How close are your friends?

A topic was mentioned on the Book of Grudges (Link in post title) recently that has suddenly come to mind for me for two reasons. Firstly someone recently decided that I am no longer their friend and secondly, I saw an article a while ago on how Facebook and such sites are eroding peoples concepts of "friend".

So I have to ask, what defines a friend for people? Is it time spent? Is it an on going thing? I know someone that I haven't spoken to in years but still consider a dear friend, yet I also know people I have talked to recently and often, yet consider them little more than aquaintances.

In a wired world where popularity is less how well received you are by your peers and more by how large your Myspace count is, how does one work out who is there for a chat and who is there to, as the joke goes, help you hide the bodies?

I've played City of Heroes for almost four years now. I have met in the course of that mmo probably hundreds of people. Possibly thousands. I've found a niche in a coalition and through global channels and teaming, I seem to be rather well known and liked. I have friends I have made there, some I have even invited to my wedding. However, like in the Book of Grudges, how many of these friendships, built upon playing a game will survive if or when one of us moves to another game, or CoX closes?
People are social creatures, that is how MMOs get any play at all. The idea of playing with real people in a game that you both enjoy. Perhaps that is all the seed that friendship needs, but for any mmo players, look at your good buddies and guildmates you met in the time you've played whatever game you are in. Have a look at your lists and have a moment to think about them.

I, myself, have started cleaning my lists for my various online means of communication, networking and conversation. It isn't that I don't like some of these people anymore, it is more I need to be honest about the relationship. I need to know myself who I am going to make an effort for and who I am not.

In the end it comes down to a simple fact. No matter if they are Facebooked, met on a raid, randomly im'ed or someone from Meatspace with a computer that you know from work.

Will they help you hide the bodies? Or are they just one more number on a list.

All the cool kids are doing it

So a fair few blogs out there that I have taken to reading recently are doing "playlists".
Specifically the list of characters they are most likely to try in Warhammer : Age of Reckoning.

Now, this isn't a dedicated MMO blog (God I wish I had the time to make it so) or a WAR blog (See previous brackets) or hell... even read by anyone.

Still here is Ardys playlist.

ORDER!

1. Dwarven Runepriest. I have a hammer on a stick, kick ass robes and runes just sound like a barrel of fun.
2. Dwarven Ironbreaker. They call me Lemming in City of Heroes. Hell I can get aggro just by being in a zone. So a tank who gets better the more people who focus on him? Sign me up!
3. High Elf Shadow Warrior. Quite a bit further down my "zomgwant2play" meter but still sounds like fun.
4. High Elf Archmage/Human Bright Wizard. Ardy likes to nuke. I'll probably lean towards the Bright Wizard seeing as my main will be a healer. That and the chance to explode because I fired off that much magic? Hilarious.

DESTRUCTION

1. Black Orc. I get to be big. I get to grunt. I get to smack my own side back out of a battle. How fun is that?
2. Dark Elf Sorceress. See Bright Wizard. Same rationale, this time with boobs.
3. Chaos Magus. If for no other reason than the disc amuses me.

C'est ca. So if anyone out there does read the blog and is going to play WAR, what'll you play?

Busy busy

You know... When I woke up Monday, the week was ahead of me and there were identifiable points.

Monday was to see Dad off to England. Tuesday was to see me getting money. Wednesday and Thursday were groups. Friday is the start of Double XP in City of Heroes. Then weekend. Glorious weekend with the Monday off (and not just because of double xp).

Oh how things can change.

Monday

• Shannon put her back out quite badly. I rushed home from work
• 4pm : The pain isn't subsiding so we call the ambulance. Shannon loved the gas they gave her.
• 5.30ish : Shannon is laid up in agony in hospital.
• 6-8pm : We sucessfully get Shannon a) medicated and b) from laying to sitting. Ask her about the bonding experience
• 9pm onwards : We get home. I spend the rest of the night helping a very very sore woman
• Fortunately Dad did not go to England as planned and instead went Tuesday

Tuesday

• Jonathan had slept maybe an hour. By sleep we mean, passed out, drooled, woke shortly after.
• Shannon discovered the ability to walk
• Jonathan was called into work despite ringing in "zomg broken person"
• Milk is delivered to work between 10 and 11. I found it in my hall, still, at 2pm. Oh well.
• Glorious sleep was achieved that night

Wednesday

• I stayed home for a little bit to make sure Shannon had mastered the concept of getting up and down. Otherwise ... how could she do anything for the time I'm supposed to be in work. Thankfully she's recovering quickly.
• I almost squished a mouse.
• I captured said mouse and tried to feed him. That whole cheese thing is a myth.
• He's living in a box at home and will be released later on. At the time he seemed injured and I didn't want to kill him or leave him in the backgarden as easy prey.
• Mouse has however shown improvement (or so I'm told).
• I discovered a love of bullet points

That's three days down. Two more to go this week. Annoyingly, I still need money. Hopefully, David will come through. If not, I have a plan.

