Month: May 2005

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Obligatory Introduction Post

Good day gentle reader. This will be the first of hopefully many more posts to come. My hope is to be able to comment about MMOs in general, but for the most part I will be talking about WoW. It is the only MMO I currently subscribe to and therefore know the most about. I have played just about every major MMO out there. Usually I preorder games and play the betas ($10 for 3 or 4 months of play is a bargain) or I buy the full retail version on Ebay once the game has been out for a while. That being said, I have yet to “invest” in a copy of Mourning. Of course the downside is that I am usually spread pretty thing playing WoW, whatever Betas I can get in to, and my PS2. However, it does give me a pretty decent understanding of where each game is strong and weak. I have friends that complain about every little detail in WoW and I have friends who are Blizzard fanboys that would not talk bad about the game even if Blizzard decided that all Horde characters should move at 1/2 speed.

As much as I like WoW, I must admit that the fantasy genre isn’t really my thing. Sure, I can play fantasy games and I have nothing against them, but at heart I’m a sci-fi geek. I’ve tried AO, EVE, and a few others (not SWG though, I’m a Trekkie) and I haven’t found a sci-fi MMO that has really made me want to pay a monthly fee yet. MxO was fun and I think has an amazing ammount of potential, but I’m not too big on the hacking/cyberpunk thing. I thought the game would be set mostly in the “real world” and you could go around Zion and the tunnels, with an option to go in to the Matrix. In hindsight, that probably wouldn’t have made for a better game than what they came up with.

Also, I was a big comic book geek back in the 90s where every 5th issue of a Marvel comic had 2 or 3 covers (regular, hologram, foil, etched, chrome, etc.). I got a chance to play CoH a while back. I bought the special edition on Ebay for $20 off some guy that just bought it for the Heroclix figure. The game itself was pretty fun, but not enough to get me to pay $15 a month just yet. I’ll probably give it another shot once CoV comes out.

So that’s pretty much where I stand with MMOs for the moment. The fantasy games are tops despite not being my favorite genre. I’d like to see more sci-fi games and would like to see CoH polish itself a bit. My most anticipated game is Star Trek Online just because I’m a Trekkie (but boy, that was an awful final episode of Enterprise). But for the moment I’m sticking to WoW.

DC

/wave

heylo everyone….I’m new to posting here and I’ll take the opportunity to introduce myself. I’ve played many MMOGs in my gaming career…but the ones I frequent most now are the famous/infamous Fantasy role playing game known as World of Warcraft (WoW) and the space based MMOG known as EVE online.

For those of you who have never heard of EVE online, or have never played it; it’s a game involving space travel and management of money, assets, and knowledge of the EVE universe. You can choose a profession, but unlike MMOGs like WoW and EQ you don’t “choose” your skill per se…but you can utilize different methods to make money or ISK. I’ll get more into how the game works later but now you have the basics…

You could consider me an anti-pk in some respects, I don’t generally prefer PvP as a Profession or Game style, but a little of it every now and then doesn’t bother me… I could care less about powerleveling in adverse to playing the game not to get the next level…but to have fun with the game (one of the reasons I play EVE online is that it is virtually impossible to powerlevel skills in anyway). For now I’ll end my introduction and ill write more about my experiences, likes/dislikes. or information on the MMOGs I frequent later. Farewell for now….

-Zxyrox

That was MY childhood, damn it!

Last night, I decided to take part in an activity that I have not participated in since my childhood. I believe that great shame comes from the masses to the individuals that participate in said activities. This activity is something so profoundly shameful that I can not even mention its true name here. Lets just say it involved a large number of multi-sided dice, a stack of esoteric rule books, and sheets on which we recorded pertinent statistical information about recently created fictional characters. If you can understand what I was doing from this discription then it means that there are more sad creatures out there like me. If you are unable to decipher it, then you were probably the guy that stole my lunch money in elementary school.

Anyway…

While rolling up my new Dungeons and Dragons character last night, I began to reflect upon the next generation of MMO’s coming soon to a store near you. In the past, MMO’s have been based upon newly created fantasy settings. Worlds that had been created by the team that had designed the game. This started with EverQuest, Ultima Online, then Final Fantasy XI, and extends all the way up through World of Warcraft. These worlds only existed because the game desginers created the world. Sure, there may have been some history to the world, as with Ultima, Final Fantasy and Warcraft, but these worlds were still the intellectual property of the people that were making the game. This is now changing.

