet, this occurs every day in Warcraft and other MMOs because of how huge the genre has become. Some people come because they want to have some easy fun, but then they falter when they get to the content that is obviously targeted towards people who have been in the genre for some time. The people who have been in the genre can't stand the people who are there for the casual soloing because they act too loosely in raids. Yet, it's not all that bad For how much we moan and complain about pick-up groups, you'd think the sky was falling. Sure, the rate of failure in grouping is much higher than it use to be, but that's the way it's going to become. The bright side to all of this is the very same sentence I used at the beginning of the article -- grouping is all about having experience grouping. As the newcomers and old players adjust to the new ways MMOs work, they will become more experienced. The fail wipes of today will become the successes of tomorrow, as long as players learn to stick with it and take the good with the bad. Failure will never disappear from online MMOs. It's a necessary game mechanic that can't be removed, no matter how much we try to minimize penalties. Just remember to learn from the mistakes you witness -- you'll be a better player because of it. Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who thinks people might like to play with other people in MMOGs, but is probably totally wrong. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's rambling on his personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow him on Twitter through Massively, or through his personal feed.
The Daily Grind: Is phasing the new instancing?
Yesterday our very own Marc Nottke devoted his column, MMOGology, to the new technology of phasing and the effects it can have on gameplay.For those of you who are out of the loop, phasing is the new technology that World of Warcraft (and Lord of the Rings Online, to some extent) makes use of to change the world as the player completes quests and progresses in the storyline. For example, doing quests to retake a piece of the world map from the monsters might actually lead to a new base camp being set up by NPCs instead of just completing the quests and having no change occur in the world.But phasing has its own problems, as Marc has shown. Sometimes you may enter a phased state only to find that the event contained within it was started by another player, or you may find your epic storyline moment ruined by an inconsiderate person.So, with all of this in mind regarding phasing, here's the question: "Is phasing the new instancing?" Certainly it won't replace instancing completely, but should we put phasing into the category of "great leaps in game design" or should we stick it somewhere in "fads that will die in 2 years?"
Tabula Rasa's Deployment 12 hits public test server
Some potential changes to Tabula Rasa have arrived on the Public Test Server in the form of "Deployment 12," which we recently hinted was on the way. NCsoft has posted the patch notes for Deployment 12 which include changes and improvements to much of the game. One of the more significant updates mentioned is the Omega Labs instance, which is only available to level 50+ players, but numerous other changes to maps and missions are detailed at the Tabula Rasa site. Improved game mechanics, fixed interactions, and enhancements to how shadows and hues are displayed are all outlined in the patch notes as well. The changes on the Public Test Server are extensive, so be sure to see the full breakdown for a look at how Tabula Rasa is gearing up for the next Deployment.
A Star Trek Online interview about time travel and travel time
We've said before that the main source of information on Star Trek Online at this point is hints and implications peppered through interviews with Cryptic Studios' Jack Emmert. The latest of those interviews is lighter on details than were previous conversations, but it's still worth a read.Speaking to Ten Ton Hammer at Gen Con, Emmert started out vaguely answering questions about character customization. Nothing new there. But it got a bit more interesting when he used time travel as an example of something pivotal to the franchise, but that's made difficult to implement by technological and budgetary limitations. He spoke as if he'd already given a great deal of thought to it; perhaps that's a clue that despite the problems, time travel is something Cryptic intends to put in the game.Other topics included the uniqueness of Star Trek ship design, instancing, procedurally-generated areas for exploration, and travel time.
The Daily Grind: How much instancing is too much?
Plenty of MMOs use instances. Although it's pretty fundamental to the genre that a massively multiplayer game will involve shared spaces and content, sometimes it makes sense for a game to create either separate versions of common spaces, or private sub-spaces where the environment is made for a given player or group. Instancing can cut down on lag and overcrowding, by spreading the population of a given zone across multiple versions; it can also serve story goals, by allowing players to have challenges all to themselves instead of waiting in line for their turn at a public challenge.But instancing can cause problems, too. One criticism of City of Heroes was that mission maps were always instanced, creating a sense of discontinuity. Age of Conan, too, has come under fire for overuse of instancing, particularly in PvP zones, where it used to be possible for a player to make a nuisance of himself in one instance and then vanish into another to avoid pursuit.So, what sort of content should be instanced? Is there such a thing as too much instancing, or should more games be like Guild Wars, which instances just about everything? Does instancing drive you crazy, or make you sigh with relief?
Learn2play: a guide to class roles
While trying to explain the difference between MT, OT, DPS and healer to a new player, I found this well-written guide to party roles in WoW. If you're unsure quite what the difference between a main and offtank is, or which classes are considered "DPS", it's a great read.As a druid, I love the fact that my class appears under all headings, but as a recent instance run taught me, it's best to ensure you know which you are before you begin. Hybrid classes can cause no end of arguments when they fail to remain hybrid, too, so don't be afraid to switch roles if necessary -- a healing class that refuses to heal when the only other healer is out of mana is a great party annoyance.
