tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-217641402024-03-13T20:39:36.917+00:00Echoes of NonsenseArdys Personal blog and MMO blog.
Welcome to Echoes of Nonsense.Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.comBlogger278125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-36653936780578161462014-06-11T21:26:00.002+01:002014-06-11T21:26:37.603+01:00Remembering Rivs<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/arbitrarygenius">@arbitrarygenius</a> Well we were all part of that initial WAR "class"... have a history together if nothing else<br />
— Syp (@Sypster) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sypster/statuses/476812727277465600">June 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
Syp raised a point. I haven't blogged here in ... next to forever. I mostly migrated to Twitter and to the G+<br />
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Still I never stopped watching that first class. Nor the ones that came after. Meeting people online is very near and dear to me and I haven't met enough of those who I see on my twitter every day. Whom I chat to about whatever may be.<br />
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Christopher Cavelle, @Theeriver has passed away. My thoughts are with his family and friends. http://highlatencylife.com/2014/06/11/remember/<br />
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Not just those in America, but those online. We're all connected, even when we lose one another.<br />
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I think in honor of <a href="https://twitter.com/theeriver">@theeriver</a> all blogs should post a scantily-clad picture tomorrow of the being of one's choice<br />
— Syp (@Sypster) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sypster/statuses/476806988068700160">June 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-50009451633755300042012-11-30T11:02:00.000+00:002012-11-30T11:02:11.485+00:00Going GentlyHow do you measure fanaticism?<br />
How do you decide who is and isn't a fan of something?<br />
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Questions like that do occasionally come up. Most recently, for me at least, it was in a conversation about girl gamers and gamers who coincidentally happened to be girls. Irregardless of what makes a gamer a gamer, or a fan a fan... there'll always be those who judge you from the lofty heights of batshit insanity.<br />
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<br />
So let's try establish some credentials.<br />
Was I in the CoH Beta? No... but I joined the game rather soon after launch. I only played one sub game at a time and it took me a while to gird myself for flashy comic book universe.<br />
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That aside, I have been playing City of Heroes for a long time. It went free to play and I kept my subscription so it follows that I have also been paying for City of Heroes for a long time.<br />
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I have spent in the store, I bought booster packs before free to play, I have every edition worth mentioning. I have the books and I have the comics. Without further belabouring the point, I am invested.<br />
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Those credentials established, I do consider myself a fan of City of Heroes but now I can't take it any more. Today is the final day in Paragon. Midnight pacific time, the servers go down and my heroes, villains and all in between will no longer <i>be</i>. They have been recorded to the best of my ability and the stories that I write myself will go on, but ultimately seeing out the server closure tonight on Ardua will be the last time that I will <i>be</i> Ardua.<br />
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I plan to see it out with a smile. Maybe some tears. Certainly memories and tales and more. I've given good time and good money to that game because that game gave back to me worth and fun and joy and friends.<br />
What I will not do is see it out in rage and bile. The "true" fans of City of Heroes are still trying to save City of Heroes. They spout grand claims of pitching the game to Disney and how that will magically resurrect Paragon Studios, despite people having jobs and commitments now. How an adored and beloved but still <b>eight</b> year old game will magically form a pillar on Disney Interactive (or whomever is next on their pitch hit list) with a huge fan base.... which has either said its goodbyes or never invested the same emotion.<br />
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Was the campaign noble and worthy? Oh yes. Yes it was. It was worth the attempt, it was as was claimed, something heroes do. The campaign tried and it's time people accepted it failed. Tonight, barring a miracle of e-biblical proportions, the City of Heroes dies.<br />
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Should it die, as it was born, in the fire of a Rikti onslaught? I will follow through on the title of this post. I will not go gently into the good night. I will get full on Independence Day on them. I will fight because that is what you do with an invading horde.<br />
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When it is done, when the lights go out and the switch is flipped... I will miss it dearly.<br />
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What I won't do is deny that tonight that is going to happen. I won't pollute the last few hours with a game I adore by seething and complaining. Log in and take what joy you can in the last hours. See the sights one last time. Fight the good fight or plot a good heist. Either way, do with a game what you are meant to. Play. Have fun.<br />
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All good things come to an end, and City of Heroes is a very very good thing.Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-40242681289153551212012-09-06T15:48:00.003+01:002012-09-06T15:48:55.221+01:00Saving City Of HeroesIn case you haven't seen it on <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/City-of-Heroes/news/Gamers-Rally-to-Save-City-of-Heroes">OnRPG</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/05/city-of-heroes-fans-rally-to-try-to-save-the-game/">Massively</a>, <a href="http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/loadNews/25450/Gamers-Rally-to-Save-City-of-Heroes">MMORPG</a>, <a href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/coh/news/fans-rally-to-save-city-of-heroes">Ten Ton Hammer</a>, <a href="http://dragonchasers.com/2012/09/06/save-city-of-heroes/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">Dragonchasers</a>, <a href="http://www.levelcapped.com/2012/09/06/be-the-hero-save-city-of-heroes/">Levelcapped</a>, <a href="http://mmofallout.com/2012/09/06/city-of-heroes-isnt-going-down-without-a-fight/">MMO Fallout</a>, <a href="https://biobreak.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/can-city-of-heroes-be-saved/">Bio Break</a> and many more, here's one more hat in the ring.<br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 35px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Press Release</span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gamers Rally to Save City of Heroes</span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What happens when a virtual world is condemned to oblivion? Dedicated players of the online game </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> struggle for the very survival of their city.