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The Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 1
Maybe many of us would just rather remember MMOs as they were in life rather than at the moment of their demise. But I believe that how a game went out is incredibly fascinating for many reasons and worthy of examination. It's in these final moments when an entire community has to say goodbye. It's in these moments that the developers mourn as well before pulling the plug. It's in these moments that history is being made one last time. And it goes without saying that it's in these moments that everyone curses the unfairness of it all. Today we're going to watch the first half of 10 videos featuring MMOs in their final moments. It's here we'll see how weird, crazy, sad, and interesting things can get. Maybe you were part of one (or more) of these moments or are simply curious what it was like. Either way, it's the end of the world as we know it. And we feel fine.
One Shots: ???
There's a lot going on in our lead picture here. There are question marks, a fungus person, a pointedly staring frog, and enough colors to give Crayola a run for its money. But what is it about? What does it mean? Reader Stacy helps clear things up: "That's mah frog. This was around April Fool's last year (those question marks are fireworks from that in-game event and are amazing in motion). This was my first house; I got it for free from the EverQuest in-game card game, so I did not have much decoration. I bought a bunch of pets from a man down the street and set them loose, then set off all my fireworks and partied the night away with frog and friends." See, if we did most of these activities in real life, we'd be in jail. Aren't MMOs grand?
Leaderboard: What's the best Star Wars MMO?
Star Wars has gotten the MMO treatment not once, not twice, but three times. This is assuming that you count SOE's Clone Wars Adventures browser title, which I do since it features extensive progression, non-combat activities, and a slew of other MMO-like features in spite of its heavy use of instancing. Then there's Star Wars Galaxies, of course, followed by Star Wars: The Old Republic. For today's Leaderboard, help us pick the best Star Wars MMO (or at least, the most popular according to Massively commenters). Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Some Assembly Required: Kick(start)ing the sandbox genre
Sandbox aficionados are known to reminisce about the "good old days." You know, that time long lost in the past when the greats of open-world play like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies (pre-NGE of course) enjoyed their heyday. Many a lamentation has also been heard about how things have never been the same, or how nothing has filled that void. Of course, the sandbox never died. In 2012 we started the year off with a guide to games sporting sandbox features to scratch a variety of virtual world itches and we ended with a look at some promising upcoming titles for 2013. With plenty of choices abounding, why are sandbox fans still decrying the lack of a home? It could be because they want one home for everyone to settle in together, basically one game to rule them all. But how realistic is that? Even with the plethora of offerings now, many folks want to play their ideal sandbox, and everyone has their own idea of what the perfect one would be (and conversely, what would kill it). Perhaps the answer, then, is to forget about a single universal home that accommodates the masses and actually create a number of niche games where people find exactly what they are looking for. Wait, that's already happening? Enter Kickstarter.
Some Assembly Required: The ultimate MMORPG
It's been raining for four days straight, and I've been cooped up in my house with nothing but a head cold and a bunch of time to think about my ideal sandbox MMORPG. For this week's Some Assembly Required, then, I'm shamelessly borrowing the format from Massively's MMO Blender column to construct a perfect(ly) theoretical hybrid. I've done so once before, but this time I'm going to put the focus on fantasy instead of on the sci-fi stylings of Star Citizen and Star Wars Galaxies.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite non-combat feature?
Non-combat features don't get a lot of love in popular MMOs these days, but there have nonetheless been some interesting experiments in this department over the years. From RIFT's housing to Star Wars Galaxies' Entertainers to Lord of the Rings Online's music system, several genre titles have strayed from the straight and narrow of violence and character progression. Upcoming titles like Age of Wushu and ArcheAge are adding new wrinkles as well, so for today's Daily Grind we'd like to hear your thoughts on non-combat MMO features. Specifically, which one is your favorite? 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 Daily Grind: What obscure mechanic should become a standard MMO feature?
Over the weekend we learned that The Repopulation will be implementing some sort of Entertainer skill set that is at least partly inspired by similar mechanics in Star Wars Galaxies. SWG's signature non-combat profession is still unique in MMO annals, though, and we got to wondering if there are other nifty mechanics that should be revisited in newer games. What do you think? Is there a particular class, system, or MMO mechanic that you'd like to see become an MMORPG standard? 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!
University study explores game loyalty in MMOs
Developers who want to build a loyal fan base (and subsequently increase profits) might want to check out the findings of a new study conducted by the University at Buffalo School of Management. One of the study's conclusions is something that many MMO gamers probably suspect: Giving players more control of their characters and building a community fosters loyalty. Dr. Lawrence Sanders, co-author of the study, discussed how most research focuses on the addictive nature of games instead of the reasons behind players committing to one game over another. He wrote, "Our study looked at how to make [games] more competitive in the marketplace." Sanders pointed out that research shows an increase in customer retention by as little as 5% can increase profits by 25 to 95%. So how can developers create the fierce loyalty found in MMO communities surrounding games like World of Warcraft and Star Wars Galaxies? According to the results of the study, which will be published in the International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Sanders suggested that "to build a player's feeling of ownership toward his character, gamemakers should provide equal opportunities for any character to win a battle. They should also build more selective or elaborate chat rooms and guild features to help players socialize."
Hyperspace Beacon: Gearing up for SWTOR Update 1.5
Star Wars: The Old Republic fans have been anticipating this week since the middle of the summer, and many players who dropped the game shortly after launch are looking forward to trying it out again. Veteran players are most likely familiar with how gear progression works in this game, but those returning will probably need a refresher course. After all, BioWare has made some significant changes, especially to PvP, since the game launched. It's quite understandable if you return to the game and are completely lost when considering how viable your current gear is. Today, I'm going to speak to the returning players and help them put their gear to rights once Update 1.5 launches. If you are a solo PvEer who hasn't looked too hard at endgame gear progression, a PvPer who hasn't looked at the PvE side much, or a raider who wants to dabble in PvP, this mini-guide will help you get started and will give you the gear-progression goals you should shoot for.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A tale of two shutdowns starring City of Heroes
It's been about a year since Star Wars Galaxies was shut down, and for a lot of people that wound is still fresh. For a sadly vocal minority, that wound is so fresh as to provoke a lot of groundless vitriol toward any available target -- but that's not the point. The point is that what happened to that game is happening again, to City of Heroes, and the players are just as powerless to stop it. Except that it's not the same thing, not really. There are different reasons behind the closure of City of Heroes, different protests, and different player organizing taking place. The result is a scenario that's both a clear parallel to an earlier tragedy and its own unique blend of awful circumstances at the same time. When we first heard the announcement, fellow City of Heroes player and former Star Wars Galaxies player Brianna Royce asked me if I felt the same way about CoH as I had about SWG. As we talked about it, though, it became clear that there were certain parallels being drawn that just didn't work. So I'm going to talk about what happened to both games, starting with the very significant difference between the two games shutting down.
MMO Blender: Jef's SWG/Star Citizen mashup
Thus far I've managed to keep my nose out of Massively's MMO Blender column. This is primarily because I don't need 1000 words to describe the ideal MMORPG when a short phrase like "Star Wars Galaxies minus the IP" basically sums everything up. That said, something happened a couple of weeks ago that caused me to expand on this idea. Chris Roberts returned to the ranks of gamemakers, and when he announced his Star Citizen multiplayer title (which I desperately hope he renames, incidentally), it set in motion an MMO flight of fancy that I would love to experience.
The Daily Grind: What's your most-hated MMO zone?
Star Wars Galaxies may have been my favorite MMO, but its pre-NGE Rage of Wookiees expansion introduced what I consider the worst MMO zone of all time: Kashyyyk. Unlike the wide-open planets that populated the SWG galaxy at launch, the tiny playable areas of Kashyyyk were a maze of tall zone walls and tight corridors, with a multi-level, below-ground, explorable themepark-style area and an inadequate map to ensure that you were totally getting lost on this ride. It was also a no-build planet, meaning no homes or storyteller decorations (not that there would have been anywhere to put them anyway), so the whole location felt completely isolated from the rest of the game. And while the NGE version of the zone made it one of the few spots for quest-based, mid-tier leveling in the game, it was too difficult and scattershot for actual middlebies. Oh, and did I mention that vehicles and instant-transport ships mysteriously didn't work beneath the top jungle layer? Hope you enjoy running all the way back out again! All right, picking on sunsetted games is just mean, especially when I'd take SWG back in a heartbeat, flaws and all. So what about you -- what's your most-hated MMO zone? 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 Soapbox: No game lives forever
The lifespan of a video game is a funny thing. There are some games that have a definite end, yet you'd wish they'd last forever. These games measure life in replayability, run-through length, or multiplayer matches, but they lack permanence and persistence. Still, you can usually dust them off years from now and still have fun with them. MMOs are a different breed, aren't they? They promise the inverse of the solo game, with a world that goes on, content that keeps flooding in, and the illusion that it will last forever. Yet when the switch is turned off, there's no going back. You can't pick it up 10 years from now and give it another go. It's why the news that an MMO is closing up shop comes as such a devastating blow to many of us. As MMOs attempt to emulate the persistence of life, so too do they illustrate the finality of death.
One Shots: My preciousss
A must-stop on the Lord of the Rings Online tour is the former home of one of Middle-earth's most infamous inhabitants. In a recent journey, One Shots submitter Carolina stopped to take a picture of the finger-painting Gollum left behind: Here is a warning picture I encountered while exploring Goblin Town in Lord of the Rings Online. Proceeding deep into the cave shows you this sign that something terrible lies ahead. Personally, I think Gollum could have had a great career doing his own portraits. Check out this and several other terrific entries after the break.
