A Little Vacation

Hello all,

I just wanted to let everyone know that I’ve been on a little vacation. Since my last post. It’s been a long ride the last four months with wedding planning (24 days left until I take the big walk!) and student teaching, so I decided to take advantage of my newfound freedom to step back from it all for a few days.

While I’m at it, I should probably mention that I’ll be gone for the week after my wedding too. So, from June 20th-28th, I’ll be safely tucked away at Disney World enjoying my honeymoon, 3000 miles away from my nearest gaming rig.

For now though, I won’t be posting anything new until this coming Monday. Until then, take this opportunity to check out some of the awesome blogs on the blogroll. They post enough to keep you more than entertained until I get back.

Take care everyone!

Structure vs. Freedom

Not the official logo

Last time we spoke about kinships, I talked about my uncertainty on whether I should stay with The Council. I liked the guild quite a bit. Their philosophy matched up with mine well; build the player to build the guild (you’ll have to forgive me, I’ll probably use guild and kin interchangeably). It was great, when I joined – before student teaching. Four months later, I had returned to turmoil, uncertainty, and a kin lacking its leader. The idea of “take our their leader and the rest will be lost” was absolutely true.

So, I left the kin mid-last week and joined another called The Council of the Secret Fire. I’d grouped with several of their members before and they’d always been very friendly. Something… was missing, though. It’s hard to put my finger on. Maybe it was the lack of goal. They were a “jack of all trades, master of none” guild. Even though they were friendly, the whole thing felt without purpose. I chalked it up to making the guild-hop too soon. I spent some time kin-free.

Yet, as always, I soon felt like something was missing. After doing some research, I came across another that had been in place across several games for over four years. You may have heard of them if you played WAR close to release, they’re called Shadow Company. Unlike CotSF, they’re highly organized and structured. Militaristically so as, unsurprisingly enough, the guild leader is a former military officer. I was hesitant to apply at first. I mean, was the trade off for organization a virtual boot camp?

Still, I put in an application in good faith. Thankfully, it’s paid off well. The militaristic aspect is for RP purposes but it’s also established enough to keep things well structured. There are activities planned for nearly every day, master crafters of every variety, and active players at every hour of the day. Events and meetings are not mandated but encouraged and there’s an understanding that RL comes before the game 100% of the time.

The whole thing got me thinking though, what’s a better way to go: high structure or player freedom? There’s an appeal to each and both types serve different kinds of players. Yet, each type must borrow characteristics of the other in order to succeed. What is the formula to success and progression?

Personally, I’m a believer in structure. Players work and interact best when there’s a defined hierarchy and rule system. Likewise, I believe players contribute to the community more when such a system is in place. It’s easy to be complacent and silently solo all the time when there’s no incentive to interact. When you give players the potential to advance their guild rank, they try more.

On the other hand, maintaining a lot of structure takes more work, causes more stress, and can result in a more constrained environment. High freedom solves this but can also lead to less getting done due to the more hap-hazard design. Such a guild may find themselves as players sharing a guild tag and little more.

I had a hard time finding a structured guild that was open to non-raiders. I think by the nature of the game, LotRO lends itself towards open kins. They come in every variety, to be sure, but let’s pose the scenario: a guild wants to have a good community, come together on occasion, and be able to provide for members that like to tackle new dungeons. How should they go about it in a casual game?

The End of Sword and Sorcery MMOs?

While I’m willing to admit that I’ve read a bit about Eve Online, Alternative MMOs have never really appealed to me. I’ve always been a fan of high fantasy, so I’ve chosen my MMOs to taste.

Yet, nearly every upcoming MMO right now is breaking the sword and sorcery mold and exploring other settings. Right now, we have everything from spaceship battle games to those reminiscent of SimCity on the landscape, each hoping to carve another little gouge from our bank account balances.

Two of the biggest games coming out are Star Trek Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Before these two games hit the horizon, I was of the opinion that any non-fantasy game was going to be niche, just based upon the consumer base. Yet, I’m no longer so sure.

Even though the genre is founded upon high fantasy (elves, dwarves, and wizards, oh my!), IPs with such mass appeal could drastically change the landscape quite a bit. Once (if) investors see that non-fantasy titles could reach mass market success, titles that would have received very little support may wind up higher on the totem pole than we would currently find them.

It struck me today while reading Massively, so many non-fantasy titles are coming out that we may well bear witness to a huge transition in our favorite genre. After all, many of these titles are simple “MMO” and lack many of the fundamental and classic “RPG” elements we currently see as staples.

