MMORPG Veteran

Good morning mmo fanatics! As I was staring into the glowing portal of freedom (computer monitor), I thought about how difficult it would be to make an extremely repetitive task fun. Five minutes later, I was able to group repetitive tasks into two categories:

Sports

Watching paint dry

In general, most sports are extremely repetitive. Let’s take basketball for instance. The object of the game is to score more points than the other team by inserting a rubber ball into a basketball goal. You run back and forth down the court trying to take the ball from the other team. I’ve simplified basketball for a reason, so bare with me sports fans…

Our next exciting task is watching paint dry. Grab your favorite chair, sit it down in front of a recently painted wall, and wait for the magic. The most invigorating aspect of watching paint dry is the lack of variance.

“Tay, it is time for an intervention. You really need to lay off drugs. The next thing you will be talking about is an adventure where the hero is a plumber trying to save a princess(that lives with toad people) from a giant evil turtle. You would have to be on some type of drugs to come up with an idea like that…”

Let me get to the point before I lose you guys. It’s obvious that most of you would rather play basketball than watch paint dry. So how does this relate to mmorpgs? Most of the tasks in mmorpgs are almost as fun and challenging as watching paint dry. So what will it take to change these repetitive tasks into a sport of some sort?
First, we will need to find out the differences between the two:

Basketball – lots of social interaction
All games are different than the last
Lots of skill involved to play like Michael Jordan in his prime, but anyone can play

Watching paint dry – social interaction is a nuisance
You may change the color of the paint (grinding area, raid boss, etc.) but watching paint dry is still watching paint dry

Now that we have distinguished the basic differences between the two, we know for certain that social interaction (the human aspect) is the only way to make a repetitive task fun. It doesn’t matter how many “random encounters” you create for whatever quest/grind, in the end they will always be predictable…

….to be continued

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the new online experience(vaporware) , Playstation Home, scheduled to be released sometime this year. If not, here is a snippit from wikipedia:

“Home (known more practically as PlayStation Home) is a community-based service for the PlayStation Network which has been in development since early 2005. Home allows users to create an avatar for their PlayStation 3 console. This avatar will get their own apartment, which can be adorned by items players can receive in several achievements. In the future the service will also expand, allowing players to have more sorts of clothing, as well as hold pets.[citation needed] When it is available, Home will be launched via its own category in the XMB between the “Game” and “Network” category. This service will be free of charge. Sony is aiming for the initial download to be under 500MB. Home was announced at the Game Developers Conference on March 7, 2007[1] with a scheduled global public release for Fall 2007 (sometime during September or October).[2] During the TGS 2007, Home was announced to be delayed until Spring 2008, though home will still have an earlier “open beta” release.”

Also…

“In the world outside of the player house, players can meet and chat with other community-members. This will create a Second Life-like experience, where one can invite their friends, hang out and communicate via voice chat, or normal text chat, listen to music, play a game or exchange content. People who enter each other’s “homes” can stream the host’s music and videos from their HDD. Videos are viewed via virtual Sony TVs, such as the BRAVIA. As well, pictures can be viewed via a virtual picture frame.

Every user has a private apartment space that they can modify and change over time. The basic apartment is free and will offer users lots of options for customization and personalization. In the future, Sony will provide tools that will enable users to have an even greater ability to create their own Home spaces and content.”

This sounds very similar to Second Life except users won’t have the ability to create anything. They will be able to create items like clothes etc.

It looks like this game will finally introduce console gamers to an online world (Final Fantasy doesn’t really count..). Sony will be creating a more polished version of Second Life with millions of dollars behind the development.

If you are looking to cash in or cause chaos, Sony will be banning users by ip address and PS3. You could probably get around this with a proxy and mac address spoofer for the ps3.

“Users will be able to make money in Home by using an auction service that will be implemented which will allow users to sell their Home assets and user-created content to other users.”

I wonder if Sony will allow online porn theaters…

Tobold from Tobold’s MMORPG Blog writes:

“There has been some discussion lately in the MMO blogosphere whether game developers should listen more to the proposals from players and bloggers on how to improve their games. Hey, I get 3,000 readers a day, I’m obviously qualified to improve a game with 9 million subscribers and annual revenues of over $1 billion. NOT. Everyone is an armchair game designer, but it is only easy because our ideas never get realized and thus don’t have to prove they actually work. If you poll people about their intelligence, a majority of people will claim to have above average intelligence, and only very few people will say they have below average intelligence. As obviously only half of a population can have above average intelligence, with the other half being below, this just shows that people have a tendancy to overestimate their abilities. Most of us, me included, couldn’t even design Vanguard, and certainly not World of Warcraft…”

In most instances, the people who design these mmorpgs don’t have the *hands on experience* from years of wasting time playing a multitude of games from different developers. This knowledge and experience is invaluable to a development team. The development community tends to listen to the crowd that complains the loudest on their forums (nerf-calling) instead of finding a group of individuals that *don’t* have a personal agenda to meet and only want the game to be the best it can be.

