It often seems to me that gamers as a group -- how can I put this delicately? -- thrive on complaint. Beyond all barriers of socio-economic considerations, class, ethnicity, education and other factors, it is whining which unites us. And whining. Did I mention belly-aching?
I trust my point is not too obscure here.
We carp about anything under the sun, and sarcasm is naturally the weapon of choice. A well-timed, witty whack at a weak and witless wuss is one of the great joys of modern online gaming (as is alliteration, but I was going to leave that unsaid). However, all other discussions about personal habits, intellect, in-game performance and sexual preferences dwindle to insignificance when the Great Topic is breached, the one that renders all other discussions wan and lethargic... you know of what I speak.
Corporations.
Now, I'm a liberal, and as such I am naturally opposed to corporations. We all know that they manipulate governments, foment wars for natural resources and delight in spoiling natural landscapes with vast, putrid seas of pollutants.
Naturally, we don't care about that stuff. I mean, come on. We're gamers. We consume on average thirty times our own body weight in junk food during one raiding session. And the outdoors? Unless our parents and/or spouses drag us there, we'd never know it existed.
No, what really ticks us off are that these corporations (namely the likes of Sony Online Entertainment and Blizzard) want to make money. Off of us! Oh, the humanity! Those bastards!
Now, I'm a fan of irony. It proves that either the universe is an inherently funny place of that humans have an inherently silly sense of humor. Either way, it works. But the thought of us scampering around their game worlds seeking the in-game equivalent of gold, jewels and physical power are denigrating the companies that produce and maintain the services with which to do so. And they, in turn, collect real-world wealth... you see where this is going.
It seems to me that the relationship between game company and consumer is a consensual one, a contract which the gamer can leave at his discretion. And with as many games as there are, surely there must be someplace one might go to be happy, some company worthy of at least some respect.
For myself, I'm a Sony man. I happen to enjoy their suite of games (Vanguard, The Matrix Online, Planetside, Star Wars Galaxies, EverQuest, EverQuest II), and I enjoy the player community. There is, however, a great deal of carping and complaining about Sony and their intent to screw up their games. The traditional support of this argument is the series of changes made to the game Star Wars Galaxies. I won't go into details here -- if you don't know what this argument entails, Google it.
Personally, I agree that the changes made to that game were detrimental, and it certainly spoiled gameplay for me. I left SWG shortly after, and it took over a year before I would go back. Even now, I play it very rarely, even though a great deal was done to improve the game. I certainly don't agree with Sony's decision, but I do understand it.
One of the delicious things about Star Wars Galaxies was it sophistication. It made characters unique, flexible and often thoroughly surprising. The game was gutted, however, to "improve the new player experience" and capture more players who might be daunted by the complexity. From this standpoint, the decision makes sense. When a company produces a product such as toothpaste or floor wax, it must continue to sell units in order for the product to remain viable. The online gaming community and economics are different.
When a game is released, it tends to gain an audience quickly, and the number of units sold peaks quickly. If the game is a good one with appeal, it will hope to retain that number of subscribers over a long period. However, as time goes on that number invariably drops... new games are produced, real life takes people away, and gamers who have reached their goals for their characters may simply stop subscribing without new content.
This means that the company must produce new material for its games merely to maintain its existing player base. Further, to increase the popularity of a game (a difficult thing to do), the company must identify and resolve what is felt to be the chief drawback to the game's success. There will always be those of us who "liked it back when", but we are (sadly) not the ones that the company aims to please with these changes.
Ultimately, however, the influx of new players benefit us in two important ways. First, of course, we have a bigger and richer community in which to enjoy our experience. Secondly, with a larger subscriber base it pays for the company to produce more and better content to make "our game" more competitive.
So perhaps we can cut those coprporations a little break.
The bastards.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Qeynos Nights
In my last post, I discussed what I did not like in EverQuest II. This post is devoted to what I feel are the strong points. For those of you who wonder why I have chosen these aspects of the game, I encourage you to read my last blog under Burtimus' Biases. This will give you a clear idea where I am coming from.
Remember, I approach these game concepts from my own viewpoint. Your view may not correspond, and the things I cite as virtues you may see as unnecessary, or even flaws. Use your own judgement.
Bowl full of Jelly Beans
Almost every game has special events and special items which make for fun and interesting play. In that regard, EQ2 is really no different. From Halloween masks to special Frostfell (holiday) goods and items, fun and interesting things are thrown in all the time. I am going to leave these things out of the discussion, because they are the icing on the cake, the exceptions. What I want to concentrate on are the core things, those items and functions available all the time.
