roleplaying
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Obsidian patches Neverwinter Nights 2
Obsidian Entertainment has wasted little time getting Neverwinter Nights 2 into ship-shape this month. But when you consider the game already shipped at the end of last month, suffered a controversial critique, and was built by a bunch of talented Black Isle veterans, their efforts may not seem so surprising. The new 1.03 beta patch includes several multiplayer and toolset updates, in addition to some much-needed camera adjustments (fans of the first game will appreciate the modified "chase cam" view). In case these fixes aren't reason enough to consider picking up the game, then how about a 50% discount? Through the end of Saturday, Best Buy is selling Neverwinter Nights 2 for $25.[via GameBanshee]
RPing Azeroth as a Living World
Of all the great things there are to do in the wild world of Azeroth, the one I haven't done any of is roleplaying. Sure, I hate gnomes as much as the next orc, but I haven't even scratched the surface of some of the things people are doing on the RP servers-- creating whole backstories and fictions about their characters, and interacting within this war in ways even Blizzard never planned. Sure, people can be a little strange when they "put on my robe and wizard hat," but there's some cool ideas floating around.Like, for example, this article over on the Defias Brotherhood EU forums (found via RPblog Into the Web). Athlithuil suggests the extremely interesting idea that the Azeroth we're playing in is actually a smaller, mini-version of the "real" Azeroth that our characters live in. Sure, a flight across the Barrens might take five minutes in the game world, but according to evidence found in the earlier Warcraft games and the official novels, that trip is supposed to take weeks at least. That quick two minute walk you take to find the wildkin in Winterspring actually represents, says Athlithuil, a one or two day journey into the wilderness hunting the elusive beasts miles in the middle of nowhere. And the "real" world of Azeroth is bigger in other ways, too-- in the game, we can choose from nine different classes, but not everyone in Azeroth must fit into those. There have to be janitors, or poets, or farmers, or sword salesmen in Azeroth-- it's up to the RPers to make sure they're portrayed, too.When you wrap your head around it, it's an amazing idea-- Athlithuil references the opening cinematic of the game, and asks what things would be like "if your every moment in World of Warcraft was rendered like that." Now, I'd imagine that most of us play this game to be the hero, or probably just loot some nice epix (or gank noobs now that XRealm PVP is possible). But even though I don't play on an RP server, Athlithuil's idea is a really interesting one-- just thinking about the World of Warcraft as alive and kicking seems to add something to the game on almost all levels.
Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying
I know the first time I started my World of Warcraft client, the option of roleplaying servers surprised me. Never having been a roleplayer myself, it wasn't what I'd bought the game for, and while I've spent a little time attempting to play on them, but never really had a good feel for how to interact with players there. However, Manovan from EU server Scarshield Legion has written up a good guide for a beginning roleplayer - providing a good start for players who don't know where to start.
Oblivion's gender bias: the official word
If you haven't heard enough about the ladies of Oblivion recently, this tidbit is an interesting look at gender and gaming. While the female characters manage to score bonus points on the "lack of scantily clad armour" scale, it seems that there are some inherent gender-based stat advantages under certain circumstances.Gamers with Jobs have spoken to Bethesda about the perceived gender bias, and it seems that the differences are subtle, designed so that players have more choice when it comes to gameplay. While it may seem a little old-fashioned for male Redguards to have a higher strength, while females have a higher personality, the balance is all in the name of game diversity. For anyone wishing to experience the game free of any gender concerns, there's already a mod which equalises stats irrespective of gender.[Thanks, SickNic]
Breakfast Topic: Hidden gems
From an out-of-the-way inn my guild uses for meetings, to the time I finally managed to watch a race in the Shimmering Flats, Azeroth has many well-kept secrets. How many times have you stumbled across a location or piece of scenery and wondered what on earth it was there for? Aside from the game's easter eggs, which are fun to track down, some places seem to hold unfulfilled potential.I've found that RP gives me a whole new outlook on these places; every one suddenly suggests several possible storylines, although I've acquired the habit of dismissing a lot of the empty-looking content by saying "oh, that's only for RPers". Do you think this is true? Are the deserted buildings and empty locations there for RP enjoyment alone, or to lighten the hearts of the players who love running around into every nook and cranny? Have you found a particular spot that surprised or delighted you?
The Escapist on role-playing
This week's Escapist has several excellent pieces on roleplaying and WoW. Mark Wallace's "In Celebration of the Inner Rogue" looks at the connection between player and avatar -- when you play, do you think of your character as "you" or "him"? If the answer's "her", then Chris Dahlen's "I Enjoy Playing a Girl" might be up your street. Tying in with our discussion of female avatars, it's one gender-bender's story of girl power.More on the RP side, John Tynes' "The Contrarian: Masks in the Woods" focuses on RP guilds in WoW, amongst other things. Finally, Will Hindmarch's "Roleplayer in Azeroth" talks about WoW from a D&Der's perspective -- why it's not an RPG, and yet at the same time fulfils the same "escapism amongst friends" role as tabletop D&D. Roleplaying and gaming have a rich history together, and WoW provides a detailed framework for RP. These articles only serve to highlight the depth of role-playing one can achieve ingame. It's a shame, then, that Blizzard have so few RP servers, and that RP isn't enforced on these servers. I remember MUDs where if you spoke OOC in general chat then you were instantly kicked; is a crackdown needed, or will player policing eventually weed out the non-RP players?
