A Green Mushroom

Let me pose a question.  Do you use the default character? Because a lot of the time I do. When I started up Fallout 4 last week I was so excited to get into the game but within the first minutes you are thrown into the character creator.  I know a lot of people who will spend hours creating their character... but I don't. All I did was change a couple of the scars and tweak the hair color slightly.  It took me less than a minute.  Basically, I'm just using the default character the game provided me.  And I'm completely fine with it. The best part was getting to the gameplay right away.  I didn't have to put my excitement on hold while I tweaked and modified and changed and tweaked some more.  I got to dive into Fallout 4 right away. As long as the default character isn't horribly ugly I do this in a lot of games.  I played through all of the Mass Effect series with the default male Commander Shepard. I'm extra glad I didn't spe...

Playing Assassin's Creed last week really brought something to light for me.  Often, in games, we define characters by the weapons they use.  It's an interesting phenomenon. In Assassin's Creed Syndicate the Frye Twins have different default weapons that give them a different feel from one another.  Evie has a cane sword and Jacob has a brass knuckle.  It immediately distinguishes them even though they're twins and mostly have the same skills.  They are quickly shown to have unique styles via their weapons. When I was watching DareDevil the other week there were a few episodes that focused on how he started using his batons as weapons.  They end up becoming a defining part of his character. Not to mention iconic characters like Cloud and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII are also often defined by their weapons.  No one ever really thinks about Sephiroth without thinking about his super long Masamune sword.  And the image of Cloud with ...

After months of chipping away at it, I've completed Final Fantasy I.  It had it's ups and downs but I must say it has provided me with hours of entertainment.  You have to admit, months of entertainment for $9 is a steal.  My completion time was right around 18 hours, but it was broken up into chunks of 5-10 minutes which is why it lasted so long.  I think the longest play session I did was around 30 minutes and that only happened once.  As always, my initial impressions still stand but I had a few other thoughts along the way too. The main thing I liked about this game was the chance to look back at the foundation of modern RPGs.  Final Fantasy basically defined the shape of the JRPG genre and many of the conventions set forth in this game can still be seen in RPGs today. The whole game was fun back-to-back dungeon romps.  If you're in the mood for that type of gameplay then Final Fantasy I still measures up. Where it ...

Lots of good stuff for you today.  Let's get to it. How Minecraft ruined World of Warcraft . How to make sandbox MMOs . Sign-up forms keep a player base low . Pay attention to your kids, not the raid . More thoughts on family and gaming . Which is better classes or an open skill system ? A passing thought from one John Scalzi . History of Gaming from Florian Smolka on Vimeo .

 MMOs Need to Think Outside the Box Despite what I wrote the other day, some MMOs do try to change up the formula.  Not every single game on the market is a World of Warcraft clone.  I applaud the developers that are trying different things and breaking the mold.  I don't necessarily enjoy all of these games, but I love the idea that they aren't derivative of the EQ/WoW model. EVE Online EVE is an MMO in space where the player controls ships.  Buying and outfitting different ships is a big part of the game and there is a ton of customization available.  Players gain skills in real time even when not online and the server structure is set up so that every person playing EVE is in one giant galaxy.  No need to worry about which server to play on or if you can play with your friends, everyone plays in the same world. A Tale in the Desert This is an MMO without combat. A Tale in the Desert is all about crafting, building, and collaboration.  ...

I'm sick of every MMO on the market feeling the same.  Where's the innovation?  Almost every new MMO on the market is a fantasy setting with auto-attack and hotbar combat.  There are some deviations from the model, but not many. Why does everyone keep trying to recreate World of Warcraft?  It isn't going to work, ever.  WoW has such market dominance that no fantasy hotbar combat game is ever going to catch it.  The only way to beat WoW is with innovation. There are a few games that do things differently, but there should be more.  The MMO releases this year were a weak offering.  I'm hoping that next year with the release of Star Wars the Old Republic and Guild Wars 2 we might see some more innovation in the industry but even those both have the tried and true hotbar combat.  They might not differ all that much but hopefully it's a step in the right direction.