First, let's talk characters. At its core, character design in any game devolves into choices regarding race and/or culture, class and gender. Beginning characters are generaly undistinguished statistically, to ease the learning curve before introducing more advanced character abilities. In this regard, EQ2 is not distinguished in any great way. With 24 classes and 16 races there are a large number of combinations, but there are several other games that allow such diversity. And not all races can be all classes, so it is mildly limiting. Dark Elves, for example, being an evil race cannot become Paladins at the start of the game.
Where character creation takes a sharp turn, however, is in the appearance of the character. I've mentioned it before, but the character creation tools for EQ2 are both remarkable and addictive. Sliders on twenty or so various aspects of character appearance allows players to sculpt an appearance they like (something similar to the system in The Sims 2). Various races have different bells and whistles to further customize the character, from odd glasses and monocles for Gnomes to (my personal favorite) a fishhook with a tiny skull on the end as an earring for Trolls. The best part? It's called "Pretty Fairy".
In terms of roleplaying, the ability to literally sculpt a character to your specifications is an invaluable tool. Your control over facial features, height and so on allow you to assemble the physical representation of the inner character, the personality.
Now, in my last article I indicated that the social element of the game is vital for the purposes of roleplaying. We have no other means of communication, and the transmission of personality, motive and nuance are all the very essence of playing a character. I'm happy to report that EQ2 provides a rich palette of tools to give the roleplayer a hand. Most games have a fair number of gestures (emotes) for various effects, and EQ2 is no exception. Since the release of the expansion Desert of Flames, however, not only do many of these emotes have a vocal element, but you can select the kind of voice (and actual response thereby) your character uses! My own character Burtimus not only looks like a balding old cuss, he sounds like one.
Other tools provided us includes what had been called "roleplaying armors" -- that is, various kinds of clothing available from tailors or City Merchants throughout the game. The ability to wear something other than ones' adventuring gear adds a dimension to the social element of the game, allowing players to assume "off-duty" roles.
When one watches a movie or television program, we find that the characters are often the result of or antagonists to their environment. The more interesting the backdrop (such as Middle Earth or Deep Space Nine), the more compelling and interesting the stories. In this regard, EverQuest II owes a great deal to its predecessor for the richness and depth of its history and cultures. Since the lore of the world is so accessible it is very easy to weave one's character into the fabric of the world and to make his or her actions relevant. Further, the vision, scope and beauty of the world offer one a series of breathtaking vistas and discoveries. There is nothing like the sight of Butcherblock at daybreak, for example.
Lastly, let's talk community. Beyond the usual website that hosts forums, the EQ2Players site is truly impressive. From this site you can access the characters in the game with an effective search engine, guild sites are hosted and linked here, and one can even browse the equipment currently carried by a given character. Statistics and biographies, the whole shebang is available online. It is a marvelous tool. Further, guilds in the game share a goal similar to that of characters, in that they have levels. Performing specific quests and tasks add Status to the character, ten percent of which is given to that character's guild. When the guild amasses the appropriate amount of Status, it levels up. Additional levels allow for the opening of new quests, raid zones, and other benefits (my favorite of which is the cost reduction of the very expensive mounts). This stimulates a level of cooperative play which is present in other games, but not to the same degree.
In all, it is my opinion that EverQuest II is the gold standard of games from the standpoint of a roleplayer. In future articles I will look at other games and how they compare. Thanks for reading!
Remember, I approach these game concepts from my own viewpoint. Your view may not correspond, and the things I cite as virtues you may see as unnecessary, or even flaws. Use your own judgement.
Bowl full of Jelly Beans
Almost every game has special events and special items which make for fun and interesting play. In that regard, EQ2 is really no different. From Halloween masks to special Frostfell (holiday) goods and items, fun and interesting things are thrown in all the time. I am going to leave these things out of the discussion, because they are the icing on the cake, the exceptions. What I want to concentrate on are the core things, those items and functions available all the time.
First, let's talk characters. At its core, character design in any game devolves into choices regarding race and/or culture, class and gender. Beginning characters are generaly undistinguished statistically, to ease the learning curve before introducing more advanced character abilities. In this regard, EQ2 is not distinguished in any great way. With 24 classes and 16 races there are a large number of combinations, but there are several other games that allow such diversity. And not all races can be all classes, so it is mildly limiting. Dark Elves, for example, being an evil race cannot become Paladins at the start of the game.