</span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mountain View CA, September 6, 2012:</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The online heroes of Paragon City are currently in an epic battle. Not against the forces of crime and evil that they have been facing for eight years, but against the decision of a company that is preparing to turn off the game servers and end a game that has been running since April 2004.</span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NCsoft, the publisher of </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, announced last Friday that it is shutting down Paragon Studios, the game development studio responsible for </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Operation of the flagship will cease by November 30 due to a realignment of NCsoft’s focus.</span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To its community, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is more than just a game, it is a vibrant, welcoming community. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was the first online role-playing game for many gamers, and introduced them to the wonders of flying through the skies and battling epic menaces with friends. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has brought together families, offered comfort during troubling times, and inspired charities that have raised nearly $30,000 for children, members of the armed forces, and to fight hunger.</span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> community quickly rallied and formed a campaign to save the game from virtual extinction. “We’ve been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It’s time to do it one more time,” said Tony Vasquez administrator of the Titan Network, an alliance of </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> fan sites (http://paragonwiki.com), and one of the organizers of the </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Save Paragon City!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> campaign.</span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Through social media outlets, fan web sites, and the </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> official game forums, players have been organizing projects and events to convince NCsoft to allow the game to continue, exploring options including selling the game to another game publishing company or development studio. The “Keep NCsoft from shutting down City of Heroes!” petition initiated by a community member has gathered over 12,600 signatures and continues to grow. (http://change.org/petitions/ncsoft-keep-ncsoft-from-shutting-down-city-of-heroes) In addition, players have begun a letter writing campaign to NCsoft to demonstrate the reach of their numbers and convey the impact</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has had on their lives.</span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3406460953410715" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> players have a non-stop schedule of activities to show their support. Saturday, September 8</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, players are organizing an in-game “Unity Rally” and Paragon Appreciation costume contest in which players will dress up as their favorite Paragon Studios staff member (http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=296768). This event will take place on the Virtue server starting at 5:00pm EDT. Organizers expect that this could be the biggest costume contest in online gaming history. Other ongoing projects beginning this week include a crowd funding drive in which the community has pledged to financially assist acquiring the game from NCsoft and partnership discussions with industry leaders regarding acquisition of the </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of Heroes</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> game property.</span></b></div>
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Now some people will inevitably ask, why. Why save a studio and game that has had such a good run?<br />
Well there's the human cost. All those bright souls in Paragon Studios who worked so hard ever since NCSoft bought the IP from Cryptic who are now out of a job. There's the material cost, Paragon Studios has/had an as yet and possibly never will be announced secret project. The changing design in City Of Heroes only helped to illustrate how they were expanding their skills, skills certainly then applied to whatever the secret project was.<br />
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There's a ton of reasons and I'll leave you to decide what ones suit you best.<br />
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For me, it's simple. I'm not done.<br />
Oh the levelling content, I've done most of everything there is, just some Incarnate Trials and newer arcs that I haven't run. I've roleplayed, I've tried a smidgeon of PvP, I've ground out my XP and taken on events. None of that has anything to do with being done. City of Heroes has made me friends, dear dear friends whom I have crossed oceans to visit and stand in their wedding. Other friends who given the chance and the time I'd visit just as readily, half way across the world.<br />
I may have added other games to my catalogue. I may utterly adore The Secret World (woo Arcadia!) and love my time in Rift (woo Faeblight!) but that in no way diminishes my time on Virtue. I'm not sure I'd ever really be done with City of Heroes. They always brought me something more to do, something more to see. That's not to say it's always been sweetness and light, I've had my disagreements with the city of Paragon but I have never stopped loving it. I won't claim it's a sandbox, sandbox players would laugh themselves sick, I won't claim it has the same universal appeal as WoW or NCSofts shiny new Guild Wars 2.<br />
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I will say simply this, when I was a child I dreamed of being a super hero like many others. Forever more those dreams of being a hero come in the shape of the people of Paragon. NCSoft is taking it away, but they also gave it to us to begin with. If nothing else, I will always have that. DC can have Superman over Metropolis. Marvel can have Spider-Man in New York. Now and forever I will have Ardua the Peacebringer hovering over Paragon City.Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-30560243768393773742011-08-29T10:15:00.001+01:002011-08-29T10:15:22.465+01:00War is Hell<p>It is a little after 10am on Monday the 29th of August. I am saying that upfront because right now there are goings on in The Secret World.</p> <p>Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Mithrilendil" target="_blank">Mithrilendil</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/thedarkplace" target="_blank">The Dark Places</a> on Twitter now if you do not already. Two hours remain to ask the questions.