Story
Latest
The Daily Grind: MMOs that didn't click
You know how it goes. You hear about a great idea for an MMO -- perhaps based on a book, movie, or game you loved. You devote time and effort to following forums, reading up on developer notes, and trying to get into the beta. But somehow, the idea translates poorly. Even if it's a good solid MMO, it just doesn't click with you for some reason. Or maybe they looked at the source story/information and then ran screaming in the totally wrong direction with the game's storyline.Personally, such was the case for me with The Matrix Online. I remember chasing every scrap of information I could get about it, watching videos and all of that. I did manage to make it into the beta, and what I saw there both exhilarated me and saddened me. The game was so very cool looking. The ability to decompile items into code and recompile the code bits into other items struck me as being perfect for someone truly aware that they are living in the world of MxO. But despite all the things I loved about it, I just couldn't handle the combat system; I'd describe it as rock-paper-scissors with Bullet Time. I understand they've since reworked it, and I'll probably give it a try again before long knowing how much I love MMOs. Of course, I'd counter with the fact that had they just used a more traditional MMO combat system from the word go, I'd probably never have left in the first place. How about you? Were there any games that you were excited about but just didn't work out for you? What things about them made you step back? What would you change if you could?
WoW Moviewatch: Redshift
Here's a cute little story without any of the special effects you see in lots of the machinima people make nowadays. It's an amateur production, but it's somehow all the more lovable for it. Especially having read everyone's comments about why playing through the Horde's side of the WoW story can feel so good, this story reminds me of some of the noble themes people love most about the Horde's story -- unity in diversity, letting go of the past, and moving on with the future.For those who don't know, the "vrriish!" sound at the end is the sound of a rogue's "sprint" ability being used, enabling him to run at high speeds.Previously on WoW Moviewatch...
Dragontouched tells a good story in comic form
Hot on the heels of the great Hammer of Grammar, here's another up-and-coming WoW comic, called Dragontouched. Normally, I'm not much for story-based comics like this (I tend to like the humorous ones much better), but I have to say-- I checked out the first page, and didn't look up until I got all the way to the latest one. It pulled me right in.The style is a little simpler than some of the other "screenshot comics" ("machigraphica"?), as there's really no editing on the shots at all. But you can tell that Autumnflare, the creator, is getting better and better at this as they go along-- both the storytelling and the layout are improving with almost every new comic. And it is super cool to see all the lore integrated so well. The story feels like both a part of the WoW universe and an interesting new take on it. I especially like the Consortium dude-- he seems more shifty here than I've ever seen them ingame.So good stuff so far, and I'll bet there's even better things to come. Are we entering into a whole second generation of WoW comics?
Immersion in the story is just icing on the cake
Chris Metzen and Alex Afrasiabi discussed with players at BlizzCon their desire for the World of Warcraft to be more immersive, for the characters to be more believable and relevant, and for the story to be more at the forefront, right alongside gameplay. So now a professional screenwriter named Cocles submitted a suggestion on the forums as to how that feeling could be created, by letting the world's characters react to you in a more believable way. Here's one of his examples:Think of how immersive it would be if you were to step into Outland and have Nazgrel look at you and say, "When I sent word to Orgrimmar that we needed more troops, I never dreamed they would send the slayer of C'thun himself to aid us. You will be a great asset to us Cocles, and I am glad to see you here!"Had I not killed C'thun, or done anything else of note, Nazgrel could instead look me up and down and say, "Well grunt, let's see what you're made of." Check out Blizzard's response beyond the jump...
WoW Moviewatch: The story so far
It seems more clear than ever that we're headed to Northrend in the next expansion. And so, via our good friends at Joystiq, here's a little refresher from the last time we were there.That's our buddy Arthas, wielding Frostmourne and meeting up with (and becoming, most likely) the Lich King during the very last cutscene of Warcraft III. That building he's hanging out in is Icecrown Citadel, which will very likely be a raid dungeon at some point in WoW. The voice saying, "Forget this business" is Muradin Bronzebeard, and the voice questioning Arthas' sanity is Uther the Lightbringer himself, whom Arthas murdered (and whose tomb is found right now in the Western Plaguelands). And of course as far as we know, Arthas is still sitting on that throne, ready to appear.. in a brand new cinematic on Friday at BlizzCon?Excited yet?Update: My fault, I thought both voices were Uther. Should have realized no Human would ever have an accent like that.