Three, soon to be released, games have plundered my childhood for their respective world settings: The Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian, and the one that I am most worried about, Dungeons and Dragons.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar; well Peter Jackson has already done a great job of raping my inner child on this one, so I suppose I am least concerned over this. Yes, I know the movies were critically aclaimed and such, but I just found that the PBS cartoons that were made in the late-70’s did a much greater job of capturing my imagination than the movies did (and I watched them in the 80’s so I am not THAT old). Not much is available on this game as it is still a year off, but it looks to be well done so far. Tolkien created a world so rich and deep that I would think it would be pretty hard to screw it up. Turbine did create Asheron’s Call of which I have heard little but what I have heard has been good, so here’s hoping that it will turn out well.

The game next mostly likely to scar the memories of my childhood is the Conan MMO. Age of Conan: Hyberion Adventures is from the creators of the infamous Anarchy Online. This could be a bad thing, or a very bad thing. Anarchy Online was the game that best defined the term “failed launch.” Funcom seems to be taking a different approach (maybe to alieviate the fears of another failed launch, or maybe because they know they can’t get a launch right) with this game, and are putting a “single-player, massive online game” spin on it. The Ministry of Love is calling, they want you to pay royalties on any titles that are complete contradictions in terms. The game is supposed to follow closely from the books of Howard, which, from what I hear, is also a very deep story, but one has to question what level of quality the actual gameplay will have.

The final game that seeks to stab to at the spleen of my younger years is Dungeons and Dragons Online (What? No incredibly long and forboding subtitle? For shame!). Turbine is also working on this title, with Atari as the publisher. They are actually going to follow the Wizards of the Coast-created 3.5 ruleset (for better or worse) which is interesting because this system was designed for the real pencil-and-paper version of the game. As a 12 year-old I dreamed of this becoming a reality, being about to play the game that I so loved in real time with many different players. I am actually surprised that it took this long for someone to take the most well-known role-playing game ever made and turn it into a MMO. I still have great reservations though, as the game is using the newly developed campaign setting of Eberron. I find this a little distrubing because the most widely used campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons is the Forgotten Realms. The Forgotten Realms has been the staple campaign setting for nearly 20 years, and has had endless excellent authors craft many distinct stories about all areas of the world of Faerun. Elminster would have been an excellent central character to attract all of the elder nerds to Turbine’s MMO. Waterdeep would have just been amazing. Well, for what its worth, I am definitely waiting to see how this one turns out. (I have already applied for the beta, hint, hint!)

So in the next year and a half I will either see my childhood dreams come to life in vibrant colors and great expansive lands, or see evil corporate fat cats tear out my still-beating 12 year-old heart and piss all over it with their black puss-filled urine just to make a quick buck.

/cry

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3 New MMORPGs

Holy Beast Online: features animal-to-character evolving system that enables players to choose as a member of the six animal races.

Animal-to-character evolving system? Is this some sort of furry thing?

King of Kings 2: focuses not just on the variability of game character but also the country system. By trying out different combinations of the badge received from battle and armaments, players are given more power. As the game progresses, player would decide on the type of government and the position on the issue of scarce resources.

This one sounds good for the casual “only looking for some light fun” type of player.

The Twin Heroes Online: features aesthetic paper dolls, cute and comical pets, dazzling martial arts and interactive community system. The game offers intricate scenarios interweaved with different plots.

Hold on. Paper dolls, cute pets AND martial arts? That is the holy trinity of MMORPGs! How can they go wrong here?

Read the press release here.

– Ethic

Guild Wars For Dummies

[Guild Wars] Judging by the large amount of questions bandied about in the main cities in GW, I assume a lot of people prefer to be led through the game by hand. I guess nobody wants to figure anything out on their own, so I’m here to save the day.

First we will start with the most important questions I keep seeing:

How do I dye my armor? As it says when you move the mouse pointer over the dye, double-click it and then click the item you want to dye.

What is this “salvage kit” for and how does it work? Again, the mouseover trick should do wonders for you here, but in case you still aren’t sure, you double-click on the kit and then click on an item in your pack. If it is salvageable, it will break down into components like “wood” or “bone” or “shell” or “leather”. These can be taken to a crafter that will make things for you.