We can separate the mmo gamer into three categories:

Hardcore - I live my life in an mmo. I strive to be the best player ever, have the best loot in game, the highest level, etc. The average person will never see the things that I want to be added to a game because they simply don’t have the time to achieve them. We usually ignore the reality that MMORPGs are designed to make money first.

Casual - I have a busy life that doesn’t allow me to play twelve hours a day. In some cases, I get upset when the minority has an “unfair” advantage because they play more than I do. I may not have enough time to set up huge groups of players to achieve a goal.

Experienced - In most cases I’ve had the opportunity to be a hardcore gamer and a casual gamer. I have years of experience observing what works and what doesn’t work. I’m mature enough to realize stockholders need to be happy as well as the players.

Let’s be honest here, most of the ideas and game mechanics in World of Warcraft are not new and revolutionary. World of Warcraft is successful for several reasons:

- Blizzard is an outstanding company that knows what it takes to handle a community of millions from experience with Diablo, Starcraft, etc.
- Warcraft franchise - Starting with a good franchise will always give an advantage over the competition. You don’t need to spend as much time creating an environment and back story since it is already there. Replace Warcraft with Starcraft and you still have a hit
- Great Marketing - When was the last time you have seen a commercial for other mmorpgs? WoW has millions of subscribers and you still see commercials with Mr. T…
- Find a need, fill a need - World of Warcraft appeals to the casual gamer.
- Don’t reinvent the wheel - Take what has worked in the past from other games and add a Warcraft twist. Save the creativity for expansions.

Ignoring the playerbase is a great approach to product development. SOE has proven it’s effectiveness with Star Wars Galaxies. <–sarcasm for those who aren’t familiar with the SWG disaster.

Once the developers can assemble a group of *experienced* players, the mmo world will change for the better. Then again, Blizzard may consider a 12 month subscription from a player a victory. 12 * 15 = 180 * 1million - 180 million a year…sounds like a victory until you realize it costs more to obtain a new customer than to retain a repeating customer.

As I was sitting here thinking about interesting things to write about in the MMORPG world, I decided to take a look at a few other sites to see what people are talking about. Most of the bloggers out there are talking about things that we have discussed years ago…

Antisocial behavior
Carebear BS - raiding, loot, etc.
Why X MMO is better than X MMO
Random new generic mmo that is going to be the best thing since oxygen, but never gets released..

*YAWN*

No one seems to spend any time talking about the interesting stuff like the sub culture of hackers targeting MMORPG accounts to make real life money, or the lives of people who could care less about the ethics of selling online currency and make $10,000.00+ usd per month. Many people blame account “hacking” on the user.

“He/she probably gave out his account info or downloaded cheat programs!”

When the reality is, there are groups of people who enjoy obtaining real life loot like 65 inch plasmas, cars, etc. than epic items. Do we blame these “problems” on the game developers, the people buying the loot, or the hackers/farmers? People who buy these items usually obtain an advantage (which is why MMORPGs should focus on skill based combat and not loot based). But, as long as there is a means to make “real-life” money in any media, people will make it.

“But Tay, this topic has been beaten to death as well…”

This is true, but most bloggers waste too much time and energy worrying about “the great evil” instead of focusing on the interesting sub-culture and techniques behind the madness.

Is the mmo world a boring topic now?

Since I have been playing Call of Duty 4 for the PS3 a lot lately, I asked myself this question (again):

“Why aren’t there any successful FPS mmorpgs?”

While contemplating this dilemma, I thought about how I could possibly make an idea like this work. What would be the point of the experience? It would need to be something on a vast scale that we have been looking for in traditional mmo’s…

World domination…check

How do you keep the fanbase happy? Leveling? When you obtain a new level, what benefits do you receive? Faster movement speed (potentially unbalancing), unlocking new weapons, shiny new weapons and armor, etc.

The main problem I see with a FPS MMO is the monetization of the game. Most fps games have a free online experience, so working with a free model + ingame advertisements and selling ingame items would be a good idea.

…more ideas on the way.