Will the future of online gaming be the MMO? I think that it’s possible, if taken just for those first three introductory words: Massively Multiplayer Online. MMO may come to mean simply, “persistent world” over our current definition, “persistent world of character advancement and story progression.” How rapidly our ideas on what an MMO is could change, although it is almost certainly guaranteed to be a slow transition. Much like how a frog won’t jump from the pot if the water is heated slowly, perhaps we shall find ourselves looking back through the steam at what our favorite genre used to be, for better or worse.

Other games out now have pushed in this direction already and it only seems to be picking up steam. I personally think it’s wonderful. The appeal of an ever present, populated, online world is great and flush with potential for every genre. People like to connect and the more opportunity there is for that the better.

In the coming years, we may find ourselves having a multitude of options in many different sub-genres of the MMO, some that aren’t even present yet. Having seen GTA and SimCity-esque titles on the horizon, it’s a definite sign of the times.

So, is sword and sorcery on the way out? The theme has been done over and over but I’d be disappointed to see it drop from its #1 spot. It’d be like the end of an era. From tabletop to computer to dormancy, until the next great title of platform breathes life back into it. MMO-wise at least.

Should such a turnover come to pass, the dethroning of both fantasy and RPG from MMOs, I only hope the social aspect is retained. Being solo-friendly is nice but that final transition, from group to independence, should never be brought full circle. Before being forced by game mechanics to group in order to succeed, I never really understood the appeal group play outside of instances. Now though, I’m disappointed more games don’t push you towards it because I honestly think people miss out in a lot of ways by soloing all the time.

Persistent online is fine but grouping should be ever present and necessary at times. Social interaction, in trade, combat, and cooperation, is what makes an MMO and MMO. Without it, you have the multiplayer equivalent of Spore. And really, what’s the point in that?

*note* Links to these games can be provided if there’s interest. I’m at work and am currently unable to provide them.

Richard Bartle Encourages New Writers and Offers New Insights

For those wondering, this is the login screen of a MUD (aka MUSH)

If you’ve followed any of the Richard Bartle controversy in the past months, I encourage you to read on.

In response to my post the other day and subsequent response to his comment, he stopped by today to share a little bit more of himself. I wanted to share it with everyone so we could all see him in this light. If you think about it, he’s doomed to be criticized for whatever opinion he shares and that’s really an unfortunate thing. His comments today earned him more respect from me and I’d imagine they’ll do the same for you. Check it out.

I wasn’t intending to be condescending, and apologise if I came across that way.

Actually, I kinda was intending to be condescending to art snobs who refuse to see what’s before their very eyes, but I wasn’t intending to be condescending to players. Players are what make MMOs what they are (that dedication in my book, “to the players”, is genuine).

Sadly for me, there’s a preconception among many MMO commentators that I’m somehow aloof to the general player population. I don’t know how that came about, but it’s there. It means that anything I say which gets out into the public domain is viewed first and foremost with this in mind. I’m deliberately massaging my own ego, or seeking legitimacy, or trying to recapture past glories, or lording it over people.

I don’t want to be in this position. I don’t want to be relevant. Other people should be way ahead now, so when I read their articles I think, “wow, why didn’t I think of that?”. Here’s the thing: they probably are there already, only we don’t hear about them. I only have to post on a blog read by fewer than 100 people and I’m torn to shreds. Other people are probably writing great stuff elsewhere, but they’re not noticed because there’s no “young gunslinger taking down old-timer” kudos in it.

I urge you, if you see something you like, that takes MMOs in a new direction, that says something that makes you think (you don’t have to agree with it – so long as it makes you think), then please give it publicity. Then, you’ll have people who genuinely deserve your praise, not someone who is merely where they are through an accident of history. I’d much rather potter away in the garden shed of my blog than have scorn poured on me every time I open my mouth on the subject of MMOs, I can assure you..!

Richard

 

Thanks again for stopping by Richard.

———————
equip bracers
You equip Bracers of Banded Empathy.
<worn on wrist> Bracers of Banded Empathy (Powerful Magic)

exam bracers
Bracers of Banded Empathy
[AC| {85} RESPECT (+3) UNDERSTANDING (+3)]

nod
You nod assuredly.
quit
Fare the well!
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Faction Pride?

Blood Elf: I'm better! Draeni: No, I'M better! ... noobcake! Blood Elf: Oh no you di'nt! Mooooooooom! Teddy called me dumb!!!Draeni: *melancholy* My name's not Teddy.