How do I identify this sword? See the vendor where you bought the salvage kit and buy an identification kit. It works the same way, double-click on it and then click on the item you want identified.

How do I dance? Type in /dance and the coolness begins immediately.

How do I get those cool sparkly effects shooting from my hands when I dance? Buy the Collector’s Edition.

How do I play “rock, paper, scissors”? Type in /rock or /paper or /scissors and let the fun begin.

How do I roll a 20 sided die? Type in /roll 20 (you can use other numbers for extra zany nerd simulations).

Where are the collectors? See those people standing around all over the game with (collector) in their name? Try asking them.

Do you want to join my guild? We have a cool cloak! No.

Why does this little girl want to follow me around all the time? Oh Gwen? Just ignore her and you’ll be better off.

How to I get more pack space? See the collector right outside Ascalon City? Just to the left? Ask that guy.

Now onto more important stuff:

What do you mean this is the newbie area? Well you see, in the beginning of the game you are in “pre-searing”. This is the newbie training area. You can learn about classes and skills and grouping and questing and things like that here. This is where you choose your 2nd class as well. You can stay here as long as you want, but the real game starts in “post-searing”.

How do I get to “post-searing”? After you get a few levels under your belt and you have chosen a second class, go talk to Sir Tydus in Ascalon City and go to the Academy.

What is the Academy? This is where you get your first taste of PvP. You will be put in a random group of 4 people (or maybe some henchmen if there is not enough people joining the Academy at that time) and will be forced to battle in an arena. The winning team moves on, the losing team stays to fight again. It’s not hard, so have fun. (I’ve been corrected here, I guess the result does not matter and everyone moves on. In that case it does not seem as exciting and I am disappointed.)

What is the “searing”? Well if the name is not enough for you, just wait and see. Needless to say, things won’t ever be quite the same again.

OK, final tip for now: The “Adventure with an Ally” quest asks you to go find someone else and join in a group. Then you should return to get the resurrection signet. Now, lots of people stand around asking for someone to join them, but it seems they don’t understand the grouping part. As soon as someone says they will join you, don’t just run off. You must actually invite or be invited to a group and the invitee must accept. Then and only then should you go off to get the signet. I am amazed at how many people have done this to me.

– Ethic

That’s my cue to leave

[City of Heroes] If you send me a blind team invitation…
…when I don’t have my LFG flag on…
…and you are two zones away…
…and don’t answer when I ask what is going on…
…after 1am…
…when I have three deaths worth of debt from other teams…
I will be going, thanks. Good luck.

In this situation, you have 30 seconds to answer a straightforward question, because that is how long it takes to exit to the log-in screen.

: Zubon

FFXI Burnout: {You can have this.}

[Final Fantasy XI] Being the new guy, I was eager this morning to sit down at my computer (the one I get paid to sit in front of and pretend that I am working at) and see if there were any comments. Lo and belhold, there were! I was prepared to soak up the love and adoration of my fan base, and embrace the kudo’s they were raining down upon me.

Then I woke up.

It appeared from the comments that the general problem with Final Fantasy XI is the grind. When one feels that the time input does not equal reward output in-game (there is probably some kind of scientific equation to be found here, if I understood equations or science). I hate to say this about my favorite game, but this is the state of nature in Vana’diel. FFXI is a grind. More grind than most MMO’s. The problem for me is that I love the grind, but this removes me from the perspective of other gamers (you know, like “normal people”) that don’t. We just can’t connect on the same level. So I engaged in some self-reflective thinking on the issue and even if I can’t justify the level of grind I was hoping to put some perspective for others as to why the grind exists.

The first thing to come to mind is that FFXI, unlike almost all other MMO’s currently available, has a truely international playerbase. More specifically, it is an MMO that was not designed with the American teenager in mind (can’t really think of a reason that is a bad thing). It was designed with the ravenously obsessed Japanese player in mind. I have heard that there may, in fact, be some cultural differences between Americans and the Japanese. There are somethings here that wouldn’t fly in Japan, and there are somethings there that, well, defy definition by American standards (although I have heard that Poki is yummy). The Japanese players enjoy a level of tedium in their games. Japanese games are generally longer, harder, and, by American standards, boring. That being said there are quite a few Americans that engage in, and thoroughly enjoy, these kinds of games. OCD has become a term of art in America, and these people would be the poster children. FFXI provides an opportunity to delve into a world of obsessive/compulsive behavior derived from a thousand years of neurotic and repressive Japanese social hierarchy.

