ratonga
Latest
EverQuest Next debates which small race will make the cut for launch
The EverQuest Next team is tackling the issue of smaller races and is using a round table poll as a way to assist the devs in deciding which iconic shorties should make it to launch. While Dwarves are a given for a launch race, several other short races are up in the air as to whether they'll make it in the initial cut of the game or be held back until later. Fae and Gnomes ended up at the top of the poll, while Ratongas and Froglocks tied for last place. The devs were surprised by how popular the Fae ended up being in the poll, which in turn caused them to take a closer look at their potential as a launch race. One of the issues that the team is grappling with is the difficulty in giving shorter races the new "heroic movement" that will take place in EQN. Watch the debate after the cut!
The Daily Grind: Why do you play an anthropomorphic race?
A Daily Grind discussion last week on MMO races that we detest got me thinking about anthropomorphic races -- you know, the animals-on-hind-legs dudes and dudettes. The frog-people. The cow-people. The cat-people. The wolf-people. The leopard-people. The rat-people. The lizard-people. The panda-people. Really, the sky's the limit when you can turn any animal into a humanoid playable race. I'm only disappointed that we haven't seen platypus-people or manatee-people yet in MMOs. Without bringing the "imaginary racism" this time, I'm genuinely curious what propels people to play an anthropomorphic race. The easy jab would be to say that it's just catering to the furries out there, but I think that's not universally true. What's the appeal of playing a dog-person? It can't just be racials such as "mark your territory" and "excess slobber." So I want to hear from the folks who play one of these races and hear what your reason is for picking an animal-humanoid character. Don't be defensive. I'm not attacking you; I'm merely curious. Is it the road less traveled? Is it an affection you have for a particular animal? Is it a rebellion against the boring fantasy races out there? 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!
The Perfect Ten: Amazing amateur MMO cosplay
I find the whole cosplay subculture at conventions to be both foreign and fascinating. On one hand, I deeply admire the dedication and time it takes to put together a complex outfit and then spend all day wearing this custom-made sweatsuit. On the other hand, it does tend to bring out some folks' narcissism and unnecessary cleavage. While many facets of geek and video game culture are adequately represented by those crazy cosplayers, I don't see as much when it comes to MMORPGs. Was it truly underrepresented, I wondered, or have I just never looked? Consider the following 10 costumes the result of an afternoon or two combing through so much amateur cosplay that it vastly exceeded the recommended amount as set by the American Medical Association. I'm glad to make the sacrifice for you, and besides, you just know those doctors are the ones in these outfits, anyway. (Please note that if you're looking for more skin than skill, this will not be the list for you!)
The Tattered Notebook: Exploring GU 60
Game Update 60: The Children of War went live last week, and with it came a plethora of new content and some big changes to the game. Rallos Zek has begun preparations for his march on the Western Wastes, and Drunder is the new front line for the impending war. There are new heroic instances, new raid content, and even a new battleground scenario. In addition, there were some itemization changes, new battleground gear, and adjustments to the adornment interface. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at a few of the highlights from EverQuest II's latest update.
The Perfect Ten: Best non-traditional MMO fantasy races
Elves. Dwarves. Humans. Halflings. Gnomes. Hobbits. Dark elves. High elves. Half-elves. Wood elves. Keebler elves. Elvish impersonators. Are you as tired as I am of the endless regurgitation of stock fantasy races in our MMOs? It seems inconceivable (I do not think that means what you think it means) for a new fantasy title to come out without most of the above races infesting the character creation screen with moldy unoriginality, putrescent stank, and dusty boredom. That's why today I'm standing up to praise 10 MMOs that dare to go above and beyond the stale by offering mostly unique and different races than the rest of the market. Hopefully future games will learn from their example and throw off the yokes of generic oppression to give us something bold and refreshing!
EQII's GU58 fixes spells, adds content
It's patch day in EverQuest II, and you know what that means: ch-ch-changes (hopefully for the better). Game Update 58 is upon us -- and the servers are back up -- giving you ample opportunity to check out the laundry list of tweaks to the live client. Speaking of said laundry list, SOE's Amnerys has posted the full update notes on the official forums, and they're chock full of interesting tidbits including a spell effects revamp, a dedicated mount inventory window and appearance slots, housing tweaks, and various class, PvP, and UI updates. GU58 also marks the unveiling of a new max-level dungeon to the world of Norrath. High shaman Zraxth has unleashed powerful planar forces, and level 90 players can now travel to the Ruins of Guk to partake of the single-group zone known as Zraxth's Unseen Arcanum. Check out all the GU58 goodies on the official EQII forums.
The Tattered Notebook: Mask of the betrayer
You know, there's something decidedly ironic about playing a rat in an MMORPG, particularly in a themepark grinder like EverQuest II (and before anyone burns me at the stake, it's a good themepark grinder, I'm positively in love with it). The parallels are almost too perfect. Rats chase cheese and players chase digital carrots, running around a pre-defined maze with numerous boundaries, roadblocks, and invisible walls just like your average lab rodent. Luckily EQII camouflages these minor irritations better than most games, even on fairly grinderific content like the city betrayal quest series. Yes, I've returned to playing my ratonga after a week of cheating on him with a shiny new shadowknight, and I've finally managed to move his furry little butt away from the abusive stylings of Freeport to a comfy little four-room rat hole off the side streets of South Qeynos. Turn the page for more on his journey and thumb through his gallery below. %Gallery-98135%
The Tattered Notebook: What's a sandbox guy like you doing in a themepark game like this?
You'll have to forgive my enthusiasm this week, as there's just no way to be completely objective about the fact that I'm having a blast in EverQuest II. That said, this is an opinion column, so objectivity isn't exactly a requirement, but I do normally like to highlight the good and the bad whether it be Norrath, Hyboria, Atreia, or wherever else my wandering MMO eye casts its withering gaze. For the first time in a long time though, I'm thoroughly enjoying my MMORPGs. I know right? Who'd have thunk that you could have fun playing games? More to the point, and because I like to repeat lengthy, borderline run-on column titles, what's a sandbox guy like me doing in a themepark game like this? Sneak past the cut to find out.
The running of the Ratonga
Well, okay, it's not called that, but it's going to look awfully similar. EverQuest II is calling for players to create a brand new, level 1 Ratonga character for the Rat Race, a scavenger hunt of sorts being run on 21 different servers. The race will begin in Hate's Envy on all servers, where the horde of new Ratonga will be given a list of items to gather as they race through Norrath. The fastest finishers will win special in-game prizes, but there are also gifts for everyone who participates. Kiara and Amnerys from the SOE Community Relations team will be your hosts for this event, so it's sure to be lots of fun. This is an ongoing event, with the first race set for next Tuesday, the 13th, and races scheduled nearly every day until November 6th. Check the list on the official site for starting dates and times for each server, and good luck in the Rat Race!
