So what should MMOs do differently?

Ok so now that I quit MMOs and made my public confession, here are some thoughts on what I think could be done differently. Other than letting your kitty level your characters.

First of all, I think the whole reward system is backwards. New abilities and spells come fast and furious in the first twenty levels or so and then tail off gradually to almost nothing in the later levels. Not only that, it takes longer to level the higher you go so you end up working harder for less rewards. Imagine playing D&D and being a mage in this system. By fifth level, you have all the nice juicy spells already. What is the point of leveling higher? I think they should put more rewards towards the back end of the leveling curve in order to give people more to look forward too.

The next piece that needs work is the quest system. Kill tasks suck, plain and simple. This is a quest? Maybe MMO developers should look up the definition of the word quest. What makes these types of quests worse is when not only do you have to kill a certain creature, but you also have to collect its spleen. Worse than that, not all of these creatures seem to have a spleen for some reason. Quests need a lot of work. I realize there are hundreds if not thousands of them in MMOs but, maybe they could go for quality over quantity? I think instancing can help the situation and ironically LOTRO does some nice work in this area, just not enough. I have also heard some good things about few upcoming MMOs in regards to kill tasks.

I am from the camp of people who think that your character should be able to change the world he is living in and leave his mark on it. I guess I might be in the minority here since WoW has over 9 Millions subscribers now and you most definitely can't change anything in it. I would like to see an MMO where the world changes due to the acts of the players. Cities would rise and fall and areas would be cleared out for settlement while new areas for quests emerge. This sort of thing is compelling to me. Nothing is more non immersive to me than seeing the major boss guy I just killed still running around the next time I pass through that area.

These are just a few of the things I would like to see change and maybe I am asking for too much, but I really think it could be done. Unfortunately, it is not the model of success that a game like WOW is today, but there may be hope for the future. In the meantime, hopefully companies will make more single player RPGs where this sort of stuff is more easily doable. There is a little company called Bioware who are in the middle of production of an MMO yet to be named. If anyone can do it, they can. We shall have to wait and see. In the meantime I am gonna catch up on all the Zelda's and other such games I missed.

Back from Detox!

Glory days are here! I am back from detox. Let me explain lest ye think ill of me. No, I am not a recovering alcoholic or drug user. My addiction could be considered even more insidious. You see, I am an ex MMO player. It feels good to finally be able to say that. The "ex" part, I mean. It has now been 55 days since I played my last MMO.

Surprisingly, my MMO addiction ended while playing one of the most beloved IPs and one of my life's major influences. That being, The Lord of the Rings Online. One would have thought that the marriage of these two entities (the MMO and LOTR) would have snared me for good and I would be hopelessly lost. I have Turbine themselves to thank for my salvation. The fact that they applied the tried and true MMO stamp to the world of Middle Earth was a major factor in allowing me to see just how futile the whole MMO genre is and gave me the impetus to be able to quit.

Let me explain. I started playing MMOs back in the heady days when everyone was still naive enough to think that these types of games would allow people to create characters and in effect live in an alternate world which was shaped and influenced by the players. Back in the days of UO just before Lord British's murder, which I witnessed (if you are an MMO junkie you know what I am talking about). I had grand ideas for this new type of game. I mean who wouldn't like the idea of becoming a character in a fantasy world and living an alternate life in a way that was fun and satisfying? Well, UO lead to EQ which lead to DAOC which lead to WOW with stops between in all the other exotic and lesser known MMOs. Never once in any of these games did the gameplay live up to the expectations and promises made by publishers when hyping their games. I started to blame my growing dissatisfaction on the setting. I kept telling myself that I was becoming frustrated because I didn't really care for the world the game was set in. I should have known better when I quit DAOC because I can't think of a setting I like more than medieval England. I went to WOW mostly because everyone else was and it was sort of the thing to do. Leaving WOW was pretty easy, since once I reached 60 with my Rogue, I couldn't buy my way into a group. Even still, I had brief flirtations with other classes in WOW, but it was just too damn hard to redo all the same content.

Along comes Turbine and LORTO. At this point in my MMO career, I had become extremely tired of what now had become standard MMO gameplay. Boring quests centered around collecting obscure parts of wandering animals or monsters and reporting back to claim a small prize. But, this was LOTR though and I was now going to have a chance to play a character in my most favorite of all fantasy worlds. Turbine managed to capture almost none of the flavor and excitement that drew me to Middle Earth in my many years of reading the novels. Not only that, they followed Blizzard's example and used the most tried and true MMO mechanics to build the game around. I slogged away through the first few levels settling on a Guardian for a character and set about doing what one does in MMOs. One pays dues by mindlessly killing the same creatures over and over again so they can be rewarded by seeing a new area with the same tasks to accomplish again. After reaching level 24 with 3 characters and hitting a wall each time, I realized that it didn't matter what world a game was set in. The MMO had evolved into a style of play that I had no interest in anymore. I slogged through eight or nine years of these games hoping to find one that came close to satisfying my initial expectations for the genre. It all ended in the world that started my interest in fantasy and role playing in the first place. Thanks to unimaginative developers and perhaps expectations that were too high. During my long addiction, I missed a slew of games for consoles and the PC that I am now happily enjoying, so don't feel bad for me. Rejoice that I have escaped the mindless brain numbing grind that is the MMO.

