sandpark
Latest
The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the cop-out of FFA PvP
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Last week, our own Jef Reahard mounted the Massively Soapbox with an article titled Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP. In it, he argued that open PvP was a natural and necessary part of any solid sandbox MMO. He also made waves by suggesting that FFA PvP is crucial to the roleplaying experience and that roleplayers should really face their "fears" and give it a try. I'm a sandbox gamer and a PvPer at heart. I played the early years of Ultima Online and lived the adrenaline rush of full and brutal PvP and thievery. Dark Age of Camelot's RvR sucked up another year of my life. Star Wars Galaxies remains my sandbox of choice, and I've braved a World of Warcraft PvP server since launch. I know this territory very well. I'll knock it, because I have more than tried it -- in several tasty flavors. And even though I'm an unabashed Jef-fangirl, I think there are a few debatable issues with his article. Hit the jump for some good old-fashioned counterpoints!
Ask Massively: Cataclysm and other dead horses edition
So, yes, I'm playing World of Warcraft again for the time being. It's a chance to roleplay with Ms. Lady and enjoy a revamped overall experience, even if I still think the endgame is vile enough to be used as a biotoxin. I'm also not too keen on the fact that half of the major plot developments between expansions happen off-camera in a novel, but hey. The game is fun for what it is, and that's what ultimately matters. Also, I get to stack a bunch of corpses on someone, which is a feature more games should implement. That having been said, I'm willing to bet you didn't come here to hear about my gaming habits. You came here for the newest edition of Ask Massively, and here it is once again, complete with questions on the eternal war between sandboxes and themeparks, the eternal war between the game you are playing and the games you aren't, and the eternal war of purpose vs. nonexistence. And if you have a question, even one not related to eternal wars, you can swing it over to ask@massively.com or just leave it in the comments field.
Ask Massively: Look guys I found a picture of a man with a hat edition
When I took over this past weekend's Week in Review column, I informed the usual steward that I would probably give the post some Dadaist nonsense title like, well, the exact title I used for this week's Ask Massively. I realized that the title was really too good to use for just a generic roundup. I have no idea who that man is, why someone painted him with a hat, or any of that. But he definitely has a pretty awesome hat. This week we have a lot of administrative questions, talking about the comment system, the different types of MMOs, and the many different games which feature spaceships. And, as usual, we have the requisite silly question which I try to include every week, because you shouldn't click on a post with a ridiculous title without something to laugh at. Click on past the break for our answers for the week, and as always, leave further questions in the comment field, or send them along to ask@massively.com!
First Impressions: Final Fantasy XIV
There are times when my job is kind of a mixed blessing. Case in point: It falls to me to talk about my first impressions of Final Fantasy XIV, which is about as not for everyone as a game can possibly be. It features some things that seem custom-built to annoy certain players into apoplectic fits, starting with the controls and the hardware mouse that has been absent for the whole of beta. (I don't know whether it'll be in the launch today. But probably!) I would be remiss not to mention any of these elements. On the other hand, I adore this game. The game isn't what I would have made; it's better, and it hits so many notes in just the right way that I don't particularly care about the discordant elements. So that means that my job is to give a good idea of how Final Fantasy XIV plays without letting my deep, unrestrained affection run rampant. Still, enough about the balancing act I have to go through -- how does the game actually play?