I was reading WoW Insider today and came across an article talking about faction pride. Do WoW players have faction pride? On PvP servers, maybe, but I doubt that most players really care beyond looks. I mean, in a PvE game, what does faction even count for outside of the aesthetic?

In these times of lull for World of Warcraft, sites like that are really digging. Re-hashing age old arguments, making points already made, starting argument-like “discussions.” I don’t blame them per se but honestly, I don’t see why that question is even being posed. The author states,

“What interests me more is how rarely we see this question come up nowadays”

Why should it? What does faction count for on a “normal” realm (which presumably most people play on – non-pvp at least) other than giving players a new story. You see a lot of “For the Horde”’ing going on but I always took that as more of a nod to the common closing statement of many quest givers.

The only time faction “pride” comes into play is for PvP and the occasional competition. Apart from that, what is there to be proud of, everyone completing the same quests? Seriously pwn’ing Hogger?  I’m sure some people get it—but for me, if there’s no competition, there’s nothing to be proud of.

Funny Bartle Quote

Richard Bartle stopped by to defend his piece on my mirror at Gameriot. He has a lot of good points but he made one statement I thought was kind of funny.

It’s as if people think I’m some kind of MMO boss, and if they down me they’ll get a nice blue.

Like I’ve said before, I have a lot of respect for him, even if we don’t see eye to eye all the time. At this point though, I think people are going to tear him apart for whatever opinion he chooses to share. At least it helps him remain notable on the scene.

True Story…

Every day for a while now, I’ve gotten exactly one page view based on the search term “hippy sex.”

Oh Google, you trickster you!

Richard Bartle and the Stranglethorn Vale

Richard Bartle, one of the first developers of MUDS, predecessors to modern day MMOs

If you’ve been keeping up with the MMO blogs the past couple of days, you’ve probably read about the latest prattling from our dear friend Richard Bartle. Should you have missed out, check in on his blog. He has a post up right now that bloggers everywhere are picking at. Funnily enough, they’ve picked at him in the past because of his criticisms of World of Warcraft. This time, they’re picking because of his praise for it, specifically, Stranglethorn Vale.

I respect the guy, really. If it wasn’t for him, our genre wouldn’t be where it is now. Our precious WoW and WAR and EQ? Would never have happened. For that, everyone that enjoys these games owes him a debt of praise.

Unfortunately, I think Richard has let that go to his head a bit too much. The aforementioned post comes with several stunning features, including condescension, arrogance, and an effusive adoration for intricacies “maybe 20 people in the world” will pick up on.

Well, first of all, la-dee-f’ing-da Mr. Bartle. You’ve already alienated all of your readers because, like you say but seem to not care about, those 20 people have probably never heard of “Qblog.” Secondly, it’s almost as if you’re attention seeking, Richard. You’d never do that, would you?

The whole thing continues in that manner, gushing over the wonderful funnel-like effect the zone has, pushing people towards Booty Bay and to harder mobs as they too gain in levels and strength (and lootz, don’t forget the lootz). He pours over the brilliant design of the Hemet Nesingwary quests. Let’s share just a little piece before we move on.

In regards to the stepped Nesingwary kill quests:

“The stepped nature of these hunting quests mean that whatever level you first encounter the Nesingwary camp in STV, there’s going to be a quest of an appropriate level for you. It’s like a net, spread wide to catch players.

You saw that? A net, spread wide to catch players?”

That line right there is flat out false. It would be true if you could jump right into to step 2 of 4 in any one of those quest lines… but you can’t. They’re all prerequisites for the next in series. If you happen to get there at a level appropriate for say the third quest in that series… you’re still stuck starting from the bottom up. This kind of thing makes me wonder how much he really thinks of his readers. Most of us have played through that quest line, you know. Now, we’re made to wonder whether or not Richard has actually played through the zone more than once, far enough back that his memory is now skewed. Thanks buddy, the whole of your article is now subject to question.

Based on this article, I’m left with the notion that he must look at his readers like peons, ready to believe anything he says because “well, he’s a developer, so he must know something I don’t.” If I can’t trust the most basic fact in the article, why should I buy into your gushing? Then again, one Blizzard developer or two now has something to hang on their fridge.

All that being said, the article does portray a very different angle for viewing a zone and, really, it may give a little insight into the divide between player and developer. After reading it, I was left with the feeling that because he spends so much time working with games, he must inherently overanalyze everything he comes across in them.

