Category: General

[EVE Online] Well I’m back from my vacation and now that the war is all finalized and done with. I’ll post about the main causes and effects of the war and how it was finalized, and of course how I did my share in ending it. :)

We had war declared on us by a pirate/mercinary corp called Silent Guard, this corp was apparantly hired by another corp in the same system we are in, to take us out. Now we have a few hints as to who the corp is, but we aren’t sure yet and we are looking into it.

Silent Guard is a very small elite corp. Few members, yet they have very high skill counts and very good ships. Over all, we had the advantage, however our pilots weren’t organized well enough to take them. They would hang around our home system and pick us off one by one, we had a few skirmishes but they got away or docked and logged quite often. Therefore we couldn’t get them.

We had a bit of outside help though, from a millitary corp and an old friend of the corp who is the one who pulled us together and gave us the edge we needed to end the war. We had major advantages. One was that we were fighting on our home turf, where we could use Bookmarks and quickwarps to plan our attacks.

I lost overall 2 combat cruisers and 1 very expensive mining barge. Later on, the helper of the corp gave me a 20 million ISK outfitted ECM ship, which he gave in payment for my help with various odds and ends he needed. Later the next morning, him, I and another corp member were on and had spotted one of the Silent Guard in our system. He of course was hanging outside our corp hq waiting for us to come out. Thing was, only the helper was docked. He engaged the Silent Guard member and we warped in after him. Friend in a megathron, me in my blackbird, and the corp member in a scorpion (megathron and scorpion = battleships :) my ship = cruiser). I dampened his sensors resulting in him being unable to target us, and we locked him down with all the ECM we could muster, soon after his ship was dust.

He offered to end the war given we didn’t let slip the loss of his ship, for either he wanted the war over or he didn’t want his corpmates to know he lost a ship. To whatever the cause, he petitioned his CEO to end the war and we got our wish the weekend prior. It’s over and no hard feelings .and we will still try to find the corp who declared war on us. But for now peace is here. :D Anyway, sorry I haven’t been able to post recently. Just had nothing going on except the war and I wanted to keep it on the down-low. You understand, right? :P

-Zxyrox

When I was 10 years old I remember getting excited because a friend of the family loaned me a game named Guild of Thieves, and then Hollywood Hijinx. Both of these titles were text adventures, meaning there were more or less no graphics. Some of them had a few bitmap images to go along with the text, but no movement as we are all used to today.

Back then, your imagination was responsible for creating not only your environments but your character as well. Nothing relied on the cost of your GPU or how much memory you had. As long as your computer could display text, you could play the game as well as anyone else.

These days bring many changes. Now a game without bleeding edge eye candy is considered below par and dies on the discount table. MMOs are reviewed and rated based on their cosmetic level holding as much importance as the design of the game itself. Those who still partake in pen-n-paper RPGs are considered nerds and losers. Times do change indeed.

All current games share one common element. The perspective of the player exists, and is therefore relevant to the design. Whether the player is assuming the role of God or a highly trained dark elf shaman there exists a self awareness which must be illustrated. Black & White represents this character with a hand cursor which changes depending on the player’s choices in the game. Many MMOs represent this with a three-dimensional avatar, while others like EVE online put the focus on the player’s ship (with a still image of the pilot as a backup).

My interest is how much the character representation affects the player. I am referring primarily to the depth of customization designed into the game. Let’s look at a few case studies.

• EVE Online – Player character is represented by a still image with the selection of four lighting types. All other customization is based on the character ship in-game.
• Everquest II – Player is able to customize character with a medium range of physical features and hair styles. Hair color and skin tones restricted to race. All other customization depends on in-game armor restricted to level.
• Lineage II – Player is able to minimally customize character hair style/color and predefined faces restricted to race and class. All other customization depends on in-game armor restricted equipment class restrictions. Armor appearance changes per race.
• World of Warcraft – Minimal character creation. All other customization in-game based on armor restricted to level. Due to the unique graphic engine, detail of avatar is low.
• The Matrix Online – Very minimal character creation. Lack of creation ability counter-balanced with wide range of player created and dropped clothing and weapons.
• Star Wars Galaxies – Most likely the highest amount of character customization to date. Full physical modifications including weight, height, bust size (females), tattoos and player created clothing/armor based on hundreds of base templates. Also, in-game appearance changes possible by player ran Image Designer profession.

