Random thoughts unworthy of an individual post, but when their power is combined…
(a) Free brown dye all the time would be awesome.
Author: Ravious
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.Context in the Time of Microtransactions
It was inevitable: someone disagreed with my opinion that the Mercenary Heroes microtransactions were “fairly priced.” If it ended there, I would have no legs to stand on. Value, especially value of entertainment purchases, is highly subjective. Yet, there are so many objective criteria one can use to argue the microtransaction in to a lighter or darker shade of valued gray. The worst criteria to use is the core price.
The core price mechanism in MMO is generally either content pack (buy-the-box), subscription, or free. Content pack as a basis for the core price is found in Guild Wars and Wizard 101. Subscription-based MMOs are exemplified by World of Warcraft and the darling Rift, and take any pick of free MMOs, like Vindictus. Each of those has a core value, but it can widely differ. For instance, I find Rift’s frenetic update pace to well worthwhile the subscription cost while I do not find World of Warcraft’s subscription fee to have the same value. (As a tangent for another day, this will effect the value of underlying microtransactions.)
Whatever the case may be, the core inherently will have the highest value. It’s engineered that way because most importantly the game developers want players to buy and play their games. Compared to all the non-essential items, the essential core will have a value that blows the extras away. Look at Guild Wars with about 35 armor sets in the core (3 campaigns + expansion) and compare that to a $7.00 costume. The bottom line is the core is a statistical outlier in terms of placing a value on microtransactions.
Good objective talking points are comparisons to similar microtransactions, both in the same game and out. How much use the microtransaction gives is another good benchmark. I would also say nods to minimum wage are fair game. Just stay away from the core, it’s deceivingly shiny.
–Ravious
they now have their own crowned goddess
[GW] Cash Shop Thoughts
The last Guild Wars microtransaction released was the Mercenary Heroes item, where players can purchase mercenary hero slots to fill up with their own alternate characters. In other words, you can have a full party of, well… yous. ArenaNet even made sure to double-up the worth of all those costumes sitting in the wardrobe by making sure the mercenary heroes could be decked out in all the various regalia.
Previously I saw only unicorns and rainbows from this offering. It’s way more personal than elite. I’m the only one that’s going to care if my nearly six-year old man necromancer is in every party I use. It’s luxury, and it feel like it. This ties in with personalization; I can only analogize it to the difference between grilling a chuck steak and grilling a porterhouse. No one else cares what goes in your mouth. Finally, it wouldn’t affect gameplay… Continue reading [GW] Cash Shop Thoughts
[GW2] Tap Repeatedly Interview
Lewis B over at the gaming blog Tap Repeatedly has a three–part interview with ArenaNet’s Art Director Daniel Dociu. Lewis B took time and care in preparing for this interview, and he even takes Dociu by surprise pulling out Dociu’s quotes from decades ago. For any budding game artist, this interview is a must read.
With regards to the games, there is not that much new except Dociu hints at “next races to be introduced in future expansion packs.” But, given the treatment on the non-playable Guild Wars 2 races (recently the Skritt), amazing races are not necessarily going to be playable. Dociu also gives an interesting take on how they wanted to bring this “painterly” style to the original Guild Wars, yet the company was not ready for such a risk. The design of Guild Wars was played safe in areas, it appears.
Check out the full interview for a ton of other tidbits and insights.
–Ravious
[Rift] Shaded Events
I am nearly done with Scarwood Reach. The weekend hit a nice upswing in zone population, and we actually completed a few zone wide events. Sadly the Winged Horror event to defeat 50 invasions (then the boss) always seemed beyond our grasp. I think too many people were still rift chasing when that event really just requires defense. Anyway, I am starting to see more shades in Rift’s dynamic event system beyond the basics. Continue reading [Rift] Shaded Events
[GW] First of April Content
Lots of great MMO gags are running across this year’s April Fools. ArenaNet brought their own with the release of the “9th” Guild Wars 2 profession (with video!), the Commando, and the annual April Fool’s Guild Wars patch notes. One thing I really like in the fake patch notes is the constant mockery of possible in-game store items. I think it shows how much they are really listening to fans. I also laughed at the jab against Kormir, who stole the player’s thunder in a similar way at the end of Nightfall.
Anyway, each year ArenaNet also does something goofy in game, such as switching genders of characters in town, turning them into stick figures, or even cute, little chibi-dolls. This year the live team raised the bar with an actual quest on the newly added Embark Beach. Seek out Corporal Bane, who traveled from Guild Wars 2 to Embark Beach, to get players to join him in the past to stop a time-traveling golem from killing Sarah of Lakeside county. Plus it appears players will get special Commando-themed skills to use in the quest.
Usually the April Fool’s Guild Wars content is only on for the day. It being a quest, instead of a mere appearance change, the Corporal Bane will stay in Embark Beach until Monday. After that it’s likely the Doctor* will come and take care of him.