I won’t restate the whole article here. If you’d like to read it, I encourage you to (don’t worry, I’ll wait). But, to take so much that in all likelihood was completely unintentional and certainly embellished by his “developer’s mind” really just relegates it to a profession piece. It’s an analysis in the same vein as a carpenter who really appreciates the workmanship of a coffee table. That carpenter could talk all day about the intricacies of its creation and the artisanship of its design, all the while unappreciating of the fact that it was made by a machine in some dusty Chinese factory. That my friends, is 90% of what Bartle’s tickled over.

Now, one of the results of this article was to bring out a lot of players bitter memories of leveling through the zone. They seemed to hate the kill quests and potential for being ganked.

Personally, I loved it. I leveled through it on both an RPPvP and PvE server. The PvP side was irritating at times, sure, but if someone decided to gank/camp, I’d just check my email for a few minutes and wait for the guy (it invariably was a guy) to get bored. Mostly though, it was fine on both sides.

I loved the atmosphere of the zone. If Bartle is right about one thing (and don’t misunderstand, he actually points out a lot of legitimate strong points in the zone) it’s that the music really helps support that “dangerous jungle” feeling. It was colorful and exotic and filled with ruins and really made me want to explore. I was never under the misimpression that I was going to stumble across a treasure chest filled with gold and purples, yet, something about the zone made me want to know more. It’s the only zone I’ve played through where it feels “deep,” almost Indiana Joneish, like that.

The kill and collection quests didn’t really bother me either. Heck, they’re one of the most efficient ways to level your character. Players working on getting alts maxed out should absolutely love STV. Likewise, mobs were bunched up and spawned quick enough to make finding the right ones fairly easy. I was surprised to hear about players actually quitting the game over the frustration of completing these quests. I mean… really? I can only figure that these people must have never played an MMO before. It’s probably best they figured out the game wasn’t for them before they discovered the dreaded faction grind.

The only thing that really bothered me was the long running distance. You’ll probably be there at level 40 though, at which point buying a mount solves that issue.

So, I think Bartle looks at things with the rose colored glasses of the lovelorn developer having spent too much time analyzing and too little time enjoying what it is he’s trying to create. Thank you, Mr. Bartle for allowing me to have nearly 12 years of wonderful MUD and MMO gaming. I’ll happily forgive your eccentricities for all of that time. Still, as a developer, don’t forget that if most of the people don’t enjoy a zone (I truly believe that I’m in the minority with my feelings on STV) it shouldn’t be made a model for others. If the players don’t like it, for all of the intricate and overlooked design flourishes, it’s still short of a success. Players want the show for the lights and scenery; the behind-the-scenes footage only matters if people enjoy the production.

Weather, Change Over Time, and GM Events

While we’re on the subject of adding complexity to games, let’s talk about a couple of potential systems that could be really neat to see implemented. Maybe we’re talking pipedreams with these articles but, hey, why not? These ideas may not be reasonable in every case but forgive a little self-indulgence from me today.

One of the neatest events I’ve ever played through was the plague shipment in World of Warcraft. For those of you who missed out, before Wrath of the Lich King launched, all of the capital cities received mysterious wooden boxes. Over the course of the next few days, these boxes started releasing a plague that would turn people into zombies that could then infect other people. As time went on, the intensity of the infection increased. While it did turn out to be anti-climactic at the end, it was still very fun to play through “Night of the Living Dead meets Azeroth.” The whole thing was exciting because everyone wanted to know how the event would finish out.

While the plague event was scripted, having similar, more random, sicknesses in the game could really be a lot of fun. Contagion. Should you visit town to do your trade or go to a less populated area to avoid catching the sickness?

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big detrimental thing to your character either. It could be aesthetic somehow. The fun would lie in your ability to keep free of it yourself or, if you’re the malicious type, spread it. Maybe you’d like to be the medic healing the sick or the apothecary creating and selling antidotes.

Featuring a plague wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I do think that it’d make for a very interesting study in propagation, especially if the scope of contagion were extended to NPCs. GMs could turn outbreaks into events by altering the intensity of effects of the disease. Players would have to have an easy way to overcome the illness, lest frustration would overtake some, but I think it could be done, even if it was a non-constant in the game world.