Where character creation takes a sharp turn, however, is in the appearance of the character. I've mentioned it before, but the character creation tools for EQ2 are both remarkable and addictive. Sliders on twenty or so various aspects of character appearance allows players to sculpt an appearance they like (something similar to the system in The Sims 2). Various races have different bells and whistles to further customize the character, from odd glasses and monocles for Gnomes to (my personal favorite) a fishhook with a tiny skull on the end as an earring for Trolls. The best part? It's called "Pretty Fairy".
In terms of roleplaying, the ability to literally sculpt a character to your specifications is an invaluable tool. Your control over facial features, height and so on allow you to assemble the physical representation of the inner character, the personality.
Now, in my last article I indicated that the social element of the game is vital for the purposes of roleplaying. We have no other means of communication, and the transmission of personality, motive and nuance are all the very essence of playing a character. I'm happy to report that EQ2 provides a rich palette of tools to give the roleplayer a hand. Most games have a fair number of gestures (emotes) for various effects, and EQ2 is no exception. Since the release of the expansion Desert of Flames, however, not only do many of these emotes have a vocal element, but you can select the kind of voice (and actual response thereby) your character uses! My own character Burtimus not only looks like a balding old cuss, he sounds like one.
Other tools provided us includes what had been called "roleplaying armors" -- that is, various kinds of clothing available from tailors or City Merchants throughout the game. The ability to wear something other than ones' adventuring gear adds a dimension to the social element of the game, allowing players to assume "off-duty" roles.
When one watches a movie or television program, we find that the characters are often the result of or antagonists to their environment. The more interesting the backdrop (such as Middle Earth or Deep Space Nine), the more compelling and interesting the stories. In this regard, EverQuest II owes a great deal to its predecessor for the richness and depth of its history and cultures. Since the lore of the world is so accessible it is very easy to weave one's character into the fabric of the world and to make his or her actions relevant. Further, the vision, scope and beauty of the world offer one a series of breathtaking vistas and discoveries. There is nothing like the sight of Butcherblock at daybreak, for example.
Lastly, let's talk community. Beyond the usual website that hosts forums, the EQ2Players site is truly impressive. From this site you can access the characters in the game with an effective search engine, guild sites are hosted and linked here, and one can even browse the equipment currently carried by a given character. Statistics and biographies, the whole shebang is available online. It is a marvelous tool. Further, guilds in the game share a goal similar to that of characters, in that they have levels. Performing specific quests and tasks add Status to the character, ten percent of which is given to that character's guild. When the guild amasses the appropriate amount of Status, it levels up. Additional levels allow for the opening of new quests, raid zones, and other benefits (my favorite of which is the cost reduction of the very expensive mounts). This stimulates a level of cooperative play which is present in other games, but not to the same degree.
In all, it is my opinion that EverQuest II is the gold standard of games from the standpoint of a roleplayer. In future articles I will look at other games and how they compare. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Anatomy of a Legend
Now that we have gotten past my... uh, past... let's take apart a game, shall we? For my first essay, I have chosen to write about EverQuest II. This is not out of any desire to make my reader(s?) scream and throw things at their monitor. Instead, I've already heaped praise on this game, and now I want to tell you what's wrong with it. This essay will probably be two posts in length, so bear with me. If you're nice, maybe the second game I discuss will be World of Warcraft.
These essays will concentrate on the gaming experience, from environment to community, mechanics to bells and whistles. What I will not be delving into are frame rates and other technical matters. There are plenty of places on the internet where you can evaluate your computer for a given set of benchmarks; I feel no need to do so here.
Before we begin, however, a giant caveat is due:
Burtimus' Biases
We've all got them, and mine revolve largely around games and gaming. The purpose of discussing them in my case is that there are things that I like in an MMO, and things I do not. If you are not in agreement with me, you should know where my error lies. If you happen to see things as I do, this little list may provide you with a yardstick to evaluate future game efforts.
I am a role-player. To some, this means "care bear", an epithet arrogantly bestowed by those gamers who apparently can't roleplay. In real terms, it has specific meaning, though. First, the characters I create tend not to stick with efficient "builds" -- by which I refer to a race/sex/class/specialization combination designed for combat or support efficiency. Rather, I make character choices based on what I want the character to portray. Often this leads to combinations that, while interesting and perhaps even entertaining, fail to pwn in a pretty major way.