</p> <p>On topic. I have always wanted to be part of an MMO Community in some real large way. Ever since my first steps in the community around Earth & Beyond I have wanted to get to know the movers and shakers and if at all possible, make my own mark. </p> <p>However that’s going to take a major effort. There are long established names, loud and proud fans and an entire community between me and the fifteen minutes of fame. Further to that, The Secret World is going to continue using ARGs and social networking. They said in an interview that combat is going to demand more of the player than the average MMO… I think it won’t just be the combat.</p> <p>This then is the simple choice. Do I play the game and watch it pass me by, be like the masses in EVE for example who just do their day to day starship activities? Or do I take the time, do the research and make the effort to break onto the stage? Do I weave characters around me to hide my intentions from the chaotic <a href="http://stylishcorpse.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Dragon</a> and proud <a href="http://spinksville.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Illuminati</a>? Do I have what I need to engage with a game as I never have before?</p> <p>Only one way to find out. </p> <p>I really hope The Secret War isn’t flammable.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-27136763035161289642011-03-08T15:30:00.002+00:002011-03-08T15:32:26.294+00:00Hello Anyone From Massively!Sorry, I've not blogged anything much recently. If you fancy a damned good read though, the blogroll is still quite active and there are some fantastic mmo blogs to read on it.<br />If you fancy a rather not bad read, my interviews with Derek Smart and Ragnar Tornquist are linked to the side.Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-9943115161450249702011-02-21T09:23:00.001+00:002011-02-21T09:23:23.012+00:00Temporal Rift<p>It is 9.04am here in Dublin and I am in the office.</p> <p>I haven’t slept.</p> <p>Now I know this is my fault. It may also be the fault of dinner… you know I don’t think chicken fajitas need two whole bell peppers chopped up but eh, what do I know? I will just have to coffee up, keep the brain engaged. I’ll get through this day. What got me through the weekend however was a heady mix of addiction and excitement. (In retrospect, that sentence looks suspicious.)</p> <p>Rift of course. What else?</p> <p>You know, for not knowing next to a damned thing about the game, I am having a fantastic time. There are so many games out now with hype machines and detractors/supporters and ads everywhere that well.. I just tune most of them out. Rift was one of those things that got tuned out. I’d get around to it in time. Fortunately for me I did.</p> <p>Originally I snagged beta invite keys for Beta 6 for myself and Shannon but neither of us actually ended up with the time or desire to download it and test. Bad beta players in other words. Trion on the other hand was far more forgiving, which is to say that their database just sent the invite, and we ended up invited via email to the Open beta like approximately ten billion other people. Nothing special but enough to remind us, so in we went.</p> <p>Rift has subsequently been pre-ordered for us both. Founders pricing has been locked in. Unless I have a suddenly and inexplicably awful 30+ days between the free month and headstart, Trion is going to get six months out of us both.</p> <p>That brings me back to having not slept. No I didn’t stay up all night playing Rift, though I easily could have. We’re still blaming dinner for that particular detail. But I did play it endlessly this weekend. Both myself and Shannon turned to each other more than once with excitement in our voices “Want to play some Rift?”. At 3am this morning when neither of us could sleep in any way, shape or form and we finally gave into staying up. Rift.</p> <p>It may have eaten a good portion of the weekend, when I wasn’t doing things I was supposed to, but it is welcome to what it took. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such fun in a new game and wanted so hard to play more. For completely missing the hype and having no clue, I am now a convert.</p> <p>I won’t be playing today though, I’m going to let the rest of the beta pass without me drooling over it. There’s things I have to get done and well.. the dreaded beta wipe. I am already far too attached to one character, I don’t need to make the loss worse. Thursday though, you know where you’ll find me.</p> <p>Tripping the Rift Fantastic.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-10041736720750486922010-10-15T16:31:00.001+01:002010-10-15T16:31:06.667+01:00No more Intellectuals Please.<p>IP! Intellectual Properties. If you’re in the business of licensing things, man I bet you love those. </p> <p>George Lucas has vast armies of people making Star Wars games. Star Trek games come out every so often (and are usually not the best). Movies get adapted to games, games get made from tv shows and there are plenty of properties out there that have been looked at for further video game exploitation.</p> <p>Given that this will never ever come to pass, I have two requests.</p> <p>First, no more intellectual properties please. Take a break. Try your hand at something new. Not a universe that lends itself to being turned into an MMO. Not some existing IP that you think could crack the nut that is WoW or emulate its success. </p> <p>Try new things. Try new worlds. Try making something that no one has ever seen before. Right now there is the trend of taking what someone has done and emulating the crap out of it, as though that process will somehow mystically imbue your title with the same positives and line your pockets. We’ve all seen the huge buckets of money that Minecraft just made. How long until the copies come out, reasoning that a tiny iteration on an established success equals more success?`</p> <p>Just because something made the splash once, it does not automatically follow that it or any other game directly modelled on it will do the same.</p> <p>Secondly, as a game company… start lying to us all. I don’t mean lie about features or release dates or content. They’re all very important. Making a good, complete and <em>completed</em> game is vital to you, to your market and to the genre. However…. people are going gaga for or raging at Bioware because of however they currently perceive Star Wars: The Old Republic. People will always look at Mythic a certain way. Reportedly Square Enix lost $26million worth of investment because a player who had the stock didn’t like the latest installment. I personally cannot wait for The Secret World, but there are many who read as far as “Funcom” and stop listening.</p> <p>So lie to me. Lie to everyone. Spin off subsidiaries and reabsorb them later or drop them if they are unsustainable. Create new companies, new names, new faces and personalities to bring us the next wave of MMOs. Don’t bring us “Bioware presents: Some Game” or “Square Enix FF 75.23”. The same name that sells your games in a single player market brings far too much drama in a massively multiplayer one. </p> <p>Bring me a new game from a new company and importantly from a new and neutral starting point. Make your success stories on the back of the hard work put into the game rather than on the back of a bought in IP that someone will say you did wrong or on the back of your own reputations which may leave many demanding things that you may not ever be able to deliver.</p> <p>Would it be difficult to work out who has spun off whom and for what? Probably not. However if the one thing missing from games now days is wonder, leave us wondering and with wonderful things.