The DS Life: Leg Show
The DS Life is a new weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at gmail dot com.This week's gam-filled shot comes from "Asianleggy," a professional photographer whose collections you might already be familiar with, depending on how deviant your tastes are. Step past the post break for the full image and some notes on his previous work.
Why do we raid?
It's a question that comes up more and more as I talk to my friends in the game. Why do we raid? The topic comes fairly close to home because I am in a situation where raiding is not quite on the horizon. Sure we have our Kara keys, but the coordination of an actual run has been far from successful. In addition to whatever challenges we have in my guild, there is the fact of my class. I am a mage, and currently the best gear I can reasonably attain is crafted, not found in an instance. So why am I pushing to raid Karazhan when I can get gear made that is better than what I'll find? Quite simply put, I want to know. I want to know what it is like to experience the instance. The more I see of the Warcraft universe, the more I come to appreciate the complex beauty of it as a whole, with rich and deeply laid foundations of story and lore that intrigue me. If the game were a novel (and I've read the novels too, this is just a metaphor) I would sit down at the beginning and read until the end. Raiding is the climax to the story as it has been told, since the pivotal plot points are told in the raid instances. It is in Mount Hyjal that players finally face Archimonde, and in the Black Temple where they can best Illidan, providing they are uber uber leet. In order to read to the end of the story, you must raid. I guess what I'm saying is that I want to raid not only for the chance for sweet gear, and I'm sure there is some still out there for me, if only in the form of weapons. I want to raid because of experience itself. But many are disillusioned with the game since TBC, and some say raiding is broken. Why still do players charge out into the 25-man instances, if they feel that the accomplishment has lost its grandeur despite the game elements becomin more difficult to overcome? Why do we raid? [via James]
Manhunt 2's crazy story revealed
Occasionally, game details slip out of Gamestop's website, like drool from a bulldog's mouth. This is such an occasion. Visiting Gamestop's Manhunt 2 page reveals story details on the mysterious Manhunt 2. What do PSP gamer's have to look forward to in this macabre title? Let's have the game description itself tell us. "An experiment at a secret research facility has gone catastrophically wrong. Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper are the only surviving subjects. The Pickman Project will stop at nothing to hunt them down and stop the truth from getting out. Demented screams echo around the dank asylum that has caged you for the last six years. You open your eyes. A white-coated body slumps to the floor through your shaking hands. A bloody syringe slips from your arm. Waves of confusion and paranoia crash over you. You have no idea who you are or how you got here. The door to your cell is open. One choice. One chance. They took your life. Time to take it back." Pickman Project? I wonder if Miyamoto is behind this. [Via Kotaku]
Virtually Overlooked: Cave Story
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative.Doukutsu Monogatari (Cave Story) is a free-roaming side-scrolling action adventure game developed over five years by a Japanese designer who goes by Pixel. You can download Cave Story right now and play it on the computer on which you're reading this article, PC or Mac. It's completely free. We have a copy on our own computer that we've played through many times. So why do we want to pay money to play it on the Wii? Because it's that good.
DS Daily: Less action, more talking
As hard as it is for us to admit it, not everyone loves the rebirth of the adventure game that's been brought about by the DS. For some, the action in games like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk just isn't enough. We, however, are pretty obvious fans of the adventure game and find it intriguing when people bring up the idea of true visual/interactive stories that use the DS as a vehicle. Sure, you can read whatever you want on your DS with a little work, but we think it might be keen if people designed more stories that are meant to be experienced on a handheld. What's your stance? Do you prefer games that are a little more involved, or are you as in love with adventure gaming as we are?
