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Player vs. Everything: Maxed out and bored
Congratulations! You've hit level 70 (or whatever max level is in your favorite game), and you're officially a badass. For many players, this is a goal they've been striving towards for months -- even years in some cases. The feeling of having that first max level character is immensely invigorating. It's like putting the finishing touches on a long-term project or getting to the last page of a monstrous novel. What an accomplishment! However, after basking in the glow of your newly maxed out character for a few days, you quickly realize you have a small problem: What do you do with yourself now? The answer to that question is going to depend heavily on what game you play. For most people, it's going to be PvP, raiding, or a nice mix of both. You'll probably continue collecting gear for your character or working on your skills. Depending on the game, you might be able to work on some sort of alternate advancement or achievement system for your character -- maybe even hunt down some unique titles. All of this is pretty standard fare for endgame content. Sooner or later, you'll probably get a little bored of it. Don't fret, though! There's a whole host of other interesting things you can do to keep yourself entertained at maximum level that go beyond the planned content. Read on for a few suggestions.
Tuar Annwn holds another Date Auction Friday night
Tuar Annwn is holding another Date Auction on the Moon Guard server in order to get a nice RP event together on the first of May (video NSFW) -- they did this last December and from what we heard, it was a rousing success (get it? "a rousing"? I kill me). Ten of their finest members will be auctioned off for dates of the winning bidder and auctionee's choosing. And this time around, both women and men will be auctioned off, so they're now equal opportunity date sellers. Although, just like last time, there's probably no guarantee whether the character you win is actually the same sex as the player you win, but those are the perils of dating online, apparently.So whether you want a romantic dinner in Booty Bay or just someone to help you run through Shadowfang Keep, stop by the Moon Guard server on April 25th in Silvermoon City (they didn't mention a time, but the last event went down at 9 server time). And even if you don't have gold for a date, they probably won't mind too much if you just show up to say hi at their RP event, held on May 1st.Always love to hear about this RP stuff, especially when it's fun like this -- if you have any events going down in the future that you'd like us to report on, feel free to drop us a note on the tipline, and we'll get you some attention. Good luck to Tuar Annwn with the Date Auction this weekend -- bid high!
Taking a deeper look at TR's fighting arena
A few weeks ago we reported on a fighting arena that is rumored to be releasing with Tabula Rasa's Patch 1.8. Since then, there has been some speculation about what this area will be used for. We already know it will not be strictly for the Friday Night Fights events, but we ask ourselves if it will be open to anyone at anytime.Over at Tabula Blogger, the question is presented once again after the more recent news of our six-month veteran rewards; namely the Knuckle Dusters. Will these be a part of this arena? We can only hope, but we think the bigger question is what type of impact will this area serve (in both PvE and PvP) for players who may be finding themselves bored with the game as it stands today?
All the World's a Stage: A good roleplayer is a good person first
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, commentary, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening.Gamers, and citizens of the Internet in general, are not known for being very sociable people. To me, it's always been a big mystery why John Gabriel's GIF Theory seems so apt for so many of us. It's hard for me to fathom why people enjoy acting rude, crude, or unpleasantly in any situation. I hear them telling me "because it's fun!" but personally I can't imagine getting any kicks out of it.The roleplaying community is one of those few online spaces where things actually seem a bit different, however. Many people are not roleplayers at all, but they join up on RP servers just because roleplayers care about things like grammar and seem to be more polite in general. Since roleplaying is an inherently cooperative activity, people who want to roleplay first have to be willing to communicate nicely with others. There are, of course, players on RP realms with whom real communication seems impossible, but those people usually aren't actually roleplayers to begin with. They get about 10 seconds of attention before most roleplayers start ignoring them completely.To be a good roleplayer, one must first be a good person. The qualities of character that open doors of friendship and cooperation in real life are the same qualities that will help make roleplaying a positive and rewarding experience for you in WoW. Even if one wants to play an evil character, one must do it in such a way that others can tell you're actually a really nice and caring player behind the evil mask. Sometimes it's also handy to remind oneself how not to act like that proverbial Internet Fudgewad. All the World's a Stage is your weekly source of roleplaying tips and helpful ideas that many players can benefit from. Be sure to read on below, follow the 10 commandments of roleplaying, and avoid acting like Mary Sue in order to assure surefire protection from the evil voice of Internet Fudgewaddiness within us all.