Second, the social aspect of the game is important. Due to my long history of tabletop roleplaying, I do not think that a single player playing a game in isolation (such as, say, Final Fantasy VII or Oblivion) can roleplay. It is a community effort, requiring two or more players to accomplish. So social dynamics, tools and effects play an important part in my gaming choices. This may include things like gestures (emotes), character moods, chat styles and channel controls, props, costumes and the like. Having a system where a fighter wears heavy armor to, say, a wedding seems to me to be not only boring, but socially awkward.
Third, the environment itself must be conducive to roleplay. There should be places where interesting scenes and discussions may be held, interesting lands, and a deep and engaging backstory. If we are to immerse ourselves in this game world, we should care about the game world. After all, it's hard to portray a Chicagoan if there is no such thing as Chicago. The more we know and can learn about our own races and cultures, and those of our companions, the greater our attraction to and interest in these characters. In fact, it is useful to think about your favorite television show. If all the hero of the show did was battle the enemy (whomever that may be), it would soon lose its luster and interest. On the other hand, exploring different facets of that character's life -- his friends, his family, his past -- the more we can connect with that character.
Finally, the community is of vital importance. This is independent of the social element in one regard, and that is that the social elements are built into the game; the community are the people who play it. All communities have their benefits and drawbacks, from acceptable behaviors to taboos. We all (I think) want to play with those who are helpful, friendly and willing to make the game experience enjoyable for everyone. Sadly, that is not always the case. Rivalry, trash-talking, flames, arrogance and asshattery are common, even in the best games (and those are only my characters). If at least the majority of players are pleasant, the game is greatly benefited.
Those are my biases. Let's begin this little post with what is wrong with EQ2.
The Fly in the Ointment
In previous posts, I waxed rhapsodic about all the things I enjoyed about EverQuest II. The time has come to tear it a new one. And, although I have what I believe to be a legitimate gripe, I can also see why it was done as it was. So we'll tear it a really small new one.
What I'm going to cover here related to the mechanics of the game. When you think about it, all games are to some degree a model of some kind of reality. It has internally consistent laws including gravitation, light being blocked by solid objects and so on. Some games have very advanced and intricate mechanics with lore to explain phenomena like magic or space flight, while others are quite simple and basic (i.e. gravity works so well here that you cannot jump). Often, the more complex and realistic the game mechanics are, the greater the learning curve with players as to how to use those mechanics (anyone who does not believe me should pick out a copy of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes -- what the hell, do it anyway).
My biggest concern about EQ2 is what has accurately been described as "dumbing down" the game mechanics. Some feel that this decision was made to cater to a less game-savvy audience. There may be some truth to that. Others claim it was done to draw in some of the World of Warcraft crowd, who are used to simplistic mechanics (so long as they are brightly colored). I can categorically dispute this point.
To illustrate, allow me to tell you about the crafting system for EQ2. When the game was first released, most artisans could take raw materials and forge them into components, which could then be assembled into a finished product such as a sword, a suit of armor, a meal or a table for one's home. The catch was that for many items, no one crafter could make all the necessary components. An armorer, for example, might need to collaborate with a leatherworker for straps or a tailor for padding. The frustration that one might experience is understandable.
On the other hand, this created a community among artisans. Crafters would seek each other out to collaborate on making goods, resources were shared and the prices of goods more regulated (the greater the number of hands involved, the lower the overall profitability OR the greater the value of the finished item). Ultimately, though, fewer people got involved in crafting and those who were began dropping out if it due to its complexity. Clearly, this is not a good outcome for the game.
The first revamp of the crafting system allowed for individual artisans to build all their own components as well as assembling the final item. Of course, your crafter needed to get additional training in the form of manuals from trainers, but once done they could construct an item from its raw materials to its final product. Sadly, while the mechanics of the crafting community was left intact, this change rendered it superfluous. It was no longer necessary (and not very cost-effective) to collaborate.
Two problems arose from the new system within a short time. First, it was still relatively complicated. To build an item, one needed to assemble components, which were themselves built of raw materials. That's a fair number of steps. Further, the quality of the final product depended largely on the quality of the primary component. Statistically speaking, this limited the number of pristine final products. Secondly, the entire point of using a middle stage (components) was to stimulate collaboration. If there is no collaboration, why have the middle step?