Well, it looks like there is a new pvp oriented MMORPG awaiting official release. I won’t say much about the game for now since we haven’t had enough time to truly test the waters, but I will let you know a few tidbits:

- It’s free - Revenue will be earned through the purchase of ingame items and ingame advertising
- You don’t drop weapons upon death
- The pvp/pk system is similiar to Lineage 2
- 150 level cap

Stay tuned for more in-depth pvp/pk coverage. We are tired of waiting for Darkfall…

We will be posting 2moons FAQs, leveling guides, screenshots, character builds, etcin the next few days, so make sure you check the forums.

This is *slightly* off-topic…

Recently, I decided to buy a few next generation console systems. I thought there is no way the Wii is **that** hard to find considering it has been out for almost a year already. WRONG!

I called so many stores searching for this damn gaming system. The Nintendo Wii is selling out in stores before the shipment leaves the truck.

I love how the major chains like Walmart etc. have decided not to price gouge the system since it is unethical. Instead, they force you to buy $500.00 bundles…

We won’t be surprised if suddenly Nintendo manages to accumulate tons of Nintendo Wii’s for the upcoming holiday season.

Maybe If I start chanting the name “Nintendo Wii” I will be able to find one…

Must buy Nintendo Wii
Must buy Nintendo Wii
Must buy Nintendo Wii
Must buy Nintendo Wii
Must buy Nintendo Wii
Must buy Nintendo Wii….

It’s that time again to discuss the next generation MMORPGs. For the next few days, we will look at the newest MMORPGs destined to hit the market.

First up:

Grand Theft Auto World

I was able to sit down and talk to Rockstar North Executive producer Leslie Benzies about their new title. Here is what she had to say:

“Rockstar Games is proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto World will be available in North America during the spring of 2009.

“Grand Theft Auto’s growth continues to exceed all our expectations,” said Leslie Benzies. “We want to reiterate our thanks to the millions of players worldwide and to all the retailers who have enthusiastically supported the game over the years. Our commitment to continue growing the Grand Theft Auto franchise is stronger than ever. We look forward to offering a more invigorating experience for our current fans and welcoming new players into the world this holiday season through our open beta test.”

Rockstar Games is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox® and Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K and 2K Sports, and Global Star Software; and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.”

She didn’t have much else to say. I think this is a plot to build more fan-based enthusiasm. It’s working!!

*cough* Damn allergies…

Disclaimer:
The following blog entry contains more bitching and complaining from a frustrated mmorpg player. Viewer discretion is advised.

If you haven’t read about Darkfall, head to darkfallonline.com. This game has been in development for way to long (6 years? or more?) There are companies receiving 2.3 million dollars or more from venture capitalist to start peer-to-peer virtual good exchanges. It would be a shame if this game is never released as a result of money issues.

If there is anyone out there with solid information regarding this game, please email me at blog@karashur.net. I think I will need to write a letter to my congressman in order to get the ball rolling for a release date…

Hats off to the developers of Darkfall. This must be a frustrating situation.

World of Warcraft, Lineage 2, Star Wars Galaxies, Dark Age of Camelot, Ultima Online…

What do these games have in common? Each one of these games have people in them.

“What the hell are you talking about this time Tayman?”

It doesn’t matter how much I love the game, there is always at least one oxygen bandit (idiot) that annoys the hell out of me. Instead of bitching about the current staleness of mmorpgs, I’d like to talk about the human factor that constantly ruins even the best of games.

No, I’m not talking about the griefers. Hell, there isn’t anything wrong with griefing every now and then. It’s funny when you know the person is purposely being a complete ass just to piss off the people who think they are really IN the game. I’m talking about the constant whiners that annoy the true gamers like a bug flying in your ear.

Here are ten things that will drive even the most loyal gamer to suicide:

1- People complaining about “overpowered” characters on forums
Solution: Learn how to play your character or roll one yourself.

2- Antisocial people with a God Complex from there “uberness”.
Solution: First, if you are a male, you should take some pen ile enchancement pills. Second, I’d rather play with a sociopathic griefing player killer who makes the game interesting than a bunch of people who think they are too good to even speak. Go play a single player game.

3- Carebearism
Read this great article if you need clarification

4- E-whores
Wow…
Ok, this is for the wonderful women out there. You don’t have to act like a whore to get attention from the average nerd who plays video games. Just announce that you are a woman, post a real pic or something to prove it, and you are the hottest online gaming commodity ever released.

5- E-thuggin’ <—copyright Karashur.net
Yes, you are the hardest person on teh block. You slang kilos of cocaine on a regular basis and you have killed at least 10 people…stfu..

Well, until next time, make sure you pk the people who annoy in game. Better yet, organize a real life get-together for all clannies and make sure the douchebags are invited. Then you can slap them in real life. You don’t hit people like that with a closed fist.

“Wtf Tay? There was suppose to be ten types of internet whiners/idiots!”

Cry more nubs.