Roleplay tidbits to be revealed in the next Blizzcast
Here's yet another reason for me and all my roleplaying kin to tune in to the next Blizzcast: They will be discussing roleplaying in WoW, says Vaneras. It won't be a major topic, but there is some discussion about plans to continue development of "things that are for roleplaying." So, I am certainly excited. I can't help but speculate where this could go. What could they have planned, development-wise? Will we see more reporting tools for RP server violations? Or will we simply see more character customization options to allow us to submerge ourselves more fully into the Worlds of Azeroth and Outland? I think my big problem is going to be holding back my expectations. They're running so wild, that I can't help but that think I'll be disappointed in what's actually said. That said, Between this information and whatever we learn about the Ashbringer, this Blizzcast should be a great listen for all RP and lore buffs. There doesn't seem to be any word yet about when it will be released, but Vaneras' post makes me think it must be close. Stay tuned here and to the official Blizzcast page.
By Crom! Another Border Kingdom Cryer!
It halted some feet away, and Conan glared at it, trying to distinguish its fire-misted outline. The quivering flame had a solid core; the flame was but a glowing green garment that masked some evil entity. "By Crom, I'll have your name!" shouted the Cimmerian. "State your business here!" A sharp laugh echoed from the slate walls of the cliffs that lined the path. "Well do you know my mission. We have come to demand RP-PvE servers in Age of Conan!" "What devilry is this? Surely even the most ale-sotted noble has ceased to call this song from the minstrels." "And yet, even as the Sun may set and shroud her rays, leaving dark; she may still rise in the morn, burning bright with the light of a million... well, a dozen... okay, with the awesome light of but a single Sun." Conan sniggered. Another role-player.A fully-fledged forum brawl has broken out over the question of PvP servers in Funcom's Age of Conan, and frankly, we're more than a little wary. Roleplaying is like juggling, after all; it looks great when it's going well, but one dropped chainsaw and suddenly everyone is screaming. Best of luck to the Conan community no matter how this one turns out. In other news, AoC dev Jason "Athelan" Stone answered a burning question about the demon form the Heralds of Xotli could wear. It used to be almost permanent, but that made all Heralds look identical; it will now be a short duration, powerful spell on a fast cooldown. That's a welcome change for any Herald who couldn't remember what they looked like! The tank-like Guardians are proving a popular class in beta; seeing how rare tanks have become in most popular MMOs, perhaps AoC has stirred the magic sauce to make them desirable both for solo and group play. It's nearing launch time for Age of Conan, and in our minds, we're already sailing the wine-dark seas of Hyboria with naught but pillage on our minds. If your dreams are likewise drenched in blood, try your hand at finding Mitra for a beta key, or try for a chance at testing PvP to your heart's content.[Via Ten Ton Hammer]
All the World's a Stage: Writing what you know
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, commentary, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening.Many people don't realize it, but every time you put your fingers to the keyboard to spell out some words, that's the same writing skill that authors and poets take years and years to practice and master. Of course there's a big difference between a simple text message and an epic fantasy novel, but any form of writing shares many of the same the fundamental skills - skills which one must then adapt to suit the particular medium you are using to communicate.As a roleplayer, in particular, one can benefit a great deal from many of the basic principles any writer uses when putting their ideas down on paper, especially principles of good communication within a storytelling medium.Today, we'll explore a particular aspect of the writing craft as applied in roleplaying: Writing what you know vs. writing what seems cool.
All the World's a Stage: Wearing the right mask
One of the most common difficulties many roleplayers face is that of finding other people to roleplay with. To help overcome this challenge, All the World's a Stage presents a guide to finding roleplayers in three parts: "finding the right realm" for roleplaying, "joining the right circle" of roleplaying friends, and "wearing the right mask" to attract other roleplayers to you. Your face is the first thing people notice about you when you go out into the world. Quite rightly, most of us put a lot of effort into making our faces look clean, healthy, and happy much of the time. Some people even go so far as to think of their faces as masks which they can use to alternately hide or reveal their true feelings to the world as each situation requires.When you roleplay, your character is the mask you wear in a world where your real face doesn't matter at all - it defines who you are within this fantasy world and it determines how others will react to you as one of its denizens. Likewise, it deserves its proper amount of attention, like the care you give your outward appearance for your real life interactions. The method of caring for it is different of course, but the spirit and intention is the same.Roleplayers have certain conventions you can use to quickly identify yourself as one interested in interacting with them. But more important than these is your attitude: just as the way you stand, smile, or keep yourself clean are all more important than the actual look of your face in real life; so, in roleplaying, a humble manner, a friendly approach, and a confident integrity are all essentials, whereas things like race, class, funny quirks and accents are all merely supporting elements.
The Gaming Iconoclast: The Road Less Taken
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.-- Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken"Unless you've studiously avoided the forums and fan sites for a particular game (wait, hold on a second... you're here already), you've probably heard endless variations on "the best" build or style for a class of character. "So-and-so should be race X, and spec Y, and wield Z." There are veritable ruts hewn in the terrain from people flocking to established builds and gear sets for most any class you care to name. But what if you don't want to follow the herd? What if the "you" in the game eschews conventional wisdom, strikes out on their own, and, with apologies to both Frank Sinatra and Johnny Rotten, does it their way? Are you thus destined to spend your gaming life shunned, a scarlet letter, or never-stylish [Noob Hat], branding you as an undesirable companion? Do you, in short, have cooties?
All the World's a Stage: Joining the right circle
One of the most common difficulties many roleplayers face is that of finding other people to roleplay with. To help overcome this challenge, All the World's a Stage presents a guide to finding roleplayers in three parts: "finding the right realm" for roleplaying, "joining the right circle" of roleplaying friends, and "wearing the right mask" to attract other roleplayers to you.So, here you are. You decided that you want to give roleplaying a try, so you picked an RP server and started leveling up. You even tried roleplaying with one person you met along the way, saying "Hail, traveler! Would you like to undertake this task with me?" Things were going along quite nicely for a few minutes until the other person said, "Dood, this quest suxxors, lol," and you realized that something had gone horribly, terribly wrong.A mystery baffles roleplayers everywhere: why is it that even on a space like an RP server, set aside for roleplaying, it can be so hard to find other people to roleplay with? Even if you have thoroughly researched the question of which server is the best place for roleplaying, still you will not be happy there until you find a circle of friends whose roleplaying you can appreciate, and who appreciate yours in return.
All the World's a Stage: Finding the right realm
One of the most common difficulties many roleplayers face is that of finding other people to roleplay with. To help overcome this challenge, All the World's a Stage presents a guide to finding roleplayers in three parts: "finding the right realm" for roleplaying, "joining the right circle" of roleplaying friends, and "wearing the right mask" to attract other roleplayers to you.Due to reasons we have discussed earlier, RP servers can vary widely from a very few who maintain their immersive roleplaying atmosphere, to the majority which often seem little different from a normal PvE or PvP server. Although Blizzard takes their RP server guidelines "seriously," they cannot enforce these rules wholesale, and rely on the players themselves to do much of their own policing and reporting where necessary. RP servers thus vary a great deal in terms of how many people there actually make roleplaying a priority, how many will report someone breaking the RP rules, and how many will strive to maintain that precious gem of mass cooperation: the roleplaying atmosphere.It may not be obvious to a new player, but there are tools roleplayers can use to find the realm that suits them best. There may be no standardized way to group up for RP, but the fact holds true: "seek, and ye shall find."
All the World's a Stage: Ten Commandments of Roleplaying
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, commentary, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening.WoW Insider is not Mount Sinai, and I am certainly not the Burning Bush, but there is a need for a clear, concise list of "do's and don'ts" which new and experienced roleplayers can refer to in times of need. I therefore submit the following commandments as a guide and a reference to roleplayers throughout the World of Warcraft.Obviously the list of essential rules I lay out here will be different from a list you might make, but hopefully the basic ideas remain the same. In addition, being as I am hardly a prophet of the Almighty, I reserve the right to edit these commandments over time as times change and new insights emerge.1. Thou shalt not play God.You only have control over the actions of your own character. When roleplaying with others, you must never ever use an emote or action which denies others the right to choose their own actions in response to yours. For example: "Moosis glares with white hot anger at Faro" is acceptable; "Moosis glares so intensely that Faro's face melts" is not. Whether or not two people's characters are fighting with each other, their act of roleplaying itself is essentially cooperative -- even in a battle of emotes, both players must work together to tell the story in an interesting way, neither one presuming what the other will do.
Tavern guide for EverQuest 2's Brew Day Festival
The EverQuest II team sent over a guide for players looking forward to this year's fantastic Brew Day event. The Festival starts today, and runs through to next Friday, the 21st. Players who participate can snag themselves a Tumpy Tonic bottle for their house, and talented videomakers who create a feature for the Brew Day video contest could win a real Tumpy Tonic glass!To make your Brew Day extra special, check out the official Tavern Guide, which lists player-run restaurants and bars. These establishments will be celebrating the event in high style, so check out the guide or read below the cut for directions to a bar on a server near you.
MMOGology: Identity crisis
Ed Norton is a mild mannered claims adjuster. He's a friendly fellow and a model employee. He's never late to work. He keeps his workspace nice and tidy. He always speaks in a pleasant and clear manner during staff meetings and never raises his voice. But underneath the freshly pressed shirt and polished shoes lies something sinister. Mr. Norton has a dark secret. As night falls on the quaint suburbs where Ed resides, a blue-white light flickers in the otherwise dark bedroom of his modest home. Ed hovers in front of his PC's monitor; the glare reflecting eerily off his horn rimmed glasses. He smiles wickedly as World of Warcraft finishes loading. Suddenly, Ed undergoes a hideous transformation. His perfectly shellacked hair becomes a wild jungle of frizz. His eyes sink back into his skull. A demonic, green light leaks from between his pointed teeth. Ed has become Durden, the blood thirsty, undead warlock. Using his epic staff of carnal destruction, Durden reaps the souls of his victims with reckless abandon, laughing at their pathetic pleas for mercy. He is guildmaster and raid leader and wields ultimate power. All shall obey his commands or be forever be exiled from his presence.Does this sound like you? If so, please seek psychiatric help immediately. While most of us don't undergo the dramatic personality change illustrated by Mr. Norton when playing our favorite MMOG, many of us do have an online persona quite different from the one we present to the real world. Akela Talamaska's recent post about the Daedalus Project lead me to a fascinating survey that examined player role reversals. The survey highlights several different scenarios in which the roles of the players are completely inverse from the roles they play in real life. What are some of these roles swaps and how do they tie into our personalities? Why do we chose to act they way we do in our virtual worlds? Find out after the break!
All the World's a Stage: There's something about Mary Sue
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, commentary, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening, (though it was delayed somewhat this time by technical difficulties).Mary Sue is extremely unpopular with roleplayers. She comes along pretending to be the only daughter of Illidan and Tyrande's one-night stand, secretly spirited away and raised by furlbogs until she underwent a mysterious transformation that turned her into a human, seduced Arthas away from Jaina, and learned from him more than you will ever know about how to be a Death (i.e. Retribution) Paladin. In fact, Mary Sue isn't just one person -- she is a demon-spirit possessing all those characters in roleplaying and fan-fiction, both male and female, who rely on clichés, melodrama, and/or supposed intimate relationships with one or more characters in the original story to such a degree that they actually try to upstage those characters, their fellow roleplayers, and indeed, the entirety of the original lore. Other roleplayers often see this sort of thing and get frustrated out of their minds.And yet there's something about Mary Sue: she keeps reappearing all over the place, from seductive blood elf hunters who claim to be Thrall's secret lover, to angst-ridden human warlocks who insist that they are the half-demon offspring of Kil'Jaeden. What is it that continually attracts people to these ideas, couched in phrases like "tragic past" and "missing one eye" and "emits a deep sorrow that makes you want to cry?" The answer is darker, more disturbing, than you can possibly imagine.
Those men aren't *all* chicks
The recent announcement of research results into cross-gender play in Massive games has prompted some criticism from MMO industry heavyweights. We mentioned in our original post on the study that there was a disparity between the research done and the coverage of that research in the resulting Inquirer article. Veteran designer Richard Bartle has the best analysis of the journalism surrounding the article; his disassembly of the Guardian article about the report is extremely thorough. Jeff Freeman (of the Mythical blog) follows up with further discussion of the original paper - noting that it can barely be described as research. Sarah Jensen Schubert, in a comment on Raph Koster's blog, summarizes Freeman's frustration well: "They surveyed 119 self-selected participants, largely recruited from the Allakhazam off-topic forums. I think it's crap." As a closing thought, Ryan Shwayder's 'rant' on this subject is worth reading as well. He takes a humorous look at some of the suppositions made by hand-wringing journalists and his own playstyle.What do you make of all this? We've previously explored cross gender play among the readers of this site, but it's worth revisiting in the face of all this misinformation. How prevalently do you see this behavior in your gaming - and why do you do it?