Time management and community presence

Right now MMO communities and social structures fascinate me. It's already pretty much a goal of mine to make a name for myself in Warhammer Online.
A question I have though is, how?

Sure there are the various feats, blagging rights and so on one can do. However from what I've seen, the most renown comes from a presence on the forums. Any kid can button mash, catch a break and kill the big bad monster. The boards however are where the vocal minority and really, the cream (or to steal a joke from Discworld, the stuff that floats to the top) of the crop is.

Where though does everyone find the time?

Brendan Perry (Munky) is a chap I know from way way back in Earth and Beyond. I got a bit vocal on those boards and made friends through the irc service run. It was all rather nice really. I never understood where Munky managed to find the time however to a) run the site, b) read everything, c) play the game and d) still have time for anything else.

Take the recent "Black Friday" for Warhammer. By the time Massively reported the thread on the Warhammer Alliance forum, and by the time I read it, the thread had become some 105 pages long. I missed a day on a hot topic and fell behind by 100's of posts.

Things like Eves Stellar Council and fansite boards represent, to me at least, an awfully large investment of time, one well worth making when you love a game. But I don't know where all that time comes from and still leaves some for the games we play.

As a result I look at the boards there at WHA and my own current City of Heroes. To all you board Gods, I salute you.
You have achieved presence and status. You have opinions and voices that can sway many. You post, you read, you help, you link and at the end of it all, you still find some time to play the game that was the reason you posted in the first place.

I want to be one of those guys, but I don't think I have the time skills for it.
That or I need a job doing it...

Hey Mythic, want another Community Manager?

Some feature cuts and a comment

A comment rebuttal to recent Warhammer news. (Link in the post title)

Suffice to say, Mythic put on the big boy pants and announced that some stuff just wont make the launch of the game.

Rather than push it back again, rather than push it out half baked, rather than not tell anyone (á la Funcom), they came out and announced the bad news.

Naturally the blogosphere is being riddled with comments along the lines of "WTF MYTHIC SUX cancelling CE 4eva"

My comment on the Massively blog (page 2)


I can't believe some of the complaints here.

Everyone wanted to know if Mythic had paid attention to Funcom and the AoC launch.Guess what, they did. Rather than balls up their game, they're telling us the bad news now rather than waiting till after launch and then admitting things aren't done.

Everyone should calm down. Like most, yes I find the news a little saddening.However I'd rather, as Mark put it, a fanbleedintastic game with some more bits to come post launch.
Also look at it this way, rather than 6 randomly populated cities, the moment they release the final four cities, there will be a huge boom in tourism there.

I bought two CE games. I'm keeping both and thumbs up to Mythic for having the balls to make the annoucement.

The clothes maketh the man

I need a suit. This is quite obivous.

So Shannon and I went to Black Tie on O'Connell bridge to obtain said suit.

Two positives, there was a competition one could enter to win a €3000 holiday voucher, and we found a suit that worked.
Negative, nothing in the store fit me, but I'm used to that.

So we made an appointment to come back and try on properly scaled items. I was measured and we were told we could enter the competition on our return as there was "no rush".

Yesterday we went back.
The competition was over and one lucky couple won the €3000 voucher. Turned out the last day for entry was the 30th of June and the guy who helped us previously neglected to mention that.
Secondly, despite having measured me, no one ordered in a sufficiently large white shirt, so we need to do it all again. I dont mind, I found the waistcoat rather amusing (though that too was too short).

Fun fact : I can't say waistcoat for some reason recently. It comes out as waistcoast.

Legion : Transit

>>Audio sensors active.. .. .. .. two users detected.
>>Power plant to 75% >>>Optical offence not installed
>>Set condition: Play

>Directive check

1. Operative mode
2. Transit mode
3. Low power mode

> Directives for Tranist mode loading.. .. .. ..

-Transcript from Sky Raider aquisiton party. 15 Miles off of Striga Isle.-
-Participants: Cpl Steve Jansen. Cpl Larry Cox-
-Whereabouts: Zigursky Penitentary. Reports of crushed ribs and ankles-
"Steve! Over here man, here's all the Crey stuff"
"Anything for Uqua? She's been buyin in all the goods lately I hear"
"Nah.. nothing. We ha.. wait a minute, this one here s'for Lord Recluse"
"You're shittin me!"
"Seriously, says right here. I think I hear something inside"
-Noise of wooden box being prised open-
"irective 2 : Garuntee delivery"
"The hell is thaaaaaAAUGH! OH GO"
-Transmission terminated at source-

Bartle Test for MMO's

Based on your answers you are ...
ESAK
ESAK players often see the game world as a great stage, full of things to see and people to meet. They love teaming up with people to get to the hard-to-see places, and they relish unique experiences.
Breakdown: Achiever 33.33%, Explorer 80.00%, