I have removed Xfire from all of my computers and my Xfire profile link from this blog.
I will miss one-click server joining for my favorite FPS games. I will miss having a running record of what games I've played and for how long I've played them. However, I won't miss the constant desktop crashes, disconnect messages, and annoying key combinations to make Xfire work.
I will be better off without Xfire.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
PvE in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
I'm going to do something new. I'm going to post more about some games that I am looking forward to. Today, I am going to talk about Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) and it's PvE.
WAR, without PvE, is just a mess waiting to happen. Online games, especially MMORPGs, thrive on diversity. The more things there are to do in a game, the more players it attracts. Differences between play styles and players build communities. Community is not built through forcing players into groups. It's been said a thousand times: things get pretty boring when everyone is the same.
WAR needs PvE and it needs PvE players. However, it's not pure PvE players that will make WAR great. It is the PvE player that wants a little bit of RvR every now and then that will be WAR's key demographic. There will be plenty of full-time RvR players in WAR, but I am betting that there will be far more part-timers.
But what is the benefit of all these part-timers? Simple. Sheep. PvP combat is always better when it is wolves vs sheep. When there is only wolves, PvP becomes static. The fights start becoming far too routine with the same wolves endlessly gnawing at each other for a bit of epeen. The non-wolves, finding there is really nothing for them to do, leave. Then the wolves start complaining that there isn't anyone around to fight.
I don't want to categorize all part-time RvR players as sheep, but there will be plenty of them that are not as strong in RvR as others. This creates a great dynamic in the RvR/PvP fighting.
The sheep can form and fight together against smaller packs of wolves, but when the going gets rough they CAN go do something else other than complain and quit. The sheep also provide an interesting change of pace because most often they RvR/PvP only when they are having fun. It is immensely better to be playing against an opponent that is having fun, even if it is in a losing effort.
With the sheep mixing into the wolf pack, it offers a chance for stronger players to help them out. DAoC was great when an entire realm worked together to take keeps or relics. It was very important for the stronger guilds to work and coordinate with the weaker guilds and players to form a cohesive team. Stronger players HAD to help weaker players if they wanted to accomplish the end-game goals of DAoC's RvR.
And that was all possible, because the weaker players weren't forced into RvR/PvP against their will. WAR has the same approach, but is setting the stage for the "sheep" to get more involved in RvR. This is good for WAR.
WAR needs PvE and it needs PvE players. However, it's not pure PvE players that will make WAR great. It is the PvE player that wants a little bit of RvR every now and then that will be WAR's key demographic. There will be plenty of full-time RvR players in WAR, but I am betting that there will be far more part-timers.
But what is the benefit of all these part-timers? Simple. Sheep. PvP combat is always better when it is wolves vs sheep. When there is only wolves, PvP becomes static. The fights start becoming far too routine with the same wolves endlessly gnawing at each other for a bit of epeen. The non-wolves, finding there is really nothing for them to do, leave. Then the wolves start complaining that there isn't anyone around to fight.
I don't want to categorize all part-time RvR players as sheep, but there will be plenty of them that are not as strong in RvR as others. This creates a great dynamic in the RvR/PvP fighting.
The sheep can form and fight together against smaller packs of wolves, but when the going gets rough they CAN go do something else other than complain and quit. The sheep also provide an interesting change of pace because most often they RvR/PvP only when they are having fun. It is immensely better to be playing against an opponent that is having fun, even if it is in a losing effort.
With the sheep mixing into the wolf pack, it offers a chance for stronger players to help them out. DAoC was great when an entire realm worked together to take keeps or relics. It was very important for the stronger guilds to work and coordinate with the weaker guilds and players to form a cohesive team. Stronger players HAD to help weaker players if they wanted to accomplish the end-game goals of DAoC's RvR.
And that was all possible, because the weaker players weren't forced into RvR/PvP against their will. WAR has the same approach, but is setting the stage for the "sheep" to get more involved in RvR. This is good for WAR.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Mythos BETA
A friend of mine sent me a beta access code for Mythos, a soon to launch free Diablo-type game from Flagship Studios. The game was built to test out the online tech for Flagship's first large title, Hellgate: London.
The game is cute and fun. It features hack and slash in it's purest form, but unlike Dungeon Runners (another free to play Diablo Clone), Mythos doesn't try and mock the hack and slash genre.
It is fun when you have a few minutes to kill, but I don't see it replacing anyone's main game anytime soon.
Update: 9 May, 2009 - Removed broken link and updated labels.
The game is cute and fun. It features hack and slash in it's purest form, but unlike Dungeon Runners (another free to play Diablo Clone), Mythos doesn't try and mock the hack and slash genre.
It is fun when you have a few minutes to kill, but I don't see it replacing anyone's main game anytime soon.
Update: 9 May, 2009 - Removed broken link and updated labels.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Ten Things From Vacation
10. A five-month old Doberman puppy that doesn't want to sleep in her crate at the vacation home means you better make room in the bed.
9. Gatlinburg, TN is a 50/50 split of new shiny and 1980's rundown.
8. The mountain roads are not friendly to a "four banger" from Japan carrying far too much stuff.
7. The rabbit can't be left alone for a week, so it's easier to just bring him with than find someone to rabbit-sit.
6. The cat can be left alone for a week and causes no issues.
5. The dog crate is bigger than the car trunk; something that should be noted before you start packing the car. Oddly enough, it eventually did fit.
4. Hill Billy Golf is actually run by real life hill billys.
3. Davy Crocket's mini-golf is far superior to Hill Billy Golf.
2. The first 350 pages of George RR Martin's, A Storm of Swords, is kick ass.
1. While on vacation, claiming to vacate my brain is not a key to my wife's good graces.
9. Gatlinburg, TN is a 50/50 split of new shiny and 1980's rundown.
8. The mountain roads are not friendly to a "four banger" from Japan carrying far too much stuff.
7. The rabbit can't be left alone for a week, so it's easier to just bring him with than find someone to rabbit-sit.
6. The cat can be left alone for a week and causes no issues.
5. The dog crate is bigger than the car trunk; something that should be noted before you start packing the car. Oddly enough, it eventually did fit.
4. Hill Billy Golf is actually run by real life hill billys.
3. Davy Crocket's mini-golf is far superior to Hill Billy Golf.
2. The first 350 pages of George RR Martin's, A Storm of Swords, is kick ass.
1. While on vacation, claiming to vacate my brain is not a key to my wife's good graces.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
I'm Back
I'm back from vacation. Wrap-up to follow at some point this week, but classes and work start back up Monday.
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