This leads us to the final evolutionary stage. To craft a standard item in EverQuest II, the artisan collects all the necessary raw materials, goes to his crafting station and assembles the final product. Just like that. Now, there are some bells and whistles to actually assemble the thing, but in a nutshell, that's that. There is no reason (nor any way) for artisans to work together, and large numbers of items can and are put together all the time (often to provide needed experience for the artisan to advance his craft). So crafted items are generally very inexpensive, depending upon the vagaries of the market.
Next time we'll look at some of the strong points of EQ2, from the standpoint of my so-called biases. Thank you for reading.
These essays will concentrate on the gaming experience, from environment to community, mechanics to bells and whistles. What I will not be delving into are frame rates and other technical matters. There are plenty of places on the internet where you can evaluate your computer for a given set of benchmarks; I feel no need to do so here.
Before we begin, however, a giant caveat is due:
Burtimus' Biases
We've all got them, and mine revolve largely around games and gaming. The purpose of discussing them in my case is that there are things that I like in an MMO, and things I do not. If you are not in agreement with me, you should know where my error lies. If you happen to see things as I do, this little list may provide you with a yardstick to evaluate future game efforts.
I am a role-player. To some, this means "care bear", an epithet arrogantly bestowed by those gamers who apparently can't roleplay. In real terms, it has specific meaning, though. First, the characters I create tend not to stick with efficient "builds" -- by which I refer to a race/sex/class/specialization combination designed for combat or support efficiency. Rather, I make character choices based on what I want the character to portray. Often this leads to combinations that, while interesting and perhaps even entertaining, fail to pwn in a pretty major way.
Second, the social aspect of the game is important. Due to my long history of tabletop roleplaying, I do not think that a single player playing a game in isolation (such as, say, Final Fantasy VII or Oblivion) can roleplay. It is a community effort, requiring two or more players to accomplish. So social dynamics, tools and effects play an important part in my gaming choices. This may include things like gestures (emotes), character moods, chat styles and channel controls, props, costumes and the like. Having a system where a fighter wears heavy armor to, say, a wedding seems to me to be not only boring, but socially awkward.
Third, the environment itself must be conducive to roleplay. There should be places where interesting scenes and discussions may be held, interesting lands, and a deep and engaging backstory. If we are to immerse ourselves in this game world, we should care about the game world. After all, it's hard to portray a Chicagoan if there is no such thing as Chicago. The more we know and can learn about our own races and cultures, and those of our companions, the greater our attraction to and interest in these characters. In fact, it is useful to think about your favorite television show. If all the hero of the show did was battle the enemy (whomever that may be), it would soon lose its luster and interest. On the other hand, exploring different facets of that character's life -- his friends, his family, his past -- the more we can connect with that character.
Finally, the community is of vital importance. This is independent of the social element in one regard, and that is that the social elements are built into the game; the community are the people who play it. All communities have their benefits and drawbacks, from acceptable behaviors to taboos. We all (I think) want to play with those who are helpful, friendly and willing to make the game experience enjoyable for everyone. Sadly, that is not always the case. Rivalry, trash-talking, flames, arrogance and asshattery are common, even in the best games (and those are only my characters). If at least the majority of players are pleasant, the game is greatly benefited.
Those are my biases. Let's begin this little post with what is wrong with EQ2.
The Fly in the Ointment
In previous posts, I waxed rhapsodic about all the things I enjoyed about EverQuest II. The time has come to tear it a new one. And, although I have what I believe to be a legitimate gripe, I can also see why it was done as it was. So we'll tear it a really small new one.
What I'm going to cover here related to the mechanics of the game. When you think about it, all games are to some degree a model of some kind of reality. It has internally consistent laws including gravitation, light being blocked by solid objects and so on. Some games have very advanced and intricate mechanics with lore to explain phenomena like magic or space flight, while others are quite simple and basic (i.e. gravity works so well here that you cannot jump). Often, the more complex and realistic the game mechanics are, the greater the learning curve with players as to how to use those mechanics (anyone who does not believe me should pick out a copy of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes -- what the hell, do it anyway).
My biggest concern about EQ2 is what has accurately been described as "dumbing down" the game mechanics. Some feel that this decision was made to cater to a less game-savvy audience. There may be some truth to that. Others claim it was done to draw in some of the World of Warcraft crowd, who are used to simplistic mechanics (so long as they are brightly colored). I can categorically dispute this point.