City of Heroes gets new stuff.

I have a lot of respect for this game even though I don't play it anymore. The developers are on the ball and each addition is normally well thought out and engaging. Anyone still playing want to leave some comments on what the new content is like?

Catan: quick impression

I have been slow updating the sight for two main reasons. Catan on Xbox Live and Lord of the Rings Online (yeah I know, I said during beta I wouldn't play the released version -- sue me). Both games have been taking up most of my free time. Add a few multiplayer sessions of Rainbow Six Vegas and I have no time to blog. I'll have a full review of Catan and LOTRO soon, but until then here are some of my thoughts on Catan after playing several games against the computer AI.

Catan allows for multiple ways to play either versus Xbox Live opponents or against the computer AI. If you choose to play against the AI you will be pitted against famous historical figures who have different strategies. Some are expansionists, and some like to go for resource monopolies. Like the board game, you need to have 3 or 4 players. One nit picky thing I noticed is that you can't seem to choose your color. The human player is always white. That was a bit irksome, but I got over it. The game comes with two skins for representing the board. The first is the one we are all used to from playing the board game and the second is called "Living Catan" it is a 3D representation of the hexes. The later skin made it a bit difficult for me to recognize resources although it looked really nice.

Games take quite a bit less time than I am used to from playing the board game. The computer handles all resources and game pieces which I find to be convenient. The AI opponents make their decisions quickly and logically. A nice touch is that the AI will get "mad" at you if you do bad things to it like putting the robber on one of their hexes. If this happens they will likely not trade with you. This is a nice touch and brings back some fond memories of old Catan sessions with friends. So far the games I have played have been competitive and exciting, although the boards have had some really crappy resource layouts. I managed to almost win one game with a monopoly on wheat, but lost ten to nine to "Sun Tsu".

The game is very customizable and allows for many popular house rules. Sessions last an acceptable thirty minutes or so and the AI is logical and competitive. I have yet to make a foray into the Xbox Live portion of the game, but I have heard good things. So far, I am happy with the game and I look forward to playing some of my friends online instead of around a kitchen table. I wonder what their excuse will be when I thrash them now?? I will have a full review up after I have played all portions of the game. Hopefully it will do well enough that we will get the popular Cities and Knights expansion.

Legendary board game "Catan" arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade

Brush up on your plans for expansion and hone your trading strategies because "Catan" is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 this Wednesday, May 2 at 0900 GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific).

"Catan" from Big Huge Games is the Xbox LIVE Arcade edition of the legendary multiplayer board game Settlers of Catan. With over 10 million units sold, Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular board games to hail from Europe, and has been translated into twenty-five languages from the original German.

"Catan" for Xbox LIVE Arcade puts players in the role of colonists on a newly discovered island, where they vie for control of valuable territory and resources through strategy and trading. The game can be learned in just minutes, but will challenge players of all skill levels, even the experts!

Klaus Teuber, creator of the original Settlers of Catan board game, had this to say about the collaboration with Big Huge Games: "I had no doubts that Brian Reynolds would do a great job, and the first version of the game exceeded my highest expectations. The AI is so clever that I even lost several games in a row! Hands down, this game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade is an amazing achievement."

"Catan" will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone.

Game Features

• Learn As You Play tutorial, making the game instantly accessible even to players who have never played "Settlers of Catan" before
• All New 3D "Living World" Board
• Play against any combination of 13 historical personalities such as Alexander, Cleopatra and Tokugawa, which provide a range of play styles and difficulty levels that will test players' wits and strategy
• Fans of the board game will enjoy the inclusion of popular house rules like Friendly Robber and Friendly Resources
• Multiplayer gameplay over Xbox LIVE for up to 4 players
• The ability to taunt opponents with engaging animations and use emotes to compliment (or belittle!) the opposition over Xbox LIVE
• Voice Chat enabled
• Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade and http://www.catanlive.com.

I started off this blog talking about the then "imminent" release of Settlers of Catan for Xbox Live Arcade. Well, happy days it's here! See ya online.

New Expansion Already??

Coming in June!!

Shores of Evendim

The First Update to The Lord of the Rings Online™

The greatest fantasy of all time continues to expand!

Beginning in June, heroes can adventure to the Shores of Evendim, the first of many free updates to The Lord of the Rings Online™.

About 100 miles north of the Shire, in northern Eriador, lies Evendim, a vast region dominated by the Lake Nenuial; the ‘Lake of the Twilight’. On the southern shore, the ancient abandoned city of Annúminas —the former capital of the kingdom of Arnor ­ is well known amongst the Free Peoples. For according to the Legends, amidst its ruins lay a great wealth and powerful artifacts now threatened by evil creatures and the nefarious forces lurking in Angmar.

As the Fellowship prepares to leave Rivendell, Aragorn must re-forge Narsil, the Sword of Elendil. Gandalf has asked for help in Aragorn’s search of the ancient lands of Evendim for an ancient jewel that once belonged in the sword’s hilt. This powerful relic must be recovered before the Dark Lord Sauron finds it.

Players are challenged to secure the valuables of the abandoned city, defy Angmar’s encroaching grip on Annúminas and aid Aragorn in his quest to re-forge Narsil.

Key Features:

• Discover the lands of Evendim
• Explore over 60 new Quests
• Raid in the Battle for Helegrod
• Fight against 9 new monsters
• Upgraded music system adds new instruments and lets you share your music with others
• Equip collectible Armor Sets

Wow. A free expansion this quickly after the release? This is like bizarro Vanguard world. To think Turbine might release a relatively bug free solid game and THEN follow up so quickly with an expansion kind of puts the folks over at Sony Online to shame. I think this announcement shows that it was a wise move for Turbine to have the book license and not the movie license. They have so much more to work with this way. For those people out there who still are into MMOs this might be the next big thing. I reserve the right to be horribly wrong however. It wouldn't be the first time.

RIP: Vince Young

Vince Young has been named the next cover athlete for Madden 08, The Craptacular Edition (ok, I added that last part). Why is it always the young ones?!?!? Poor guy, had a blossoming career started. For more details about the Madden curse, go here.

Mini Review: The Skystone.

I have been enchanted with the Arthurian Legend since reading the excellent series by Mary Stewart: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, and The Wicked Day. Hers was a more "traditional" take on the legend. That being the one we are all familiar with or what some would call the "romanticized" version. The Skystone takes a different look at the legend and starts many years before Aurthur is even born. The book follows the life of a Roman soldier named Publius Varrus who is fated to befriend and follow a man named Gaius Brittanicus in Roman occupied England.

The book unfolds in a time when the Roman Empire is imploding from the pressures of outside forces and internal corruption. An invasion by heretofore unorganized barbarians leaves the Romans who are occupying England in disarray. They are eventually able to beat back the horde and regain control, but not to a point that they previously were to maintain. Gaius Brittanicus is a man of vision and can see that the supposedly eternal Roman Empire is on its last legs. He has been planning for this eventuality for some time and has set up a small barony of his own using his wealth that his family has attained over the years. At the end of the book, it is plain to see that he has been right and the fateful day is soon to be at hand. He has gathered his friends and family to an idllyc place I am assuming will be come to be known as Camulod or "Camelot". Having been partially crippled in an ambush, Publius Varrus has taken up his grandfather's profession of blacksmith along with his secret of smithing something they come to call a Skystone.

The tale is told from the perspective of Publius Varrus for the entire narrative. We see events unfold through his eyes and the filter of his perceptions. Whyte does an admirable job of portraying life in 4th Century Great Britain through the eyes of a Roman soldier. The novel isn't awash with flowery prose or stilting descriptions of the countryside and people, but one gets the sense of actually being there in that time. One wouldn't be inclined to call Whyte a great writer, but he keeps the reader wanting more by deftly lulling one into the everyday happenings of the main character then unleashing an event that changes everything. This is a lot like life works. We go about our daily routines oblivious to a life changing event that is just around the corner. Then we scramble to deal with the consequences.

This is an Historical Novel more than a fantasy. You won't find magic and wizards or strange creatures. You will find plenty of rousing action and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I felt that many of the relationships between characters were taken for granted and not developed nearly enough. I can forgive this fact a bit because the narrator is relaying events that happened many years before. Thus, I wouldn't expect him to remember the nuances of every relationship. At times, the main character's reasons for doing things seems a little forced too. He develops a hatred for a family enemy of Brittanicus rather quickly in my view, but I can't say I wouldn't have reacted the same way. By the end of the book it is clear that this man is going to be the one who forges Excalibur. How he got to that point is very interesting and entertaining.

If you are looking for a good escapist novel with an historical vein then I would highly suggest you read this book. I felt myself transported to this time period and I genuinely cared what happened to the main characters.

Interesting article for MMO players to chew on.

You already know all about the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) phenomenon: the GDC panels, the rants, the spectacular failures and successes, the addictions, the “Make Love, Not Warcraft” South Park episode, the ubiquitous elves, and especially the profits. Just in case you haven’t been paying attention, though, here’s a brief explanation of why MMOs are important.