In the same vein of “flowing” content, I’d like to see a game with a working weather system. I don’t mean the random bits of rain or snow we see in some games, I mean a true weather system that moves across the world. Darkfall first piqued this interest in me when they claimed one exactly like that. Hell, they even intended to let players track weather patterns. There would be wind that would effect the world and (correct me if I’m wrong) even generate waves on the ocean. You could chase a storm if you wanted to.

How neat would it be to give weather some meaning in games? You could link spells and rituals to certain kinds of weather. Lightning in Moonglade? You’d better get out there to summon your lightning elemental.  How about getting five of your friends together and calling down lightning at your whim, giving your group a nice buff for your efforts.

Along with working weather, I’ve longed to see a game with actual seasons instead of static zones. Why is it that it’s wintery in one zone and summer in the next? It’s done to create that emotional impact and set the context for your adventures but let’s push the envelope here.

Artwise, I think it’d be hard, if not impossible to do in most existing games but it sure would break up the monotony of traveling and leveling alts quite a bit.

Warm weather animals could migrate and spawn in other parts of the world, similar to how they do in Darkfall. Lakes could freeze and snow could pile up. Or maybe the leaves of the Golden Wood could be seen fluttering to the ground before such a winter hits.

Progressive change doesn’t have to be limited to the world either. Though small, one of the features that really intrigued me about WAR (pre-release) was that characters would change over time. Orc’s would get bigger, dwarf’s beards would get longer, and all forms of elf would get more effeminate with each passing level. I’m not sure if this system has been put in yet, I don’t think it has, but maybe if Paul stops by he can let us know. To me, a system like that just seems neat.

Finally, I’d like to see GM run events return to the big MMOs. Maybe it’s that gaming companies no longer trust their GMs to take things into their own hands like that (or maybe it’s their investors…) but this is something that is sorely missed in today’s most popular pay-to-play games. Thankfully, Mortal Online is taking a step in this direction by allowing their GMs to control certain boss mobs against players.

GM events could be a lot of fun and really connect the community with the developing company. I don’t think that everything needs to come be a big numbered patch. These games are about content but I don’t always need 50 class tweaks along with every new batch of quests. All that does is slow down the content flow. To be quite honest, I’d be far happier with WoW there was more emphasis on producing content (and not just raids) and less on balancing X Class with Y Class. Something tells me that Blizzard would get far too much crying to ever do that though. Isn’t it funny how the vocal minority influences the majority experience?

Maybe these ideas aren’t the most realistic but they do stem from a common theme: change and more unpredictability. Let’s face it, these games get routine after a while. You learn the game, do your thing, and wait for that next patch to hit keep the air fresh. That works but unpredictability breeds excitement, even though it also breeds discontent in some.

I’m a fan of ideas that break the norm. Features that, even if small, show that the developers are trying to push their game and make the play experience their own. I don’t want a carbon copy of WoW, LotRO, or EQ2. I want the familiar yet the new. I want the comfortable yet the challenging. I want to feel like my game is a self-enclosed world and that, truly, the only limits are my own. That is the key reason behind why I, and I suspect many others, have looked into games like Darkfall and Vanguard.

My pipedreams may not be realistic or ever likely of getting done in the games that I play. They’d be hard to implement in a surmountable way for players that just don’t care. Still, would you prefer the same old, same old, or elements of change to keep you on your toes?

I’d always take the path of the new and leave the quarterly patches to come as they may.

Syp Hits It On the Head

On his blog, Biobreak, Syp has hit the nail on its head with his synopsis of the TBS to WotLK raiding transition and why it’s a bad thing. He’s echoed my feelings more poignantly than I’m able, so I thought I’d share them with you.

“I wasn’t always pleased I never saw some of the highest raiding content in WoW, just to see it, but I was okay with the fact that it was there above me — at least there was the feeling that I hadn’t “done it all”, that the game had a few challenges left in store.

It is disturbing to consider if devs just give up on making games difficult at all, figure all we instant-coffee society consumers want and demand is for our characters to get virtually strong by doing the least amount of effort available, and make titles that reward us for overcoming nothing.”

While I wouldn’t exactly say that WoW’s current raiding game is “overcoming nothing” (not that he exactly said that) I do share the same sentiments. I didn’t really care for the “1% of players see the end-game” philosophy, I equally don’t like the “95% of people who try will see and beat the end-game” notion either. Are we truly at an all-or-nothing state of affairs?

At least having content that’s a little more barred sets a tangible, yet perhaps elusive, goal. You probably won’t get there but maybe you will. Now, it’s simply a matter of finding the time and a PuG that knows how to listen on vent.

Thanks Syp!