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-60878226253100450932010-10-13T10:51:00.001+01:002010-10-13T10:51:19.069+01:00This should be a tradition.<p>I did this well before the launch of Star Trek Online and I am doing it again. The only difference is this time I’m not (yet, if ever) in the beta.</p> <p>I do not like nor am I impressed by Star Wars : The Old Republic.</p> <p>I’m not hating on your game, if you are a fan. I am not bashing the company or anything. I am just totally unimpressed. If I change my tune later and become a total fanboy, feel free to call me on it.</p> <p>In the meantime, until I get my blogging regions of my brain full of coffee and come back to you all, enjoy <a href="http://ealouse.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/hello-world/" target="_blank">this</a>.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-19724374036015967402010-08-28T11:08:00.003+01:002010-08-28T11:14:02.396+01:00Things Man Shouldn't KnowWoo! \o/<br /><br />The Secret World GamesCom press embargo lifted yesterday and with that you can now read my exclusive <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/The-Secret-World/interview/The-Secret-World-Things-Man-Shouldnt-Know">interview</a> with Ragnar Tornquist over at <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/">www.OnRPG.com</a><br /><br />A snippet?<br /><blockquote><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">It's incredibly hard to keep our mouths shut! All we want to do is show you what we've been working on for so long - but we're not far away from doing just that.<br /></p></blockquote>Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-68326617879137677472010-08-03T20:55:00.002+01:002010-08-04T09:36:56.242+01:00It'll be a sh!t game, don't buy it.<p>Ragnar Tornquist on The Secret World</p><p><i>Now Live on <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/The-Secret-World/interview/The-Secret-World-Itll-be-a-sht-game-dont-buy-it-4928">OnRPG.com</a> !</i></p><p><i></i></p><p>Conspiracies… myths… half truths, careful lies and dark places. All of these are in The Secret World. All myths are true, for a given value. All conspiracies are being played out by the major factions, so long as it suits them.</p><p>Templar, Dragon, Illuminati. A world beneath and a game on the horizon. Whatever you know about The Secret World, game creator Ragnar Tornquist says it best on twitter. </p><p>“RagnarTornquist @RarePc No, it'll be a shit game, don't buy it. OF COURSE it's going to be a good game, worth every penny, cross my heart, etc. Peace. #TSW”</p><p>Of course he’s joking. This game is his baby and soon we will all get to witness its birth onto the AAA MMO gaming scene. If you haven’t been following the rise and reveals of The Secret World, then more than any other game before you are missing a treat. Sure there is the normal hype surrounding it. Where there are fans, there are huge expectations and opinions. Where there are fans, there are detractors and naysayers. All of that we’re used to, heck for some of us it’s how we got our start in the MMO blog scene. Hype breeds excitement, excitement breeds word of mouth and we all know what word of mouth can do for, or in darker cases to, a game.</p><p>This game though, it has been creeping around in all the <a href="http://twitter.com/thedarkplaces/statuses/20053651218" target="_blank">dark places</a>. It has been waiting, growing. Spinning tales and weaving webs. I speak of course of the many ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) related to The Secret World. Even if you aren’t a fan of MMOs, and if not I’d wonder why you’re reading this, it has been quite an experience. </p><p>I personally have followed the tweets of some of the unwitting <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/The-Secret-World/video/Secret-World-Kingsmouth-Trailer" target="_blank">souls</a> of <a href="http://www.kingsmouth.com/" target="_blank">Kingsmouth</a>. I have read of the <a href="http://monstersofmaine.blogspot.com/]" target="_blank">Monsters of Maine</a> and the Sanctuary Of Secrets. All of these things are being played out on the internet. Sometimes in bursts, full of action and teases. Other times subtly and over a period of time. Unlike any other game I have watched come from concept art, through the teasing trailers and into the market, The Secret World has won my adulation and interest through its mystery. Through the fact that the more I know, the more I want to. All the conspiracies and myths await, all the promises of a secret world, a hidden war and a story unlike any I personally have played with before are just ahead of me. </p><p>For people who are left looking at this entry, wanting more, expecting something other than the gushing of a proclaimed fan, there is plenty to be found. There is information close <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/The-Secret-World" target="_blank">at hand</a> and on the official <a href="http://www.darkdemonscrygaia.com/" target="_blank">game forums</a>. Ragnar himself is answering questions every so often on <a href="http://www.formspring.me/RagnarTornquist/q/555540503" target="_blank">Formspring.me</a>. The Alternate Reality Games get picked apart by a rabid and dedicated fan base <a href="http://www.crygaia.com/cgn/portal_content/timeline.cfm" target="_blank">on more</a> than one <a href="http://www.crygaia.com/wiki/index.php?title=They_Are_Coming_Back" target="_blank">occasion</a>. Of course the best information comes from community questions on the forums themselves <a href="http://www.darkdemonscrygaia.com/showthread.php?t=9420" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.darkdemonscrygaia.com/showthread.php?t=9481" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.darkdemonscrygaia.com/showthread.php?t=9555" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>Will it be, as Ragnar joked, a sh-oh look a kitty-t game? I for one am happy with my expectations. I think it will be every bit as deep, every bit as enthralling and mysterious as advertised. In the end, every game has fans and detractors. Every game will have nay-sayers and rabid supporters. I am going for the game whose manner and mystery caught my imagination… not with pretty graphics or insane game play. They weren’t shown yet when I first was snared by it. No, they made me imagine all the possibilities and that, the promise of the mind, is why I will follow the Templar into the darkness of Argartha. Into The Secret World.</p>Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-80396118503693777372010-07-16T19:06:00.001+01:002010-07-16T19:06:21.195+01:00Ardy vs Guild Wars 2<p>My interview with some of the designers of Arena Nets Guild Wars 2 is up over at OnRPG.Com</p> <p>Go check it out <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/Guild-Wars-2/video/Exclusive-Interview-With-Guild-Wars-2-Lead-Designer" target="_blank">here!</a></p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-21436130347499737872010-07-14T18:45:00.000+01:002010-07-14T18:45:00.228+01:00New World, New Look, New Info.<p>Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the absolute latest information from <a href="http://www.coh.com/" target="_blank">City Of Heroes</a> : <a href="http://goingrogue.eu.cityofheroes.com/en-gb/" target="_blank">Going Rogue</a>. </p> <p>Firstly, information on the <em>gorgeous</em> Nova Praetoria, the centre of <a href="http://goingrogue.eu.cityofheroes.com/en-gb/game-info/characters/tyrant.html" target="_blank">Emperor Coles</a> powerbase.