A lot of buzz has been going on about a lawsuit against NCSoft for patent infringement on the US 7,181,690 patent. I wish I could comment more, but I believe that Massively has a pretty good bit explaining things.
Author: Ravious
Guild Wars 2 Crumbs Follow-Up
Regina Buenaobra, one of ArenaNet’s Community Managers, took some time to clarify an ethereal post I wrote about the crumbs of Guild Wars 2 information found in the stockholder’s conference call.
The Kill Ten Rats / Massively posts make it appear as if NCsoft has a lot of direction over our marketing strategy, when this isn’t the case at all. The GW2 marketing strategy is determined by ArenaNet, not by NCsoft. The formation of NCsoft West ensures that all studios owned by NCsoft have the freedom to determine their own marketing strategies, in fitting with what they think is best for the games that they develop. NCsoft developed Aion, therefore NCsoft is determining Aion’s marketing strategy. What ArenaNet decides to do with GW2 is independent of what NCsoft wants to do with Aion.
I find the clarification heartening, but for a different reason than the obvious. To be honest, I have lost a lot of faith in NCSoft. After Auto Assault, Tabula Rasa makes strike two, but my problem is not the death of the games. Rather, it is how they lived and died. I do not think either should have been a part of the $15 flatline from the start, and I definitely think that there were other options than shutdown. Options that may have retained more consumer confidence, perhaps.
So, I remain in this fearful dichotomy of my favorite developer being corrupted by its Korean overlord. Regina brings a kind of salve to this fear.  Especially if ArenaNet is further layered away from shareholders by NCWest. Now, back to writing more so-called articles.
–Ravious
…a reasonable amount of trouble.
MMO Lexicon: Il Cattivo
This is the final part in the series on MMO lexicon. Now, the ugly. The lexicon that carries some baggage. It might be good. It might be bad. Regardless, it carries some heavy prejudices when used. These suckers are the unshaven, motherless bandits that run in to town with a rope around their neck to drink horse water. The law rarely affects these scum.
MMO Lexicon: Il Brutto
This is the second in a three part series on MMO Lexicon. Now, the bad. The lexicon that requires explanation, or doesn’t always make sense. These are words that a seasoned MMO gamer will know, but that doesn’t make it right. These suckers are the squinty eyed angels of death that might do you some good, but in the long run they will sell their soul and allegiance for an extra buck. Admittedly, they do get the job done.
MMO Lexicon: Il Buono
This will be a three part series on MMO lexicon. First, the good. The lexicon that works, and is incorporated seamlessly into our daily speak. These are words that every MMO gamer should know, regardless of game. These suckers ride into town with their flat-brimmed hat and clear up any misconceptions. Continue reading MMO Lexicon: Il Buono
Moria Impressions
I finally completed about everything I could do at my level (except maybe the School instance) in Eregion. I had a blast with that new content, but now I was heading into the crown jewel of Lord of the Rings Online’s first expansion. At first, I really didn’t like it… but that changed. Continue reading Moria Impressions
Guild Wars 2 Crumbs: NCSoft Conference Call
This is not recent news (the NCSoft conference call was held on, I believe, November 12, 2008), but I had not seen this on the ‘sphere or Guild Wars fansite forums. Thanks to Sente for the tip on the Guild Wars 2 tidbits in the conference call. Continue reading Guild Wars 2 Crumbs: NCSoft Conference Call
Guild Wars Wintersday 2008
Second, in my humble opinion, only to the Guild Wars Halloween event is Guild Wars Wintersday.  It starts this year on December 19th, and it ends next year on January 5th. It’s a great event with new items, Wintersday quests, and of course, Dwayna Vs Grenth snowball PvP.
The Guild Wars Live Team has been pumping out content and updates and a terrific speed, but even after their megalithic updates from November, they continue to impress with all the new goodies coming to Wintersday 2008. This year the Eye of the North will be decorated in Wintersday tradition, and one of the Ebon Vanguard’s soliders will have a new quest line to participate in.
Hopefully Guild Wars 2 news is just around the corner, but for now, ArenaNet keeps giving plenty of good reasons to return to the original Guild Wars.
–Ravious
You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.
CME Kids Holiday Donation Drive
Like a good (wannabe) blogger, I try and follow the major MMO news sites, and I usually watch Ten Ton Hammer pretty closely. It seems, though, that I completely missed a donation drive they are doing.
Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, as of this post, according to this website, has not paid their employees in 28 days. They are the developer of the upcoming MMO based on the Stargate IP. Ten Ton Hammer got in touch with a few working parents at the company, and the staff are doing their best to help these parents put a few presents under the tree for their kids. It’s only $5, and you can donate here. On top of that, if Cheyenne Mountain can figure out a way to pay their employees before Christmas, all the donations will go to the Ronald McDonald House, an excellent children’s charity.
The drive ends December 15. Now back to our cynical, yet constructive, regular programming.
Warhammer 1.1
Mythic is dropping a pretty significant update to Warhammer Online today. There is nothing truly exciting, but everything in the update is good. Things are going in the right direction.
The biggest change, I believe, are the beginnings of a better funneling system to get people to play the game for what it was made for: open RvR. The main change is the addition of a Influence system, where players are guaranteed some loot in the same manner as the PvE Chapter’s Public Quests Influence system. This and correct open RvR contribution rolls should give the beginnings of an open RvR system that feels rewarding for the time played in comparison to Scenarios and grinding PvE. I also am very happy that they have made defending open RvR objectives more rewarding (down with WAR-oboros).
I still think they need to work on getting solo or buddy groups into open RvR land with things to do. But, Mythic states that this is just the beginning… again. Seriously though, I am happy with the direction Mythic is going.
–Ravious
The deserter hiding out in the middle of a battlefield.