To illustrate, allow me to tell you about the crafting system for EQ2. When the game was first released, most artisans could take raw materials and forge them into components, which could then be assembled into a finished product such as a sword, a suit of armor, a meal or a table for one's home. The catch was that for many items, no one crafter could make all the necessary components. An armorer, for example, might need to collaborate with a leatherworker for straps or a tailor for padding. The frustration that one might experience is understandable.
On the other hand, this created a community among artisans. Crafters would seek each other out to collaborate on making goods, resources were shared and the prices of goods more regulated (the greater the number of hands involved, the lower the overall profitability OR the greater the value of the finished item). Ultimately, though, fewer people got involved in crafting and those who were began dropping out if it due to its complexity. Clearly, this is not a good outcome for the game.
The first revamp of the crafting system allowed for individual artisans to build all their own components as well as assembling the final item. Of course, your crafter needed to get additional training in the form of manuals from trainers, but once done they could construct an item from its raw materials to its final product. Sadly, while the mechanics of the crafting community was left intact, this change rendered it superfluous. It was no longer necessary (and not very cost-effective) to collaborate.
Two problems arose from the new system within a short time. First, it was still relatively complicated. To build an item, one needed to assemble components, which were themselves built of raw materials. That's a fair number of steps. Further, the quality of the final product depended largely on the quality of the primary component. Statistically speaking, this limited the number of pristine final products. Secondly, the entire point of using a middle stage (components) was to stimulate collaboration. If there is no collaboration, why have the middle step?
This leads us to the final evolutionary stage. To craft a standard item in EverQuest II, the artisan collects all the necessary raw materials, goes to his crafting station and assembles the final product. Just like that. Now, there are some bells and whistles to actually assemble the thing, but in a nutshell, that's that. There is no reason (nor any way) for artisans to work together, and large numbers of items can and are put together all the time (often to provide needed experience for the artisan to advance his craft). So crafted items are generally very inexpensive, depending upon the vagaries of the market.
Next time we'll look at some of the strong points of EQ2, from the standpoint of my so-called biases. Thank you for reading.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Into Norrath... Again
EverQuest II.
Please forgive the effusiveness of this post, but what I tell you is the truth. I enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) the experience, artistry and community of EQ2, and hope to do so for a long time to come. It is true, I have played other games during my stay in Norrath (notably Star Wars Galaxies, EVE Online, Anarchy Online, RF Online, The Matrix Online, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online and, most recently, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes), but I keep returning to EQ2.
I will write more about these other games and my experiences there, and I will attempt to curb my... shall we say, robust praise. My future entries will provide more detailed and critical looks at these games with a frank look at my biases (not everyone shares the same tastes, and many will disagree with my views -- I feel it best to be open about why I feel as I do).
My next entry will discuss the nuts-and-bolts details of EverQuest II and why it remains a solid choice for those seeking good value for their gaming dollar.
Your forbearance is greatly appreciated.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
When last we spoke...
... I was talking about Dark Ages, an isometric 2D MMO. It was the first non-text game I'd ever played that had a tight-knit community, one which had a long history of roleplay. I enjoyed my time there. One of the unique aspects of the game was that new players could only go so far without the aid of a mentor, a more experienced character who would intervene with the gods and priests to assign a character class and beginning set of gear for the new adventurer.
This was a role I relished. It was a way of introducing new players to the sometimes confusing game mechanics, while at the same time being a sort of classroom for roleplaying. As time went on, however, I found that even my students had outstripped me by many levels before long. Add to that the traditional politics of roleplayers, and it began to be a real chore to spend time online. Between being bombarded with questions and calls for aid from students and new players, the High Drama and the everpresent semi-literate beggars ("ru a rouge?"), I felt it was time to move on.
By this time a new game had just been released, called Dark Age of Camelot. Having been an avid student of the Arthurian myths and legends over the years, the opportunity to play a British knight after Arthur's fall seemed like a dream come true. I created a paladin named Gryphon Foehammer on the Morgan le Fay server and was thrilled to explore the lands of Albion.
Now, if you have read my first blog, you may recall me saying that I am not a fan of PvP (player versus player). This is true. And if you know DAoC (as it is known), then you know that a big part of the mid and end game is faction-based combat against other players. You may therefore be wondering... why would Burtimus join such a game? Wasn't it a poor fit?