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Nova Praetoria</strong>  </p> <p>This city ward, considered to be the most exclusive district in all of Praetoria, houses the elite of Praetorian society: Cole’s trusted Praetors and the myriad state employees and officials who have been given the special privilege to live and work next to humankind’s savior, Emperor Marcus Cole.<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j8XvF4mI/AAAAAAAAAIM/MInwdA-bTu0/s1600-h/nova_night%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="nova_night" border="0" alt="nova_night" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j8qfZZLI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/6QqFtzb1EIo/nova_night_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="154" /></a></p> <p>From Cole Tower, the tallest building and most dominant landmark in all of Nova Praetoria, Emperor Cole can survey all that he has fought hard to protect. </p> <p>In the Magisterium below, his Praetors gather for the day-to-day business in Praetoria, capital of the Empire.</p> <p><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="nova_cole_memorial" border="0" alt="nova_cole_memorial" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j80v3b9I/AAAAAAAAAIU/4bXVifVqnHs/nova_cole_memorial_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="154" /></p> <p>Surrounding the Magisterium courtyard are the five most influential structures in Praetorian government: the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Technology, the Civic Center, the Praetoria Police Headquarters, and the Cole Transport Authority. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j9aNzTmI/AAAAAAAAAIY/bLiTXtjVvw0/s1600-h/nova_civic_center%5B11%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="nova_civic_center" border="0" alt="nova_civic_center" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j-HGkaTI/AAAAAAAAAIc/PCeq5P58HKw/nova_civic_center_thumb%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="154" /></a> </p> <p>Statues of the Praetors stand like sentinels over the Magisterium, reminding all who visit that Cole’s trusted advisors watch over the city with constant vigilance. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j-q_xwRI/AAAAAAAAAIg/yspk8QDdWZs/s1600-h/nova_mm_statue%5B8%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="nova_mm_statue" border="0" alt="nova_mm_statue" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j_JfoGqI/AAAAAAAAAIk/Va5aCami-4U/nova_mm_statue_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="154" /></a> </p> <p>But these statues pale in comparison to the glory of Emperor Cole’s likeness, which stands before his tower, hand outstretched in greeting to all who visit here. Before this colossus stands the statue of Praetor White, Praetoria’s enforcer and head of the Powers Division, Praetoria’s super-powered police force. </p> </blockquote> <p>Where there is a city, there is a support structure and in the darkness below the gem of Nova Praetoria we have The Underground.</p> <blockquote> <p> <br /><strong>The Underground <br /></strong>The Underground is a network of tunnels that traverse the soft underbelly of Praetoria. </p> <p><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="underground_03" border="0" alt="underground_03" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3j_t4rYYI/AAAAAAAAAIo/1FtBHVbFy-A/underground_03_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="154" /></p> <p>It was created to keep the appearance of the aboveground portion of the city unspoiled and uncluttered while the day-to-day maintenance and transportation tasks were carried out away from public view. Using the Lethe as its main artery, the tunnels follow a winding path through Nova Praetoria to Neutropolis and beyond.  </p> </blockquote> <p>Not all is fun and games in the darkness though. <a href="http://goingrogue.eu.cityofheroes.com/en-gb/game-info/enemy-groups/ghouls.html" target="_blank">Things</a> lurk and people <a href="http://goingrogue.eu.cityofheroes.com/en-gb/game-info/enemy-groups/resistance.html" target="_blank">plot.</a></p> <p> </p> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="underground_energy_blast" border="0" alt="underground_energy_blast" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3kAA9kYLI/AAAAAAAAAIs/VEAFwfoD28Q/underground_energy_blast_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="154" /></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TD3kBN4OqRI/AAAAAAAAAIw/7RanN52o0aY/s1600-h/underground_energy_blast%5B9%5D.jpg"></a></p> <p></p> <p>You’d be best not to take Nova Praetoria at face value…</p> <p>(More information to come soon we hope and keep an eye on OnRPG.com for my take on Going Rogue soon)</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-38939155771176849942010-07-07T16:47:00.001+01:002010-07-07T16:47:08.870+01:00Tinfoil Hat<p>Not that <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/items/tinfoilhat.xml" target="_blank">Tinfoil hat</a> though it is related.</p> <p>The Blizzard Entertainment Real ID idea has caused a major storm. <a href="http://syncaine.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/i-strongly-support-blizzards-realid/" target="_blank">Suffice</a> <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KillTenRats/~3/FLp3iITrslc/" target="_blank">to</a> <a href="http://www.massively.com/2010/07/07/the-daily-grind-real-id-do-we-finally-have-our-wow-killer" target="_blank">say</a>, <a href="http://brokentoys.org/2010/07/06/realid-for-your-fakeorc/" target="_blank">people</a> <a href="http://www.jenncutter.com/2010/07/06/hahahahahahano/" target="_blank">are</a> <a href="http://stylishcorpse.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/fail-of-the-century/" target="_blank">annoyed</a> (<a href="http://syncaine.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/i-strongly-support-blizzards-realid/" target="_blank">or amused</a>).</p> <p>So my little tinfoil wrapped titbit is a question. Given that Blizzard is held up on a pedestal and shown to be <strong>the</strong> company to watch when making an MMO, <em>the</em> company to emulate and <u>the</u> ones who set all sorts of trends… they’re obviously capable of judging how people will react to any given idea to a fair degree.</p> <p>So if they aren’t going back on Real ID, why are they going forward? I don’t think it’s merely to clean up their forums.</p> <p>All that data, accessible… that has got to be a marketers wet dream. </p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-34502154002529570182010-06-30T09:41:00.001+01:002010-06-30T09:41:48.369+01:00Real World Interlude<a title="Anna Chapman" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1290708/Russian-spy-Anna-Chapmans-British-links-Agent-seized-FBI-swoop-lived-London.html?ito=feeds-newsxml" target="_blank"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="article-1290708-0A418537000005DC-330_306x498" border="0" alt="article-1290708-0A418537000005DC-330_306x498" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n9j8FP8HEbA/TCsDSjoF1eI/AAAAAAAAAII/_rONEReVjdw/article-1290708-0A418537000005DC-330_306x498%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="151" height="244" /></a> <p>This entry deals with real world news, so if you’re avoiding all  that nonsense, skip this one.