Kill Ten Rats

Moving along from that last post, you are now a game developer. MMOs are never completely done, and you are looking for ideas and feedback in making changes. You had cast a wider net during initial development, but now you mostly listen to your current players. These are the people who are willing to pay to play your game (or something very like it), rather than the great many who say they want something but never buy it.

You have a good game! You are successful! You are the next EVE Online, growing from a niche game into something of international note! Can you still get useful input from your playerbase?

Continue reading Immigration, Democracy, and Your Game

Let us assume for the moment that you have a better than average guild, and your guild is this good because of how you work together, not just due to a few workhorse players. Even though you and your friends may not be the best players in the game, the way you go about playing, raiding, etc. gets you to your goals much better than those idiots you meet in pickup groups.

This might be because you engage in cooperative alt creation and leveling, have a high degree of trust in awarding loot, maintain a consistent schedule, enforce strict requirements upon guild members, or what have you. You have found What Works, or at least what works for you. What happens when you let more people into the guild?

Continue reading Immigration, Democracy, and Your Guild

Since the official word is out, I figured I’d get a little discussion going. Our own Nicodemus and Spot are starting a project together (that has nothing to do with us here at KTR). The project is an MMORPG called “Immortal Destiny”. Also, Nicodemus recently released a book titled “MMO Evolution”. I purchased the first copy (so I was told) and am currently devouring the contents. Just to be clear, I had no prior knowledge about either of these events, I read the press release just like many others.

So the claim is to be “the first truly evolutionary massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) designed to empower players and provide extraordinary experiences and entertainment.” One can only hope. But what is “evolutionary”? Let’s dig in a little further.

Continue reading “Immortal Destiny” and “MMO Evolution”

Me most favorite of ’em all.

Ramming speed!

– Ethic

Ethic, should we adopt this disclaimer that the internet is not safe? Neither is your favorite MMO:

The other people on the web, including other visitors, our employees, agents, and guests, and anyone else who might sneak in, may be stupid, reckless, or otherwise dangerous. They may be mentally ill, criminally insane, drunk, using illegal drugs and/or armed with deadly malware and ready to use them. We aren’t necessarily going to do anything about it. We refuse to take responsibility.

It is much like rock climbing in that way.

: Zubon

Big hat tip to Overlawyered.

British Columbia has cancelled the fall session of its legislature. Their economic situation is good, and there are not any changes that cannot wait to be implemented in the spring.

Does this remind you of anyone’s patch schedule?

: Zubon

HT: H&R

Or “what’s in a name” or possibly “How many times will Oz use quotes?” My current WoW guild is filled with people I used to game with in EQ. I find this very comforting, as it’s like going to a new place with people you already know. Hopefully, it’s a feeling that’s reciprocated. When I first applied, I knew who they “were” but I did not immediately disclose who I “was”, although several people including the GM knew. It’s not like I had anything to hide. It was one of those snap decisions. Later, I felt guilty and prominently posted my former avatar names on a few posts. And all was well. The names identified me, and they knew who I was. But what happens if you change your name, leave it behind and become a “new person”? Or, even better, if someone takes “your” name?

Continue reading The Importance of Being ‘Blaznarat’

Civilization IV is very good. If you like this sort of game, this is hereby the premier example, in the way that Master of Orion 3 was not.

That said, the world of Civilization is both idiosyncratically different and eerily similar to our own. Some of this stems from the conventions of the genre: in MMOs, you accept that everyone is wearing six backpacks, and in empire-building games you accept that it can take 80 years to walk through a forest.

Continue reading Civilization IV and Its Discontents

We have been playing mostly offline lately. My wife’s favorite PS2 game is Karaoke Revolution. Mine is Katamari Damacy. We could combine them into Karaoke Damacy, but there are only so many seconds of “na naa nana na na na na na na na na na naa” that she can take before I get stabbed.

: Zubon