–Ravious
*the asuran one with the smoking hot quaggan sidekick, not the British one
[Rift] Chloroformed
Usually I play a healer (World of Warcraft priest) or healer utility (Lord of the Rings Online captain). With Rift I decided that I was going the ranged DPS role. I played around with a Pyromancer/Chloromancer build in beta, but I found that I really liked the Stormcaller soul for live. For soloability and excellent energy management, I added on a helping of Elementalist (pet included). A little late at level 3o, I finally decided to really start messing around with builds. I decided that since I love supporting, I was going to create a Chloromancer build for use in group content where a healer was needed.
I dutifully switched roles (saved Rift builds in game), dumped all my points in to Chloromancer with the excess in to Warlock, and stood back. My skill bars were just awash in green. It was easy to pare the few Warlock skills away, many of which were long term buffs, but I was just bombarded with way too much information. I felt like I had just been dumped in to a cockpit of an airplane, and then I was told “go.”
[Rift] Take Me to the River
The first major patch for Rift is happening today. While there have been many patches from minor balance issues to hot fixes in Rift’s first month after launch, this is the first patch that deserves a whole tenth of a version. The 1.1 Update is bringing plenty of heavier balance changes, a lot of other tweaks, a new raid, and an event. Of course this first patch is well timed for players sitting on the fence subscription-wise, but Trion Worlds has told PCGamer that they intend to be “the most nimble and dynamic MMO developer in the AAA market.”
I am excited about the whole patch, especially the changes to the mage class, which is my main, but I am most excited about the Endless Court event. This event is gamewide. Every zone (except the tutorial areas) will be affected as an onslaught of Death plane invaders attack Telara. This is a true invasion as each zone erupts with rifts and footholds, which of course start sending out invading groups to attack any area left unscathed. Like the current zone wide events, player activity will be considered when the system is about to drop the Endless Court event. The big difference is that with normal zone wide invasions if all the zone’s wardstones fall, the event fails. With the start of the Endless Court event, the zone has already lost, and players have to fight to reclaim their world.
This is what excites me about Rift. The dungeons, class system, raids, and PvP (and I guess quests) are all nice, but it is their dynamic events that are really making me a fan of their game. It has taken some time to unlearn much of my conditioning caused by MMOs of the past, but now I am reveling in the chaos, dynamics, and camaraderie that these dynamic events bring. I want more of this. I want planar nukes dropping on capital cities. I want more complex events that chain to bring a greater story to life. I want to feel like I am building up Telara and breaking down the invading planes. The update is taking the game one step closer to this dream. For now, I am looking forward to a world bathed in Death tonight.
–Ravious
MMO Love to Japan
The world is supporting the crisis in Japan, but that support doesn’t just end with individuals and governments. Game companies are stepping up too. Valve is trying to get gamers to buck up by buying Japanese-themed Team Fortress 2 hats (all proceeds after tax to Red Cross). Two MMO companies are taking another route.
NCSoft has donated over 6,000,000 USD directly to Japan, which overshadowed every other Korean corporation donation at the time it was made (including Samsung and LG). It even outshadowed Japanese corporations donations like Nintendo and Sony. Now it is likely that Japanese corporations are “donating” with paid-time off and other ways to help employees and their communities, but it does put a point on NCSoft’s significant generosity.
US-based Trion Worlds with the shiny-new MMO Rift is taking a more personal route. They are finding their Japanese customers and giving them a free month of play. It’s not necessarily as humanitarian as donating money to aid, but it adds yet another showing that Trion Worlds values its customers. I have recently been a little critical of the mid-level zones and fuzzy edges of the dynamic content engine, yet as I noted in my last Rift post, they are keeping me a happy customer.
Prayers and thoughts continue to go to the island gaming nation. Also, one can never have too many hats.
–Ravious
[Rift] Middling Wardstones and Zones
I headed away from Scarlet Gorge finally in a bittersweet decision. I really had wanted to defeat the zone boss, Urthura, who is spawned when one faction controls all the ancient wardstones in the zone. The Guardians did get to the point where all the ancient wardstones were controlled, and we even saw the Urthura spawn text flash across the middle of our screens. And then… nothing. She apparently poked her head up but then went back to sleep, or she figured the failed death invasion event detritus could have Scarlet Gorge, or we lost a wardstone, or something. Hopefully, next time I visit Scarlet Gorge I can kill her.
Still, I am thankful to go. Scarlet Gorge seems like an experiment gone wrong. The zone extends along a river that flows North to South, and in comparison to the other square-ish zones, Scarlet Gorge is a thin rectangle. Each faction holds an opposing end of the long rectangle. Traversing the zone is a pain as both the river and the road are full of mobs in many areas. The few zone events that we were able to win had the boss of course spawning on the Defiant side, which forced a long run across dangerous territory if I wanted to participate. Ironically, it was usually the Guardian wardstones that kept the event from failing.