</p> <p>Anna Chapman is my hero of the hour. But! But but but. Let me explain that statement.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Pictured to the right is Ms Chapman.</p> <p>The news says <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1290708/Russian-spy-Anna-Chapmans-British-links-Agent-seized-FBI-swoop-lived-London.html?ito=feeds-newsxml" target="_blank">she is a</a> <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100630/ap_on_re_us/us_russia_spy_arrests;_ylt=AqjbRBrF.eKdOuu7CQPrXaWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNrdjRmdXFyBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNjMwL3VzX3J1c3NpYV9zcHlfYXJyZXN0cwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzEEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2FubmFjaGFwbWFu" target="_blank">suspected Russian</a> <a href="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Suspected-Spy-Anna-Chapman-Married-To-An-Englishman-Russian-Had-Links-To-London/Article/201006415657045?lid=ARTICLE_15657045_SuspectedSpyAnnaChapmanMarriedToAnEnglishman:RussianHadLinksToLondon&amp;lpos=searchresults" target="_blank">spy</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p>Now, I’m not anti America and supporting a spy. I am geeking out over something that Sky News put in my head. When they broke the story, over and over they said it was like a real life spy novel. Personally I didn’t see it. Sure there is a ring of suspects and I have no real idea what they have or have not done. However, when it came to them putting a face to them, the picture shown here is the one they splashed on tv.</p> <p><strong>Now</strong> it’s a real life spy story. Sure the plot is a little lame, but hey, you’ve given us a Bond Girl.</p> <p>What’s not to love?</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-34430520067647702742010-06-28T15:57:00.002+01:002010-06-28T16:03:01.303+01:00WAR EU<a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com/international/goa/faq_en.php">This</a> little tidbit has come to my attention.<br /><br /><blockquote>Will I be able to transfer to North American servers immediately?<br />◦We do<br />have plans to allow European customers to transfer to and from our North<br />American servers. However, this option will not be available at the time of<br />launch.</blockquote><br /><br />Sure I went back to WAR for a bit with <a href="http://sareini.dreamwidth.org/">Sareini</a> but, in reality, I played maybe two or three days. I'm busy with things at home and in other games. That said, the ability to take the characters I still love, the goodies I managed to grab up (Kossars Helm from C&C RA3, Scarabs from codes etc) and move it all over to the timezone I actually live in? Fantastic!<br /><br />That may well get me back. No promises of course... but it'd be an option to play again when I know there'd be major action going on.<br /><br />Sorry for GOA, but I'll be keeping an eye on this.Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-22106997306601482012010-06-27T14:37:00.002+01:002010-06-27T16:23:13.643+01:00Proof of the puddingThe proof of the pudding is in the eating.<br /><br />I previewed Lego Universe for OnRPG <a href="http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/Lego-Universe/review/Lego-Universe-Preview-Absolutely-Yes">here</a> a while back. Keep in mind, the preview was based on early early closed beta stuff. Even on the back of that, I now have my <a href="http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=2855133&sku=2e8d7ca8-28f7-4b07-8365-939234d95ba2">pre-order</a> ordered.<br /><br />Even if Lego isn't your thing, trust me, this is a gift to get.Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-37916214628872440122010-06-18T10:40:00.001+01:002010-06-18T10:40:07.417+01:00Success is commemorated. Failure merely remembered.<p>Massively have a wonderful interview with <a href="http://www.massively.com/2010/06/17/e3-2010-interview-with-warhammer-40ks-mark-downie/" target="_blank">Mark Downie</a> from Vigil on Warhammer 40,000.</p> <p>One good quote I like.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>All that we've seen in the trailer is actual gameplay footage?</strong> <br />Mark: Absolutely.</p> </blockquote> <p>Mark goes on to talk about the work they’re doing with Games Workshop in making the setting properly Warhammer as well as the lovely bonus of </p> <blockquote> <p><font color="#333333" size="2">Mark: </font>Pretty much anything that gets added into the 40k universe in our MMO will get added to the canon, part of the war, and will receive the blessing of Games Workshop.</p> </blockquote> <p>Head on over to the interview to check it out and keep an eye on <a href="http://onrpg.com" target="_blank">OnRPG.com</a> where soon I will be going through the background, the build up and the battle that is Warhammer 40,000 Dark Millennium.</p> <p>(Bonus Fluff Theory: In the closing days of the 41st millennium the Emperors Golden Throne had started to fail. A Q&A I had one Games Day with Sandy Mitchell of the <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CiaphasCain" target="_blank">Ciaphas Cain</a> series mentioned that GW was holding up the story for now, letting it all get to the same point. If the game <strong>creates</strong> canon, is this Dark Millennium the opening chapter of the 42nd and the greatest upheaval The Imperium has ever known? Exciting prospect.)</p> <p>Also you know, while the Imperium quotes are great for blog titles, it makes everything sound very <a href="http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Grimdark" target="_blank">grimdark</a>. Nor is it necessarily a commentary on Warhammer: Age of Reckoning.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-55902586629005748032010-06-16T09:34:00.001+01:002010-06-16T09:34:32.150+01:00Blind faith is a just cause. (WH40K)<p>In his Glorious Majesty’s realm, <a href="http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Thought_for_the_day_(A_-_H)#B" target="_blank">blind faith is a just cause.</a> Granted that says an awful awful lot about the world of the Imperium.</p> <p>A quick look at my blog list this morning got me a few links. On the one hand we have <a href="http://shadowwar.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/dark-millenium/" target="_blank">Shadow-War</a> and <a href="http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/06/15/warhammer-40k-trailer-impressions/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WeFlySpitfires+%28We+Fly+Spitfires+-+MMORPG+Blog%29" target="_blank">We Fly Spitfires</a> on the cautious but positive view. On the other we have <a href="http://syncaine.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/warhammer-40k-mmo-trailer/" target="_blank">Syncaine</a> in his crusade against all things WoW taking a snarky tack, along with <a href="http://thewarrealm.com/?p=2079" target="_blank">The War Realm</a> being unimpressed.</p> <p>To each their own really. Syncaine insists that Dark Millennium doesn’t look dark and gloomy enough and is WoW in the future. War Realm has come down on the side of the trailer being CGI and thus useless (coughOldRepubliccough).