Last night I did as promised and re-entered a MMO.  Dungeons and Dragons Online was my game of choice and I ended up making this badass. He's a Monk so watch your face... it might get punched. As you can see, he's a Monk and I managed to get him to level 2 last night.  Level 2 is actually an accomplishment since DDO only has a total of 20 levels.  Last time I tried DDO I would only play with my brother, I didn't do a single quest or dungeon by myself.  This time is no different and you can check out his impressions over at Lost In Neurons .  Last time we played until about level 6, so a lot of this content is familiar since we ran it once already. This time I rolled a Monk instead of a Ranger (which is what I played before).  The best part about being a Monk is that I get to punch things - lots of things - right in the face.  POW!  It just makes me feel like a badass.  My brother, on the other hand, rolled a Rogue because sensing, dete...

What is the pull of an MMO over a traditional RPG?  The stories are weaker or lacking entirely.  There's a huge grind to get from the beginning of the game to the end.  At the end of an MMO everyone works for hours on end to increase stats ever-so-slightly.  If PvP is worldwide then all the experienced players gank the noobs.  All of our achievements can look lackluster as soon as a new expansion comes out.  Groups can take hours to find.  Certain content is locked out except for one time each week when we can attempt it.  Other players can treat us like shit.  And for all this we pay subscription fees or dole out our money to microtransactions. Despite all of that, I want to play an MMO.  I've been burned out on MMOs since about a year ago when I canceled my WoW subscription.  I dabbled in a few that released this year but none of them held my attention for longer then the first month trial.  I know I was burned out and to...

From Zero to Hero Real life advancement isn't all it's cracked up to be.  It doesn't exist the way it used to.  Companies have no loyalty to their employees and our generation will constantly be switching jobs and the companies until we retire.  We can't expect a company to take care of us the way our parents could. The other day Tobold wrote "In my opinion games are for entertainment, not to "work" towards some virtual achievement."   I respectfully disagree.  I think we are turning more and more to virtual worlds for our sense of advancement because it's so hard to find in the real world.  Advancement in the real world no longer has a defined path.  Staying with one company for an entire lifetime of work isn't an option any more.  Real world advancement isn't a straight path up.  We move horizontally between jobs or get titles and responsibilities without a pay increase.  Promotions are hard to come by.  The path to advan...

Tobold discusses the new quest system for Guild Wars 2.  The quest system has me more excited than anything else I've heard about the game. Tobold started an interesting series this week about his perfect MMO.  The post on raiding is particularly interesting. Beej has an frustrated post about the effect of gearscore on grouping in WoW.  The post has an ongoing discussion in the comment section, feel free to join the fray. Sunday Viewing this week is a MMO in its purest form:

This was an overwhelming week.  I got married and started my crazy summer work schedule.  I'm providing you with Sunday links anyway. I'm trying to stay in the Wordcount Blogathon 2010 by posting every day in May.  Half way done.  I hope I hang in there.  I'm extremely tired and worn out right now. Tobold has an epic EVE Online review made up entirely of comments people have posted on his blog.  A lot of EVE players got extremely worked up about Tobold's impressions, so he used what they had to say to prove his point.  It is remarkably well executed. Syp posted on earning your wings instead of being handed everything on a silver platter.  It is one of those stale MMO conventions that needs to be spiced up. Enjoy your Sunday and this Star Trek clip from jandrewedits.

Blogathon 2010 is going on.  I learned this from Professor Beej 's post on the subject .  I love reading his blog because he covers the intersection of all things media.  It isn't always gaming, but if you have an interest in TV, movies, books, games, and emerging media you couldn't find a better site to read. Wordcount Blogathon 2010 is about writing a post for your blog every day of the month.  So far I tend to write about 5 times each week, but I'll try to make it 7 times per week this month.  Let's see if I can make it.  I think pre-scheduling posts is about to become my new best friend. Last week I forgot to direct your attention to a great post by Spinks on the slow but inevitable death of 25 man raiding .  She has some really good points about the way World of Warcraft raiding is heading in Cataclysm.  Her point about it being less friendly for casual players really hit home with me because I am never a hardcore raider. W...