Pen and paper roleplaying pioneer Gary Gygax is dead
Gary Gygax, who has long been attributed as the father of Pen and Paper roleplay gaming via the co-creation of the classic Dungeons and Dragons system alongside David Arneson, died this morning at his home in Wisconsin of an apparent heart attack. We here at WoW Insider would like to pay tribute to him, and recognize his contributions to our gaming lives. Even if the World of Warcraft is not a pen and paper game, pen and paper games were where many of us first gathered with friends to slay dragons, orcs, and all kinds of creatures, and a good number of us who now play games like World of Warcraft first cut our teeth on gaming with a six sided die. The same can be said for many game designers, I'm sure, and it is probably fair to say that we might not even have MMORPGs to play without PnP for the genre to spring from. I myself will have my weekly pen and paper game this Thursday, and even if the system we use isn't Dungeons and Dragons, I'll be rolling in his memory. Among some of the most memorable quotes from the impromptu message board eulogies I've heard was from someone who said, "He's in chaotic good heaven now." Another said, "As long as people gather around a table to roll dice and slay dragons, Gary Gygax won't be truly dead." I couldn't say it better myself. Godspeed, Mr. Gygax. May your memory live on.
NTU study on MMO gender selection to be published
The Inquirer is carrying news of a soon-to-be-published study by Nottingham Trent University called Gender Swapping and Socialising in Cyberspace, which is expected to be published in the US Journal Cyberpsychology and Behavior. The study shows that women were more likely than men to select a male avatar, with half of men (54%) choosing female avatars, and 70% of women crossing the gender divide as male avatars. The study explores the reasons given by participants for selecting avatars/characters across genders, and the differences between male and female motivations for selecting alternate genders. [Thanks to Megatonik for catching this one as "Study says MMO players are gender-confused" - even though it actually never says anything like that. Thanks also to the Plywood Webcomic archives for the image.]
All the World's a Stage: Magical table, magical screen
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, commentary, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening.As with many other people, my first experience of roleplaying was with a "tabletop" roleplaying game in high school. The older kids introduced me to Vampire: The Masquerade, and although I wasn't enthralled by the whole "bloodsucking" thing, I quickly realized that the basic activity was lots of fun, and I ended up starting my own roleplaying group with Earthdawn, a more traditional (yet surprisingly original) fantasy setting. Those games were my some of my happiest memories from high school.In college I couldn't find many people who were interested in playing with me, and when I came to live and work in China after graduating in 2000, I thought that my roleplaying days were over for sure. You may imagine my surprise when in late 2007, I came across another foreigner here in Nanjing, discussing Dungeons and Dragons with his Chinese wife in one of my favorite restaurants. It turns out he needed another player for the group he has going here, and although his wife wasn't interested, I happened to appear, ready and eager to join up.Originally I had thought that WoW would be the only way I could continue roleplaying while living in the far East, but starting to get back into my old hobby has given me a chance to see more clearly what the differences are between tabletop roleplaying and roleplaying in a game like WoW. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and different people have their preferences. Both have a special value which is mainly derived from connecting creatively with other people.
All the World's a Stage: Inspiration
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, suggestions, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening.You've probably heard that no story is completely original, that everything is copied from somewhere, and nothing anyone ever thinks or says is really unique. It's an awfully pessimistic way of looking at the creative endeavor, but there's a degree of truth in it.Any time you make up a new character, you are sure to be inspired by something you observed somewhere else. Perhaps you wondered, "What if there were a dwarven rogue, whose personality was a mix between Sherlock Holmes and Jack Sparrow?" or "My undead warrior is a lot like Frankenstein's monster, not evil so much as tragically neglected and rejected. He also likes to play with dolls." All this is fine and good for roleplaying, as long as you recognize the essential differences between your character and his or her inspirational anscestors. After all, every creative endeavor basically consists of mix-and-matching pre-existing knowledge in new and useful ways. In the same way a painter doesn't need to invent new colors, color palettes, or even new color matching techniques to make an beautiful, a storyteller doesn't need to create entirely new characteristics for each character in his or her story, only mix-and-match qualities real people already have in order to create someone compelling and interesting for other characters to interact with. Jump on in to find some great inspirations for WoW characters.