Sadly, it was. For two reasons, one of which was my lack of skill and interest in PvP. The other, related to it, was the utter lack of roleplay in what should have been (in my opinion) a roleplaying wonderland. Instead, developing an "uber" character, trash-talk, spec-speak and minimaxing were the sole topics of discussion, in-game, in-guild or on the forums. Despite the gorgeous job the Mythic art department had done to craft the unique and colorful lands of dark age Britain, Ireland and Norway, no amount of visual poetry could overshadow the banal and callous players. And so it was time to move on.
By this time, I had made some tentative steps into the world of Norrath in the Sony game EverQuest. Lured by the reputation and the community, I had perhaps made the switch a little late. Most of the big roleplaying guilds were well-established, and being much lower level than the vast majority of players made it hard to find adventuring groups. I stuck with it, though, because I loved the richness, the texture and the lore of the place. I knew I was only biding my time, though, because even then, the new game was being completed.
Yes, it was the biggest, the best, the most visually stunning: EverQuest II. It was to be my new home on the Web for some years to come.
I'll write more soon. After I have explained my own journey, I hope to share some useful tips and hints for these games, as well as stories, essays and mechanics. As always, if you have a comment or request, please contact me.
Thanks for reading!
This was a role I relished. It was a way of introducing new players to the sometimes confusing game mechanics, while at the same time being a sort of classroom for roleplaying. As time went on, however, I found that even my students had outstripped me by many levels before long. Add to that the traditional politics of roleplayers, and it began to be a real chore to spend time online. Between being bombarded with questions and calls for aid from students and new players, the High Drama and the everpresent semi-literate beggars ("ru a rouge?"), I felt it was time to move on.
By this time a new game had just been released, called Dark Age of Camelot. Having been an avid student of the Arthurian myths and legends over the years, the opportunity to play a British knight after Arthur's fall seemed like a dream come true. I created a paladin named Gryphon Foehammer on the Morgan le Fay server and was thrilled to explore the lands of Albion.
Now, if you have read my first blog, you may recall me saying that I am not a fan of PvP (player versus player). This is true. And if you know DAoC (as it is known), then you know that a big part of the mid and end game is faction-based combat against other players. You may therefore be wondering... why would Burtimus join such a game? Wasn't it a poor fit?
Sadly, it was. For two reasons, one of which was my lack of skill and interest in PvP. The other, related to it, was the utter lack of roleplay in what should have been (in my opinion) a roleplaying wonderland. Instead, developing an "uber" character, trash-talk, spec-speak and minimaxing were the sole topics of discussion, in-game, in-guild or on the forums. Despite the gorgeous job the Mythic art department had done to craft the unique and colorful lands of dark age Britain, Ireland and Norway, no amount of visual poetry could overshadow the banal and callous players. And so it was time to move on.
By this time, I had made some tentative steps into the world of Norrath in the Sony game EverQuest. Lured by the reputation and the community, I had perhaps made the switch a little late. Most of the big roleplaying guilds were well-established, and being much lower level than the vast majority of players made it hard to find adventuring groups. I stuck with it, though, because I loved the richness, the texture and the lore of the place. I knew I was only biding my time, though, because even then, the new game was being completed.
Yes, it was the biggest, the best, the most visually stunning: EverQuest II. It was to be my new home on the Web for some years to come.
I'll write more soon. After I have explained my own journey, I hope to share some useful tips and hints for these games, as well as stories, essays and mechanics. As always, if you have a comment or request, please contact me.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Introduction
Welcome to Virtual Journeys, a blog of my experiences (good, bad and faintly irritating) as a member of the online gaming community. I hope to share some useful information, some raw opinions and a little (probably very little) humor about some of the massively multiplayer online games out there.
Allow me to introduce myself. I go by the name Burtimus, and in this guise I've wandered around the various worlds I'll be discussing. The name Burtimus derives from an ancient high-school nickname, and is pronounced "BERT-ih-mus", not Burt Imus. I don't wear a cowboy hat, and I don't have a face that looks like badly aged shoe leather. Oh, and I don't have a couple million dollars.
I started gaming back in high school with the advent of Dungeons & Dragons, and I've played many (many, many) other role-playing games of that kind since. I've mostly acted in the role of Game Master over the years, probably due to a strong streak of masochism. The good news is that due to this early life experience, I have become a better father and teacher... mostly because I know no one listens to me. It's a thing.
