.

Промоакции для игроков не только в шутерах — воспользуйся промокодом Vavada от наших партнеров и получи бонусы, которые подарят азарт и атмосферу, сравнимую с игровыми победами.

.

Bold Legion Of Geeks

gw[Guild Wars] Picked up two copies of Guild Wars Nightfall the other day. My wife and I are migrating over from World of Warcraft. It’ll be nice to play something totally new for both of us. I’m not sure what our character names will be but I’ll post a comment below when I do. The [BLOG] guild is mostly empty now, but if anyone is looking to join up with us and understands that they might never see us online, let me know. Otherwise, if we can find an established, mature yet casual guild we might be interested in joining it.

I’m really starting to like the way Guild Wars structures it’s gameplay costs to players. It seems to be pretty friendly to casual time-restricted players like me. Even factoring in the costs of all three boxes, I’ve still paid less that I paid for WoW in about the same amount of time. I also feel no pressure to log in, because I’m not paying for each month. I like it.

– Ethic

Fooled by Randomness

Terra Nova has a good discussion about in-game superstition and urban legends. When confronted by random behavior and rare events, people frequently make up explanations, some of which even sound plausible.

Funny thing is, occasionally they are true. Asheron’s Call really did have a Wi Flag based on character names. In the original A Tale in the Desert, wine flavors were based on the number of grapes that had been crushed in a barrel. In Kingdom of Loathing, you used to be able to change your odds of getting encounters by logging out and back in. Games have all sorts of oddities, which is why a seemingly harmless tweak can cause bugs throughout the game. You are in a non-linear feedback system where quasi-random systems can be based on arbitrary variables.

: Zubon

Done at 48, Quits at 50

Many people quit at max level and walk away. I have seen much discussion about a lack of end game content, unwillingness to start the treadmill over, lack of direction without the treadmill, and a few others, but there is one explanation I have heard rarely if ever: people get sick of the treadmill well before 50, but tough it out to “finish the game” before they quit.

Before housecleaning, I would look at our CoH SG and see level 47-49 characters who just walked away one day. “How can you get that close,” I wondered, “and just let it go?” Then I remembered, wait, I did exactly the same thing in Dark Age of Camelot. I quit a few levels shy of the level cap, and I would not have gotten that far if my class were not in demand AFK/borrowed dual box (Earth Theurgist with bladeturn chant). It is easy to get sick of the level grind, and many people have quit in their minds but just want to “beat it,” to say that they did (to themselves, mostly).

For a variant perspective, consider studies in the timing of death. People really do hold on for that birthday, new year, grandson’s graduation, or change in inheritance laws (check Ig Nobel prizes for that last one; it actually is solid research). Yea, the soul-crushing agony of the level grind unto death.

: Zubon

RMT and PVP

One of the more amusing ways to create a disincentive for goldfarmers, bots, and other fun things that come with real money transfers is to have unrestricted PvP (or nearly so). In EVE Online, for example, there are channels devoted to hunting down gold sellers and AFK miners, and good luck getting involved in the actual game part if half the server has you on its hit list as an eBay twink. If someone can kill you and take your stuff, you are less likely to buy stuff.

In Asheron’s Call, there is the classic story of a Darktide (PvP server) character sold on eBay, advertised as having three Mattekar Robes (are those still worth anything?). Let’s call him Bob. Bob told his friends he was selling the character and where he last logged off. Not long after the sale, “Your friend Bob has logged on.” While new Bob was getting his bearings, old Bob’s friend was traveling through portal space. Old Bob’s friend liked his new robe. Old Bob’s friends also knew which lifestone Bob used. Rough start on the new server, new Bob.

If that story is just an urban legend, please don’t disillusion me.

: Zubon

BC Release Date (Mostly) Set – Jan 07

wow[World of Warcraft] Assuming you play the game, you probably already know this, but release date is set for sometime in January. I’m happy to be proven wrong in my assumption that they would go for the money. Assuming EBgames server ever comes back online, I’ll even buy a copy now. For those who can’t wait, there will be a 1.13 patch giving some of the BC content early, which should hold a few of the less-ravenous over. The guilds who had planned for a Nov release (such as some I read who had taken 3 weeks off at release time *boggle) probably aren’t pleased.

Speaking as a gamer though, I’d rather wait for a finished product. Official press release after the cut, should you desire.

Continue reading BC Release Date (Mostly) Set – Jan 07

Ryzom Revisited

sor[Ryzom] Once upon a time, I was in the Beta 2 of Ryzom. I tested and played. I really did not like the game much and put it out of my memory. When the announcement was made about the Ryzom Ring, I became interested again but was skeptical. Now that it is out, and after reading a lot about the game from Kwip, I decided to download the free trial and check it out for myself.

This post is mostly just an introduction and first impressions. I plan to post more down the road as I get more playtime in. But for now, let’s get started. The demo download took about an hour to grab off their website and get installed. There was also a small patch, about a minute’s worth. Registration was easy, no credit card required. All and all quite painless. The graphics displayed during the install showed scenes of space as well as fantasy. Hard to even know for sure what the game is going to be like from those shots.

Continue reading Ryzom Revisited

Warning and Disclaimer (Part 3)

Kill Ten Rats has not been rated by the ESRB, MPAA, or Consumer Reports. It may not be fully compliant with the building code or obscenity laws of your locality. Game experience may change during online play. Internet access fees may apply.

Do not apply Kill Ten Rats to your head or skin. Components in your monitor or wireless device may be damaged in a forceful application, as may your head or skin. Kill Ten Rats has no scientifically verified dermatological benefit, nor is it a prescription acne treatment. Consult your doctor before using blogs for medical reasons.

: Zubon

CoX Holiday Event: Trick or Treat

coh[City of Heroes] The Platonic ideal of the grind has nearly been perfected: once a minute, you click on a door; enemies run out; you beat them up; repeat until you get a badge.

Trick or treating is cute, with some nice little rewards, and it is fun … for a while. I respect the direct implementation of “push the button to get a pellet.”

Continue reading CoX Holiday Event: Trick or Treat

Uber – Not Just For Raiding Anymore

Or, “Mudflation – Now in Strawberry Flavor”

I should preface by saying I raid in WoW 2-5 times a week, and raided in EQ for far too many years. That’s to defuse the inevitable “u don’t know raiding!!1!!” comments I’ll see emailed to me, in between the mortgage refinance spam. It’s been fun to see my gear scale up from AH Bargain Bin, to mostly blue, to purple. And of course the power gain is handy. My solo ability has gone from adequate to quite fine, and I no longer have the endurance of a wet napkin. Having the ol’ mana bar last longer always helps too. That’s the primary carrot of raiding – new, more powerful items and gear you can’t get elsewhere.

That is, until that scantily dressed harlot known as Miss BC swings by.

Continue reading Uber – Not Just For Raiding Anymore