The thing that makes Pocket Legends impressive is the fact that it's a 3D MMO on the iphone and ipod touch.  It is literally a MMO that will fit in your pocket.  The game design may be simplistic, but it is still a first of its kind. Pocket Legends has all the trappings of a normal MMO.  There is grouping, character progression, leveling, gearing up, and killing monsters. For being a MMO that can fit in your pocket it is pretty impressive.  I don't know how much time I could kill playing this game and it's definitely not something you need to run out and buy, but I would recommend taking a look if you are a fan of the genre.  Spend a few minutes and see the precursor to many pocket MMOs of the future.

The Guild Wars 2 design team from ArenaNet just released their manifesto on game design .  One phrase in particular caught my eye: "Our games aren’t about preparing to have fun, or about grinding for a future fun reward. Our games are designed to be fun from moment to moment . " That got my attention.  Now I'm interested in their game.  My number one complaint with MMOs currently on the market is that there is too much emphasis on grind and getting to the point where I can have fun.  I want fun from the beginning.  With those two sentences Guild Wars 2 just jumped way up my list of anticipated games. In Guild Wars 2 they are sticking with the philosophy that MMOs shouldn't have subscription fees .  They trust in the quality of their game and expansion packs to sell boxes.  This is a ballsy move, but it worked for Guild Wars and they earned my respect with it. They are trying to put an emphasis on the story of each individual character.  M...

After writing all week about expansion packs I've been thinking about two prime examples of expansions packs in action.  Namely, World of Warcraft and EVE Online.  Although their update structure is different, they both have some of the best updating practices on the entire MMO market. EVE Online uses the consistent but incremental system that I outlined in my last post.  They release expansion packs for free through patches containing new content and features. Sometimes these features are quite ambitious and create entire new ways to play EVE.  In the past they introduced exploration as a skill-set that differs from all the others.  They are currently working on implementing planet control and harvesting.  Their goal with the expansion beyond that is to allow players to walk in space stations and have a human avatar outside of their ship. Not only do the features introduce new scope to the game, but they are delivered consistently and freely.  ...

After discussing leveling the playing field while adding new content I want to mention another option for expansion packs.  Instead of adding content and levels, these expansion packs (and sometimes patches) can add new features to the game. People may have different definitions for features and content.  For my purposes, features are things which add new ways to play the game.  These are also known as horizontal gameplay options. Content, on the other hand, adds new options for vertical advancement through the game. Here are some quick examples of my working definitions.  The looking for dungeon tool that was added to WoW in a recent patch is a feature.  It gives players a new way to organize and play the game at all levels.  But, when WoW patches in new high-end raids they are adding content.  Players need to be at the top levels to continue into the new raid, which will then gain them better gear.  This is a type of vertical advancement. ...

Themeparks run out of content.  I know this.  When I reach the end of content I want more to play through.  Instead of immediate new content I am forced to run on the gear treadmill, slowly gaining small upgrades for a huge amount of effort invested.  After raiding 5 days each week for months I might have the best armor and weapons in the game for my class... until the next expansion. This is why the gear treadmill is so unappealing to me.  Why work my ass off to be the "best" on the server when the playing field will be leveled come the next expansion?  And that next expansion is always on the horizon for any MMO with a decent following. As long as I am max level it won't matter what kind of gear I have when the next expansion hits.  The MMO developer will want everyone at the max level to be able to participate at the max level +1.  Therefore, the content will be tuned to the lowest common denominator; someone who has newly attained the ma...

It has happened to every die-hard MMO fan.  You play an awesome MMO and you're going strong until you hit the level cap.  Then you may raid, do pvp, or play with the economy... but eventually you'll run out of developer made content. Keep in mind, I am talking about themepark MMOs.  Sandbox MMOs don't run into this problem if they are designed correctly.  Instead, they give players the tools to create their own content. Themepark MMOs draw you through an adventure until you max out your level and complete all the quests.  You hit the ceiling on character progression.  Then what?  No matter which themepark MMO you play, you will run out of content. That is where expansion packs come in. On top of this, content patches fill the gaps between expansions.  They extend the life of the game.  Look at WoW.  Every new content patch has people resubscribing to fight in the latest raid and explore the new content. Nonetheless, a themepark M...