When Arpanet became the Interweb-thing, I started text games of various sorts. MUDs, MOOs, MUSHes and all that kind of thing. Very absorbing, very enthralling. Here was a forum in which I could roleplay in my underwear, which was a huge thing for me. And I could do it at 3 AM. How cool was this? But wait, it gets better.
There was this thing about something called an MMO, which (back in the day) meant Ultima Online. I'll be honest with you, I never played it. Nor EverQuest, when it was released and became a gaming phenomenon. Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.
See, early on I read reviews by some of the earliest entrants in the MMO field. One of the items that interested me (in a negative way) was something called "griefing", where a new player would be jumped, killed, and (in some cases) robbed by a more experienced player. Who would hang around and do it again, and again, and again. Maybe one or two more times to make a point. Perhaps three.
See, I kinda saw myself more on the receiving end of this treatment, rather than the predatory end. That thought did not comfort me much. So I figured that the world of MUDs looked mighty inviting, and I could choose not to participate in those that condoned that kind of behavior.
As you may discover, I'm not much of a fan of PvP (player versus player) play. I have no objection to team play, but the free-for-all style leaves me cold. And usually dead.
So it was that I discovered a little company called Nexon, who hosted a little game called Dark Ages. It's still out there somewhere, a 2D pint-sized MMO with a lot of innovative features and a very dedicated community. It was my first taste of the so-called "graphical MUD", and one which sucked me in. There was a lot of good roleplaying there, and an awful lot of barely literate 12-year-olds begging for cash. It was to be a pattern we'd see more of as time went by.
Well, this is my first installment, and it's been fun to write. If you've made it this far, you have my condolences. I meant thanks. I'll give you a little more backstory in my next installment (but I'll try to keep it a bit more concise next time, I promise). Following that I'll do my best to offer some reviews, observations and community information about some of the big MMOs out there.
In the meantime, you watch your tail, cowboy.
Allow me to introduce myself. I go by the name Burtimus, and in this guise I've wandered around the various worlds I'll be discussing. The name Burtimus derives from an ancient high-school nickname, and is pronounced "BERT-ih-mus", not Burt Imus. I don't wear a cowboy hat, and I don't have a face that looks like badly aged shoe leather. Oh, and I don't have a couple million dollars.
I started gaming back in high school with the advent of Dungeons & Dragons, and I've played many (many, many) other role-playing games of that kind since. I've mostly acted in the role of Game Master over the years, probably due to a strong streak of masochism. The good news is that due to this early life experience, I have become a better father and teacher... mostly because I know no one listens to me. It's a thing.
When Arpanet became the Interweb-thing, I started text games of various sorts. MUDs, MOOs, MUSHes and all that kind of thing. Very absorbing, very enthralling. Here was a forum in which I could roleplay in my underwear, which was a huge thing for me. And I could do it at 3 AM. How cool was this? But wait, it gets better.
There was this thing about something called an MMO, which (back in the day) meant Ultima Online. I'll be honest with you, I never played it. Nor EverQuest, when it was released and became a gaming phenomenon. Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.
See, early on I read reviews by some of the earliest entrants in the MMO field. One of the items that interested me (in a negative way) was something called "griefing", where a new player would be jumped, killed, and (in some cases) robbed by a more experienced player. Who would hang around and do it again, and again, and again. Maybe one or two more times to make a point. Perhaps three.
See, I kinda saw myself more on the receiving end of this treatment, rather than the predatory end. That thought did not comfort me much. So I figured that the world of MUDs looked mighty inviting, and I could choose not to participate in those that condoned that kind of behavior.
As you may discover, I'm not much of a fan of PvP (player versus player) play. I have no objection to team play, but the free-for-all style leaves me cold. And usually dead.
So it was that I discovered a little company called Nexon, who hosted a little game called Dark Ages. It's still out there somewhere, a 2D pint-sized MMO with a lot of innovative features and a very dedicated community. It was my first taste of the so-called "graphical MUD", and one which sucked me in. There was a lot of good roleplaying there, and an awful lot of barely literate 12-year-olds begging for cash. It was to be a pattern we'd see more of as time went by.
Well, this is my first installment, and it's been fun to write. If you've made it this far, you have my condolences. I meant thanks. I'll give you a little more backstory in my next installment (but I'll try to keep it a bit more concise next time, I promise). Following that I'll do my best to offer some reviews, observations and community information about some of the big MMOs out there.
In the meantime, you watch your tail, cowboy.
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