</p> <p>They may have a point. Perhaps games have been unfairly influenced out of all proportion by World of Warcraft. At the same time maybe that’s because the influences weren’t all negative. Maybe the trailer doesn’t give everything you want to know, but hey that to me looked pretty damn slick and THQ did all its cinematics in the engine for Dawn of War. If they were going the CGI route full of pretty and no substance, they could have gone <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLFkBbKXGY4" target="_blank">further</a>.</p> <p>Me? I’m all for it. We’ve gone from what was just a bullet point on a THQ statement, through small bits of concept art into a trailer that shows me some pretty exciting things. Maybe Syncaine is right and the Kopta isn’t piloted and is more like WoWs griffins. Maybe there will be a ridiculous amount of PvE questing. Maybe all the naysayers will be right on the money and it will be World of Warhammercraft 40k.</p> <p>Or maybe… just maybe it’s as good as it looks. Given the option of being negative or being an mmo blogger… I’m going to have to go with the unbridled out of proportion optimism. I have faith in <a href="http://www.vigilgames.com/home" target="_blank">Vigil Games</a> and THQ. I am not yet ready to call for the <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Warhammer40000" target="_blank">Exterminatus</a> on the Dark Millennium. </p> <p>Blogging or living in the grim darkness of the far future, blind faith is a just cause.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-12003287312791228862010-06-15T21:01:00.001+01:002010-06-15T21:01:01.244+01:00The Dark Millennium<p>No waiting. Watch now!</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ee7833ac-b1e8-4e1b-9dc1-9fa7a2765c9a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><embed src="http://www.thq.com/tv/tv_mini_embed.swf" flashvars="loc=uk&vidId=4077" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="475" height="290"></embed></div></div> <p>Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online!</p> <p>A quick breakdown of what I’ve made out.</p> <p>Factions</p> <ul> <li>The Imperium</li> <li>Chaos</li> <li>Orks</li> </ul> <p>Possible Player Characters</p> <ul> <li>Space Marines (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFHKIFDjk9I">In Nomine Imperator</a>!)</li> <li>Mechanicus (<a href="http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Mechanicus">As the Omnissiah wills</a>)</li> <li>Imperial Guard/Kasrkin (<a href="http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Imperial_Guard">Men of the Emperor</a>!)</li> <li>Chaos Space Marines (Khârn is a <a href="http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Kharn">pretty fun guy</a>)</li> <li>Chaos Cultists (<a href="http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Cultist">Sanity if for the WEAK</a>!)</li> <li>Orks (<a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoreDakka">DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA</a>!)</li> </ul> <p>Some other things that stick out from the video.</p> <p>That’s gameplay footage that is! Mmmm gameplay.</p> <p>There’s something that looks suspiciously like an Eldar Farseer going up against the Chaos Dreadnaut as the music climaxes.</p> <p>Finally, the means of getting around looks interesting. I saw Space Marine bikes (and of course Chaos bikes), Trukks and Koptas. Flying mounts as well as the purely mundane? Yes please.</p> <p>The quick run down of things you will not see? Kroot, Tau, Necrons (my favourites), Tyranids and Dark Eldar. Does that mean they aren’t there at all? I couldn’t say. Perhaps they will be NPC factions, perhaps they are for later inclusion or expansions. For all the talk of Warhammer Age of Reckoning needing a third faction, I don’t think a 7+ way war in the 41st Millennium is particularly viable, especially given some of the omnicidal armies.</p> <p>In conclusion for this first bit, it’s good to be a 40K fan. THQ, having proved themselves more than capable of capturing the feel of the universe in the Dawn Of War series, are bringing us both Dark Millennium and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFHKIFDjk9I">Space Marine</a>. On top of that we have the Ultramarines movie moving forward.</p> <p>There is only one final thing I need to know from that video…. who do I have to kill to become a Princeps and drive the Titan?</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-39973056215187505802010-06-15T09:30:00.002+01:002010-06-15T13:52:22.230+01:00Missed Calling<p>Why is BioWare making an MMO?</p><p>Sure there is all the PR marketing hype. Sure there are the legions of Knights of the Old Republic fans who are salivating over the IP. Sure I suppose it’ll be a very good game.</p><p>But why bother making a game when they would be better suited shaming George Lucas and making an epic <a href="http://twt.tl/PNWb1gw">movie</a>?</p><p>If you haven’t yet seen it, that link is for the Star Wars : The Old Republic “Hope” trailer. Seriously EA/BioWare, you can tell me all you want about how many voice actors you’re going to have, how big the game is going to be and all of that but in my mind, you’re better spent on crafting us a different sort of entertainment.</p>Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-42416506767443929022010-06-14T19:08:00.002+01:002010-06-14T19:29:07.674+01:00Warhammers Black OpsApparently the Skaven <a href="http://ranknvile.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/the-skaven-are-coming-the-skaven-are-coming/">may or may not be coming</a>. Who knows? It's all rumours at the moment.<br /><br />I've talked about <a href="http://echoesofnonsense.blogspot.com/2009/03/royal-war-rumble.html">Skaven</a> before and Planetside.<br />So my quick two cents.<br /><br />Skaven Classes!<br /><ul><li>Grey Seer - Equivalent to Archmage and Shaman. Variously imbibing Warpstone and expelling it to weave spells.</li></ul><p><strong>OR</strong></p><ul><li>Plague Monk - Equivalent to Rune Priest and Zealot (this one is Sareinis)</li><li>Warpfire Cannon Skaven - Equivalent to Engineer or Magus. Guns ho!</li><li>Assassain - Witch Elves and Witch Hunters suddenly find sneaky rats butting in.</li><li>Rat Ogre Tamer - White Lions and Squig Herders.</li></ul><p>But one race alone wouldn't properly shake up RvR, it'd have to be an entire faction. Unless you go the Planetside <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetside#Black_Ops">Black Ops</a> route. </p><p>If Skaven do make an appearance and exist primarily to foul up the plans of everyone else...well that's Skaven-y and perfectly fine by me.</p>Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-21316499616324822592010-06-14T17:07:00.001+01:002010-06-14T17:07:37.819+01:00Retropreciation<p>I’ve only told you like 200 times or some such but my first MMO was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_And_Beyond" target="_blank">Earth & Beyond</a>. This is important because it came out in 2002 and I played it on a 56k modem which thankfully was on one of the first packages in Ireland to offer flat rate unlimited off peak internet. </p> <p>That was my first foray into the massively multiplayer world and fortunately or unfortunately it was a sci-fi space game. I never had the really old school experiences. </p> <p>Partially, I never had them because I never heard of MMO gaming until poking around Westwoods site for information on Command and Conquer. Partially I never had them because even if I had discovered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Age_of_Camelot" target="_blank">Dark Age of Camelot</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EverQuest" target="_blank">Everquest</a> at the time they were new I wouldn’t have been able to afford the phone bills. Or my parents wouldn’t have if I am honest.