I believe that the importance of character customization is directly related to the player’s style of play; what they enjoy. Some old school RPG players do not require much customization in order to enjoy a game because they have adapted to making use of imagination in order to succeed at role-playing their character. Others put a lot more weight on a character’s appearance to present themselves to others in game.

All of this falls back upon the foundation principle that RPGs are about playing the role of a different creature. Whether the player requires a completely unique avatar or simply their mind, they are representing themselves as someone different. This goes along with males who prefer to play female characters and vice-versa.

Many of the guides which we would normally follow in a discussion like this are clouded by the fact that as MMO production gets closer and closer to the main stream market, game populations become less focused on hard core role-playing and therefore more so on popularity ladders which, as time has proven, always put a high importance on cosmetic elements. :)

I am a person who while enjoying serious role-playing, also requires a good amount of avatar customization and presentation ability.

What about you?

-Spot

Hello, my name is Spot and I am the newest addition to the writers here at KTR. I also have a personal blog which I upkeep at www.sp0t.com. As opposed to rewriting my about page, I will just copy it here as a sort of introduction:

Games continue to inspire me as the ultimate art medium. It is the only channel through which a designer may capture the visual, auditory and interactive senses; wielding them into an all encompassing envelope of emotion and stimulation. This ability alone; the power to construct a presentation on such a level, is beautiful to me.

I have therefore studied the game development industry for close to five years now; soaking in anything I can get my hands on. Watching the MMO revolution begin its unyielding climb toward the premiere emotional stimulant is an incredible experience.

I believe that what we label as games, will soon (and have already begun) to become much more. The possibilities of educational and entire varieties of non-entertainment driven opportunities exist and become more obvious each day.

My employment of three years with deviantART.com has provided me with the unique experience of watching (and assisting to guide) a truly massive community of over a million people, which allows me a somewhat uncommon perspective on massively multiplayer environments.

I currently live in Los Angeles, California with two roommates, one of which has played quite a few MMO’s, the other which often I find absorbed in a game of Counter-Strike or Rise of Nations. I frequent many MMO’s so as to gain a wider perspective on different design methods. Over the past six months, I have held accounts in EQ2 / SWG / WoW / Matrix / Ryzom / EVE / EAB / AO / L2 Etc.

I am also a die hard fan of the Splinter Cell franchise.

That’s about it for me. I will be writing more about design theory as it applies to my MMO experiences, and I look forward to discussing these things with you all.

Thanks.

-Spot

[EVE Online] I can’t think of anything really breathtakingly interesting about what I did this weekend but on a side note, once I figure out how to configure screenshots with the paint tool (yeah I’m that out of it) I’ll post up some screenshots.

Well I helped out Ethic with some of the functions of EVE and I hope he continues to play as I find the game very interesting myself and I hope he does the same. As an update, I helped him out with mining and got him a new ship to use and I believe around the area of doubling his money tonight, and so far it’s all good.

I’ve lost 3 ships already to this darned war and I hope these idiots cut it out soon. I and everyone else don’t know what we did to them but I’m sure they are just corp killers. Well we have alot of people from other corps that delcared war on them in our honor, apparantly our CEO is a well liked guy.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guy but some of the people he has helping us aren’t the least bit appreciative of the help some of the not-so-uber members have done. I myself was told I wasn’t going to be worth anything in a fight because my current combat ship is a cruiser. (I’m sorry I can’t afford a 120mill battleship guys) so mr. mercinary got the short end of the stick when I told him I’m no longer helping his efforts and he can consider himself – 1 pilot…of course one of the members of about the same experience of me in the corp decides to take mr. mercinary’s side and try to rationalize his harshness “he just doesnt want you to lose anymore ships”.