World of Warcraft is a rather successful MMO. Its subscription model gives it a trump card against software pirates, and its massive subscriber base guarantees continued revenue for the next few years at least, if current trends are to be trusted. Even World of Warcraft’s older, poorer cousins, such Everquest and Ultima Online, continue to turn profits many years after their initial release.

On the other side of the PC gaming coin, non-subscription retail games face increasingly grim prospects as customers turn to pirated software and parasitic games such as the aforementioned World of Warcraft, which more than one executive has blamed for slow PC game sales. And they appear to have a valid complaint: retail sales of PC games have fallen every year since 2001, while revenue from subscription fees has skyrocketed.

Clearly, the trends show that the future of enthusiast PC gaming lies with games that can hold a player’s interest over long periods of time; at the very least, these games commute PC gaming’s death sentence for a few years, until game consoles can provide the features, depth, flexibility, and convenience that PCs allow.

The thing is…we all expected these games to evolve. We looked at Everquest and its addictiveness and reasoned that surely someone would improve on this formula, creating a breed of entertainment that the entire spectrum of gamers could enjoy. Instead, we have seen a parade of copycats that fails to appeal to a large portion of the potential market, despite far bigger development budgets than any offline games.

What’s the problem? Is it that MMO developers choose to design their games for a niche audience? Or are the designers, who often have little to no experience with traditional video game design, simply incapable of designing anything but a nerd-fest? I can’t answer that, but here are a few questions on the subject I do want to try to answer from the standpoint of a traditional game designer: What exactly is an MMO? Will the current MMO formula hold up over time? What is holding this type of game back from more universal success, and how can it be improved?

The article continues here...

Puzzle Quest. One addictive little MoFo

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a brand new, genre-bending title that ups the ante on traditional puzzle games by incorporating strategy, role-playing elements and a persistent storyline. Set in the Warlords universe, the game challenges players to save the land of Etheria from evil Lord Bane as gamers engage in battles fought by means of competitive, head-to-head "match-three" style puzzle games in one of three gameplay modes: Single-player, Instant Action or Multiplayer. Victory will advance a player's customisable hero, magical arsenal, creature companions and more—ultimately rewarding gamers at nearly every turn and deepening their immersion into the richly diverse world. The game's remarkable mix of classic puzzle gameplay and an abundant suite of characters, customisations, spells, companions, tameable monsters and more provides a fresh take on the puzzle genre that offers endless hours of replayability. Designed specifically for handheld gaming systems, Puzzle Quest can be enjoyed in long or short doses, cultivating a casual but deeply satisfying and compelling gameplay experience.

Key Features

• Innovative Gameplay Style - Strategy and role-playing elements that function harmoniously in the puzzle gameboard setting offer a refreshing twist on classic puzzle gameplay, fostering an exceptional depth of investment and enjoyment.
• Head-to-Head Gameplay Mechanism - Competitive, turn-based gameplay encourages you to plan, think and strategize against opponents instead of just react like most traditional puzzle games; game difficulty and progression are related to outsmarting your enemies as opposed to difficulty increasing solely through level progression.
• No Penalty for Losing - If you experience defeat, you are still awarded experience points as well as partial gold and then encouraged to try again; this allows constant progression and avoids any feelings that invested play time is wasted.
• Continuous Reward System - At every turn, you will acquire helpful companions, collect or cast powerful magic spells, gather informational "rumors," and obtain items like weapons, armor and money to advance your hero.
• Short or Long-term Play Sessions - Play in long or short doses since the depth of the game does not waver according to the length of a gameplay session; each battle ranges from 3-10 minutes.
• Three Distinct Gameplay Modes Offer Unparalleled Replayability -
  • Single-player: Battle against the computer AI as you embark on more than 150 challenging quests
  • Instant Action: Jump in and immediately play continuous battles to level up your character without participating in quests
  • Multiplayer: Battle live opponents via wireless connectivity on both the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system and the Nintendo DS handheld system
• Create and Build a Hero - Choose from two male and two female avatars in each of the four character classes-Druid, Knight, Warrior and Wizard-to create, develop and customize your ultimate hero.

• Build Your Own Empire - Build an empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle.

Behold: The reason I haven't been posting as much lately is this little gem (pun intended) of a game that came out of no where. Currently it is only available in it's full form for the PSP and DS. Click the picture above and you can download a PC demo. This game looks like a perfect fit for Xbox Live Arcade too. I think the element of using puzzles ala Bejewled as the combat system was a stroke of sheer genius. There are no repetitive battles that are resolved by hitting the same combination of keys as in a lot of RPGs. Each battle is different even if you are fighting the same type of monster. I'll have a full review eventually.