FFXI definitely was not designed with the casual gamer in mind. The problem for me though is this: should an online game be designed for the casual gamer? At the current time, the game most designed with the casual gamer in mind is taking the world by storm. The latest I have heard is that Blizzard has enough people playing World of Warcraft to establish themselves as an independent nation-state and receive recognition by the United Nations. The problem with this is sustainability. The casual gamer not only plays less frequently than the normal MMO gamer, but is also more likely to permanently leave an MMO. I am not trying to doomcast WoW, more explaining the staying power of FFXI. FFXI continues to expand, but this is not observed by those that don’t cover the game or have left the game. FFXI can not capture all the gamers in the world, but for the ones they do catch, SquareEnix has sunk their hooks deep.

But I suppose this is all metacommentary at best, a useless waxing of my superior obsession. I mean, how can you not enjoy repetitively slaughtering the same innocent Couerls for hours on end? Wait, don’t answer that question.

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Pedro the Tank Smasher

[City of Heroes] Because the world needs irony points after that earlier post, I was out farming Dreck’s mission a bit.

We met Pedro the Tank Smasher. Pedro has been going on a series of magical adventures, and his story will be told in the upcoming picture book, “Pedro the Tank Smasher in the Land of Make Believe.” Cryptic is publishing it as a companion book to “Web of Arachnos” this fall, for a younger audience.

The other Tank Smashers and Slashers are never nice to Pedro. He just wants to be liked and accepted, but they always make fun of his off-brand cybernetics. They can’t see through the metal to the sensitive core within. After one particularly sad day when even the Warriors in Talos Island laughed at him, Pedro goes on a journey of exploration through his imagination. In the end, he learns to accept himself, and in doing so comes to be accepted by others. Later that day, a hero beats him into unconsciouness for 108 experience points.

It was a touching story. Our blaster is considering learning Spanish so that he can translate it for the international audience. I think it is a pretty universal message. No word yet on the film rights.

: Zubon

Welcome… to me?

I am a new MMO blogger person here at Kill Ten Rats. This is one of those introductory posts that you have to write when you first start just about anywhere. Its generic and obtuse, where you find out something about me but it won’t be meaningful to our relationship.

Anyway, I would like to give you my qualifications (my curriculum blogae if you will) in a way to justify my inane rambling about MMO’s. I am an intense and avid player of Final Fantasy XI. A game which some have (and rightfully and divinely so) called the “Best Game in the Universe” and “OMFG, Game Most Likely to Suck Your Will to Live!” I haved enjoyed this game for many hours a day, many days a week, for several months now. I fancy myself as a “hardcore” on-line gamer, as I even enjoy the time sinks that are built into FFXI. I also have just started playing the “uber-hotness” game of the year, World of Warcraft. This game intrigues me and I am ready to dive into more of its content. Finally, I also hope to start playing the Matrix Online in the free week test period that is coming up, and I may pick up that game if I enjoy it enough.

Now that I have blandly presented my experience with MMO’s, I would like to move on to my purpose here. As I see it, many MMO blogs have moved past FFXI as being part of the old age to MMO’s. The evidence is to the contrary though, if SirBruce is to be believed, as the game still holds more players than all except for the juggernaut that is WoW (excluding, of course, certain Korean NetCafe gank-fests). Most blogs dont even have commentaries on the most recent expansion for FFXI. I am here to fill that void in your MMO blog experience! I am your contact with all things Vana’diel. And no you can’t touch my Moogle.

That being said, I don’t think of myself as a fanboi. Playing a four-year-old MMO doesn’t make you an addict. Right?

I may have a fatal flaw as a MMO blogger. I am an optimist at heart, and though I enjoy delving the depths of pure cynicism as much as the next guy, I find myself incapable of staying there. I am not much of a doomcaster, and I don’t take life sustenance in ripping to shreds any persons life work. My goal is to be as balanced in my criticisms as possible and try to place reviews of games within the context of the industry as a whole.

Well, that is me. I will likely spend some time comparing and contrasting other games to FFXI. I also would like to document the expansion of WoW as it grows over the years, as I believe that much can be learned about MMO’s by watching their development and maturation. But mostly I will spend my time ranting and raving, exploring strange and wonderful tangents, and babbling about whatever MMO related thought process shoots through my head.

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