Well, you can imagine how many people took my side in corp-channel the operation wasnt even mr.mercinary’s business in the first place and my wingman wasnt too happy about him pissing me off, well more on that later.. I have to go mine :)

-Zxyrox

I love going to the carnival. You know the ones that travel from town to town. Every small town gets their chance to have a carnival and the whole city shows up. The rides get assembled and the carneys yell from the booths. “Win your girlfriend a teddy bear, kid!”.

I remember one carnival I went to in my grandparents’ home town. It started with a parade and ended with a concert. In the parade, they had soldiers in jeeps firing off blanks from machine guns and the shells sprayed all over the street. The kids ran out to grab handfulls even though they were blistering hot. I still have some of those.

One time I found myself at a booth where you would toss a dime and if it landed on a plate you would win a pocketknife. I only had a nickel but the guy said it was ok. I gave it a toss and it landed. I still have that pocketknife too.

Anyway, there is a new carnival in town. This one is for gamers. If you are a gamer, you should go check it out. If you aren’t a gamer, what are you doing reading this boring old site? Have fun!

– Ethic

As I often spend more time thinking about games than I do playing them, I occasionally find myself discovering some aspect of gaming I had not recognized before. In this most recent inspiration, I realized that I hurry through games too fast.

Perhaps it is the monthly fee (doubtful because I’m speeding through Guild Wars too)? Perhaps it is the desire to reach a new level or the “end game” (whatever that is, I swear I’ve never seen it) or perhaps it is the desire to see a new area or a new monster to fight. Whatever it is, it gets me in a mode that has me blowing through the content as fast as I can.

I skim the quest descriptions looking for my objective and I run off seeking to accomplish it as soon as possible. I don’t read the story. I don’t get pulled into the plot. Thus, I find myself losing interest in MMOs at an alarming rate.

World of Warcraft is perhaps the most interesting MMO I have played in a long time and yet I only lasted a couple of months. Level 28 out of a possible 60 is the furthest I made with any one character. Having people playing more often than I do, I find myself trying to maximize my time to try to keep up. I have started to avoid crafting and side-activities like fishing. I figured that stuff is all in place to slow down the hard-core players a little, not for me.

I think I would like to try to play a game slower, but how? I can think of a few options here. I could play on a server that nobody I know is on. I could read EVERYTHING that there is to read (do you know there are many books in WoW to be read?). I could walk everywhere instead of using instant transportation. I could do more exploring and less fighting. I could take up role-playing. I could choose a place to live and make sure I start and finish each session there.

I remember back to my first MMORPG, Asheron’s Call. I played that game with a few people I knew. They had all been playing a long while and were high level, but they were also very social. We often spent the evening sitting on a rooftop shooting the breeze or making up quests for prospective allegiance members to do in order to be allowed to join. I look back on it now as one of the best times I have ever had in an MMO. So perhaps the socialization is what I am missing the most. It seems that a guild chat channel just doesn’t work as well as standing in front of someone and talking, even if it is just a virtual person.

Anyone else feel the same way? Have any other ideas? Feel free to share.

– Ethic

[EVE Online] Well unfortunately the fabled “real life” has kept me from posting here recently, however while I’m here I’ll explain somewhat how EVE works.

There aren’t any true “classes” but you choose your race, what your character looks like (in very great detail), and your profession…however professions aren’t set in stone. You can be a miner one month…then a trader the next, only thing stopping you is your skills in the field.

As a Newbie you are given a “rookie ship” which is basically the only ship you will see for a while unfortunately, the slow grind of this game, in adverse to most MMOs where your newbie levels are the easiest… are the most difficult part of the game, and set aside people who have the time and want to succeed, to the people who enjoy a more fast paced experience. Basically you mine until you have enough money (and skill) to pilot a secondary frigate for mining…then you mine some more until you can afford and industrial ship….then again you mine until you have enough money to start running trade routes (500,000?)..and from there on, money is simple…. buy low, sell high and the shorter the trip, the better. It starts off slow, but eventually it will warm up, no matter how long the grind takes at the beginning…there are alternatives of course.