The Perfect Ten: Worst expansion names of all time
When SOE announced that EverQuest's 19th expansion would be titled Rain of Fear, I instantly found myself tripping over the name. I shouldn't have -- it's a few simple words that are first round picks for spelling contests -- but it defied the traditional naming conventions for MMO expansions. Many people I talked to kept wanting to write "reign" instead because "rain" seemed like a deliberate misspelling by some intern in Smedley's empire. Homophones aside, Rain of Fear is hardly the worst expansion title I've ever seen. The industry has had its share of bad names, from the confusing to the downright unpronounceable. Sure, we get used to these titles, and perhaps it's nit-picky to lug them out at such a late point in many of their lifespans, but petty is my middle name. My first name is Tom. And these are 10 poorly named expansions. Deal with it.
MMO Blender: Larry's roleplay sandbox
I can't say that I represent every roleplayer in the MMO space, but I have been a part of MMO roleplay communities going on eight years now. I think it's safe to say that I have a pretty good handle on what roleplayers want out of MMOs. Fortunately, there are existing game designs that can give us what we are looking for. When developers stop giving roleplayers new content, we -- unlike other gamers -- start to create our own. In fact, the vast majority of us don't rely on the game developers to give us any story content beyond the backdrop of the world our characters are living in, but that's not to say there aren't tools developers can give us that help with our level of immersion. Let's explore what makes a great sandbox for an MMO roleplayer.
The Daily Grind: Do MMO sunsets kill your investment in other MMOs?
When Star Wars Galaxies' sunset was announced not much more than a year ago, it made me more than sad -- it made me distrustful. I knew that games had shut down before, but they were usually unlucky or unprofitable. In spite of the NGE, SWG maintained a healthy population for a second-gen MMO, and SOE was supporting it better than some studios support their current-gen games, so I fooled myself into thinking it'd be around forever like the rest of SOE's titles. And when I realized it wouldn't, my investment in other games fell off sharply. Why pour years into a world that can be ended arbitrarily before its time? Zentia's impending closure brought that distrust to the surface again. Western audiences have a hard enough time adopting "foreign" games with funky localization and pay-to-win cash shops, so losing one of the best imports inspires no faith that other games will survive long enough to make an investment of time (and money) worth it. What about you? Do MMO sunsets kill your desire to invest in other MMOs? 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!
SOE's John Smedley tackles an epic AMA
What do you get when the president of SOE steps up to the mic at Reddit and tells the crowd to ask him anything? You get everything ranging from the NGE to former employee critiques to humble origin stories. The crowd didn't waste time getting John Smedley to apologize for Star Wars Galaxies' NGE once again. "Stupid decisions. Complete and utter fail and I am very sorry," he said. After that, the topic quickly turned to SOE's rising star, PlanetSide 2. Smedley said that he's been closely involved with the design of PS2. With the beta beginning on Monday, he also assured the crowd that it should take around two to three weeks to include everyone who has keys. He said that the game's coming along swimmingly: "I play the game three to four hours a day now. It's rough but fun as hell." Smedley also admitted that SOE is working on additional undisclosed IPs. When asked about SWTOR's transition to F2P, he stated, "It is the only way to go for new games. It was the right decision for SWTOR (which is a fantastic game). Wait until you see our next round of games after PS2."
The Daily Grind: Do you have a fallback MMO?
My first fallback MMO, though I'd not have called it that at the time, was Ultima Online. Whenever I got sick of EverQuest or Dark Age of Camelot, I found myself wandering back to my houses in Britannia. World of Warcraft took over for a while, and then Star Wars Galaxies (yes, post-post-NGE) became my safe MMO -- the world to which I could retreat after a particularly nasty break-up with the latest and greatest themepark shiny, something that seemed to happen with increasing frequency as post-WoW games rushed to launch and left me wanting more. More recently, I've set up camp in City of Heroes. I don't play it every day, but since it went free-to-play, it's always there when I need to tool around in something happily familiar that hits all the right nostalgia notes. What about you folks? Do you have a fallback MMO, a game you return to when you're in between games? 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!
Hyperspace Beacon: Tips for roleplaying in The Old Republic
I had a game developer tell me recently that he wished more players were like roleplayers because roleplayers are easier to cater to. Having been in MMO roleplay communities for the last nine years, I have to both disagree and agree with him. Roleplayers need special tools and good quality-of-life mechanics (like sitting in chairs!) in order to find a game extremely enjoyable. However, he was correct when talking about content. When the content runs out -- when every raid is on farm, when PvP is no longer a challenge, or when all that's left is dailies to grind -- the majority of players start to slip out of the game. But when developer content runs out for a roleplayer, she begins to make her own content, if she hasn't already been doing just that. And the game is still fun! When I started roleplaying in an MMO for the first time, a friend of mine who started with me summarized my feelings about roleplaying that game: "This is the reason I started playing in the first place." What he meant was that when he started playing Star Wars Galaxies, he wanted to live in the Star Wars universe, and roleplaying actually allowed him to do that. Star Wars: The Old Republic offers its own opportunities for immersion. It's not the same as SWG, but it does share the same universe. So how do you get involved in the fun that roleplayers have in SWTOR? I'm glad you asked. I have some quick and dirty tips for you on how to get started in your epic Star Wars MMO adventure!
