Author: Zubon

Since we so often focus on negativity and the latest outrage, I want to spend a little time saying nice things. In this case, I will make a new post every day this week pointing out things I like or liked about various games. There will be no attempt to balance this with negative points, although I may classify some things as qualified successes or good ideas that did not fully pan out.

My apologies if I refer to something good that no longer exists or to something current in the past tense. I do not currently play most of the MMOs that I have played, so I am not always aware of their current states. I may accidentally give credit to a game for something it adapted or completely stole from another one; in that case, good call on stealing that idea. Good ideas can be repeated instead of re-creating the wheel every time.

Continue reading Shiny Happy Week

You should be happier. Luckily, your happiness is within your control, and I am going to tell you how to get more happiness out of your gaming time. Hurray!

The simple version is: focus on the positive. Optimists are usually happier, even under identical circumstances. “Wait,” you say, “mightn’t that be backwards? People don’t have happier lives because they think about good things; they think about good things because they have happy lives. If your life sucks, you don’t have the good things to think about!”

There is some truth there, but most people have control over their attitudes towards life, if only they could develop the right perspective. Some of us bloggers whine because we hate everyone and everything, but some of us are just blowing off steam so that we can get back to focusing on the continuous joy that is life. (We also give constructive criticism, but it is not always terribly constructive.) This week, we are going to try an experiment in improving your happiness via a gratitude journal.

Continue reading Gaming Gratitude Journals

Put something on it.

Seriously, game developers, it does no good for you to post a “known issues” page and then never update it. Have you not noticed any bugs or balance issues in the game? Are you aware of them but pretend they don’t exist? Are you just lying in case potential buyers are checking the web page first?

Continue reading How To Use a Known Issues List

Include everything. Mention when you change them.

For example, say that you were to nerf stealth in your game. It would not be a good thing to leave that out of the patch notes. If you did leave it out, you should definitely add it in. Also, when you add it, make a note at the top, maybe with a big UPDATE line, rather than listing it in the middle of other changes. The same goes for everything else you missed the first time through.

As a parting note, it might be worth including an explanation of significant changes to powers, especially when you have promised to do so. A simple “We thought stealth was too useful PvE even after the last couple rounds of nerfs” might be nice.

: Zubon

“I go online sometimes, but everyone’s spelling is really bad. It’s depressing.”
– – Tara

The internet can be a harsh environment for some of us. If you have strong feelings about the serial comma, talking to anyone in-game is a potentially traumatic experience.

Continue reading Eats Shoots & Leaves

Work sent me out of town for the past week. The hotel lobby reminded me of a City of Heroes office map, where the upper floors have a landing that looks down on the lobby. Having run that map hundreds of times, I needed to remind myself that if I hopped over the railing, I would not land safely except for a little red “-2” over my head.

The stairs were further from temptation than the elevator.

: Zubon

[Kingdom of Loathing] The Kingdom of Loathing has its own holidays, mirroring normal American holidays. These are set by the KoL calendar, but they also appear on the real-world calendar days. The Feast of Boris, for example, appears on Thanksgiving as well as Boozember 7.

Today is the first time a KoL holiday falls on a real world holiday that has a KoL equivalent. Therefore, it is a combination of St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Drunkenness and oyster eggs abound. Can you find the secret special baskets?

(Special Offer! Today Only! I thought you’d want to know.)

: Zubon