There are many corporations (guilds) that will let you join and give you a boost of 1,000,000 ISK or more as a starting amount….which in the end saves alot of time.

Hope I answered all your questions, if not let me know XD

-Zxyrox

[EVE Online] I know a few of you have been wondering what EVE Online is like…and although I’m not the best at explaining things I will…

In EVE there is a gigantic galaxy…with hundreds of solar systems…all having a security rating…1.0 is tight security and 0.0 has no security. All the players play on one server (excluding the test server). You pilot a multitude of ships and use a plethora of skills depending on what path you wish to follow… there are no limits to the amount of skills you can have and can transition easily to which ever style suits your play (asteroid miner, mercinary, space pirate, trader, or a ship builder). Each has its own challenges and there are probably more than I have listed…

Open ended as the game is…to get a truely engrossing gaming experience you need ISK (EVE money) and lots of it. Usually one joins a corp to get started off and then ascends the ranks of corps from the newer ones to the more serious ones…. a corp is like a guild in WoW or other fantasy MMOGs

As far as game mechanics go… you pilot a variety of ships…from the fragile frigates to the intimidating Battleships and even the middle ground cruisers…however there are alot more classes of ships designed to do what you want them to, be it a fighter or a hauling craft.. but you dont control the ships directly, so if you enjoy fast paced shooting combat, EVE isn’t for you…the piloting involves clicking on an options interface like other MMOGs. You customise your ships with whatever weapons and electronic gear you can, from ECM to velocity upgrades

If you engage combat, and death is eminent… you can eject into your lifepod which is your last defense from death…if you are killed in this pod (podded) then you respawn as a clone in the last station you sent the clone to..higher level clones result in less skill loss…if you are killed then you lose some skill points you had trained.. about skill points…unlike in some games…it is impossible to power level a character seeing as how all skills train at the same rate (unless you learn skills to make training easier).

Well that’s all I can think of at the spur of the moment…if you have any other questions then post a comment and I’ll see if I can answer them. (By the way if you are interested in getting EVE check out www.eve-online.com and check it out…if anyone decides to try it look me up and I’ll try to help ya out :D )

-Zxyrox

One of the main characters involved in Turbine (makers of AC, AC2, DDO, and MEOLOTRO or something) left a few weeks ago and has now found new employment.

Jason Booth is working for some non-MMO company so it’s unimportant. Ha.

Anyway, he left some comments regarding MMOs that I wanted to point out to see what people think about them. There is a lot of truth there to be sure, but is it really that black and white? Here is an excerpt:

… the MMP industry is boiling the formula down to a very destructive set of lesson for our society. These lessons appear to be:

Achievement is far more important in life than enjoyment, family, friends, etc.

We should all be equal, regardless of our given talents. Time and devotion to achievement is all that matters, skill and smarts are worthless.

Don’t think, just grind.

If you grind harder, you will be “more cool” than others.

The problem is that none of these really lead to a happy or compelling life. Play is supposed to be an enjoyable learning function which helps you to understand some aspect of life, not a time waster, or worse, something which literally drives you to neglect your life.

Good luck in the future Jason!

– Ethic

[EVE Online] Well my last skill in EVE is finishing up…not much to say today, our CEO of the corp is attempting to build a starbase player owned station (POS) and has scouts out looking for that, a few of the corp members pitched in and got the ore for a Moa for me after the whole Ore incident…

i’ll post more when something interesting happens…such as my skill finishing… i figured out by halting the skill and training some learning skills i can speed it up…it went from 3days to 2days…so im not complaining….

I’ll have that mining barge yet!

(Im gonna go see Revenge of the Sith tomorrow…hope it isnt a dead weight movie like i’ve been fearing, more info on that as well later)

-Zxyrox