</p> <p>Why am I dragging these back into the light of day? Well <a href="http://www.keenandgraev.com/?p=3854" target="_blank">someone</a> <a href="http://www.keenandgraev.com/?p=3885" target="_blank">else</a> <a href="http://www.keenandgraev.com/?p=3886" target="_blank">has</a>. </p> <p>Sure I can understand intellectually that some of those old school mechanics died because they were a pain. Or perhaps they were a barrier to higher subscriptions. Maybe they were simply boring and are just looked on fondly because they are old. </p> <p>Sure I know that if the games of tomorrow were still being cranked out like the games of that many yesterdays there’d be uproar. But still… so much in the gaming blogosphere is hype. Nostalgia is a hype all of its own and I have to say I can appreciate the retro look, the bygone ways and yesteryears feel.</p> <p>Would I like to give it a spin? Sure. Though I’ll have to settle for fond remembrances from others passed on which in the end condense all those years of gaming to just the best bits.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-10881154542994350942010-06-04T16:24:00.001+01:002010-06-04T16:24:41.992+01:00Lord of the Rings Online goes F2P<p>Everyone is talking about it. Seriously. This is but a drop in the ocean but Lord of The Rings Online will be going free to play this summer.</p> <p>Lifetime Subscribers will according to someone on <a href="http://twitter.com/mordororbust/statuses/15418230886" target="_blank">twitter</a> be getting free VIP for life.</p> <p>So if you’ve never before followed in the footsteps of the Fellowship, will this shift be enough to get you in for elevenses?</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-83246433747916651622010-05-31T11:57:00.001+01:002010-05-31T11:57:52.064+01:00Tourism<p>Shannon and I are off on a holiday.</p> <p>Not an actual holiday mind you, just a break from <a href="http://www.coh.com" target="_blank">Paragon City</a>. For whatever reason (I suspect a Nemesis plot) Shannon is feeling like a break from the City of Heroes and so in finest “WoW Tourist” (Thanks <a href="http://syncaine.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Syncaine</a> for the now old term even if we’ve never played WoW) tradition, we’re off on a holiday.</p> <p>It is just a temporary break though given that <a href="http://goingrogue.eu.cityofheroes.com/en-gb/" target="_blank">Going Rogue</a> is right around the corner. At most we’ll be away for a month. Of course it becomes complicated when we factor in Shannons computer having died recently and the replacement being … well… crap. No fancy high end graphics games for her and therefore for us.</p> <p>So options appear to be</p> <ul> <li>Allods Online (Suggested to her by OnRPG awesome guy Nic)</li> <li>Dungeons & Dragons Online (I wont let it go)</li> <li>Anarchy Online (Blame <a href="http://sareini.dreamwidth.org/" target="_blank">Sareini</a>)</li> <li>Something else (This is what the comments section is for)</li> </ul> <p>So. Any suggestions? Preferences? Cautionary tales?</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21764140.post-30110243599214145242010-05-12T10:11:00.001+01:002010-05-12T10:11:16.771+01:00To Everything There Is A Season<p>I have never really had experiences with big guilds. I dabble in many many games but my home for the majority of my MMO life has been the Virtue server of <a href="http://www.cityofheroes.com/">City of Heroes</a>.</p> <p>City of Heroes is a reasonably casual game. You can hop on to either side, grab a random mission from the Police Radio or Newspaper (assuming you don’t have a contact with missions) and hammer it out quickly. Design aspects were taken and further expanded upon in <a href="http://crypticstudios.com/">Cryptics</a> <a href="http://www.champions-online.com/">Champions Online</a> and to an extent <a href="http://www.startrekonline.com/">Star Trek Online</a>. As a result of this casual nature, I have never had the experience I hear of with World of Warcraft guilds where courting them is a multiple week long process. I never really had much interaction with many guilds in <a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com/">Warhammer</a> either. The one that I did join which wasn’t just a collection of City Of Heroes friends merely asked that I play with them a lot rather than a little. Given that more often than not I no longer played with friends at that time I had no problem throwing my various alts in.</p> <p>However recently in City of Heroes old players have come back from the wilds of Champions Online and here is where I get to the point. </p> <p>There once was a group. I shan’t name it, though anyone who knows me can guess it, so as not to come across as bashing anyone. I had a wonderful time in the group and made many friends. Some of them persist to this day, some of them I have had the fortune of meeting in person. The group was active, had allies, had stories and had fun. With so many people back in those heady days coming and going in City of Heroes there was a vibrance to the <a href="http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Supergroup">Supergroup</a>. People came and people went but the core of what the roleplay group was remained.</p> <p>As time passes though, so too do people. Eventually the group withered and died. There were brave attempts at restarting it to be sure. There were good ideas and good intentions but in the end, if no one can give the time to the group, the group does not exist. That is the core of my belief regarding Supergroups. Perhaps with hardcore guilds where it takes months to gain entry, where they are a heavy investment in time, money and effort, there is a greater sense of permanence to the guild. Perhaps in those cases it is about the tools and utility of the guild rather than the people. As I said, I don’t know having had no experience. Supergroups though are all about the people. In a casual game with so many coming and going and having so many faces (ahhh altitis, my bane) the time between a group being one you remember fondly and one being filled with strangers who have little link to the original ideals can be quite small.</p> <p>In the end the casual nature of the game contributed to the death of the group. Some older hands retried it in Champions Online and it seems it has either diverged from the memory of the original or the game itself does not hold the interest of everyone. Why do I say this? Well those same souls are back in Paragon City and trying once more to recreate the group. The name was never the group. The ideals or roleplay reasons for it were never the group. The group was made and immortalised in peoples memories by the people themselves. They’ve moved on, the groups season turned. I just hope that in trying to bring it back again, people do not tarnish their memories (surely rosily coloured by nostalgia at this point) of what they had by the imitations attempted.</p> <p>They say you can’t cross the same bridge twice because of the water flowing beneath. I suppose you can’t join the same casual dream twice either.</p> Arduahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05159369032550744096noreply@blogger.com0