Maple Story headed to the DS
The online aspect of the DS is, though not without its flaws, a rapidly growing and very successful service. And while connecting to several players around the globe is all well and dandy, it was uncertain if the tiny handheld had the capabilities to support a true MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game). Allay your fears, nobles! South Korean publisher Nexon has announced a DS version of their popular casual MMO Maple Story, which to our knowledge appears to be a cross between a side-scrolling action game and a traditional RPG.Can you imagine if something like WoW was portable? People could have social lives and play the game at the same time! Maple Story might not be on the same level as those over in Azeroth, but it's a good start. Also, check out Maple Story's trailer, which might just be the greatest video game trailer of all time. Seriously.[Thanks, Eric!]
Skype taking a stand against lying liars
If you're an avid Skype user, and you aren't entirely honest some most of the time, you should probably watch what you say from here on out. While auditory lie detectors have definitely been around, BATM is manufacturing a dedicated fib sniffer made to work specifically with Skype. The KishKish Lie Detector will be offered up as a "Skype add-on," and will reportedly analyze audio streams over a Skype conversation in real time and "illustrate the stress level" of the other person -- you know, in case you can't quite pick up the quivering on your own. Moreover, users will be able to "record calls for delayed analysis" in case you need to comb things over once you've cooled your jets. While we've got no qualms with getting down to the truth, we can't help but think this gizmo's a tad on the creepy side of things, but it's sure to please suspicious Skype users everywhere when it rolls out sometime in the future (we promise).[Via SmartMobs]
Ungenius - the other side of the Genius Bar
Beyond a doubt, Apple's retail stores have been and still are making headlines of all kinds - from business magazines hailing the stores' sleek design, to consumer reviews giving the stores high marks for their unique and (ideally) helpful Genius Bar feature. However, as some of you may know - not everyone's trip to the genius bar wraps up with a happy ending, and I'm not just talking about the customers; the Geniuses don't always have it so peachy-keen either.Hence, Ungenius - a blog by "JC" who apparently has some stories to tell of his adventures "aton[ing] for the sins of a multinational corporation during nearly four years as a Mac Genius". JC delves into all sorts of topics surrounding the world of the Genius including QA, the obvious defects that have made headlines as of late, and even some thoughts as to why Class Actions might be bad for consumers.Whether you've made a shrine for the last Genius who helped you out of a pickle or you're putting the finishing touches on a Genius Voodoo doll as you read this, Ungenius might be an interesting read from the other side of the cheery Apple retail store fence.
A near-death experience? WoW!
We may have had plenty of brushes with death ingame, but this real-world story is something else. Livejournal user antiotter was calmly playing WoW one evening when:My neighbor accidentally put a .44 Magnum round though my wall. It missed my head by three inches. It started in his bathroom, went through the mirror, went through the closet on the other side, blew through that closet door, traveled across his hallway, blew through our common wall, richocheted upward off my computer desk, and lodged in the doorframe.[Via Wonderland]
Breakfast Topic: Acts of kindness
Sometimes encounters in WoW leave me with a deep loathing for the entire human race, but other times I'm left with a warm fuzzy feeling towards fellow homines sapientes. Fly-by buffs are still fun to give out and to receive -- I would be lying if I said I didn't buff fellow players in the hope that I will receive similar services back, but I tend to rely on global karma, buffing anyone and everyone who crosses my path.After being beaten up by a nasty elite roamer (Son of Arugal, I'm looking at you, though Borelgore gets honourable mention) there's nothing nicer than a random resurrection. Standing at the graveyard facing a long and depressing corpse run -- or even a short one -- the magic words "<Player> wants to resurrect you" can do a lot to lift my tortured spirits. The last time it happened, a passing priest dismounted, resurrected me, then rode away before I could thank them properly. Back at the mailbox I sent a present, thinking all that karma -- the similar resurrections I'd done on my alts -- had finally paid off.Ever had a little act of kindness make your day? Do you like or loathe fly-by buffs and resurrections?
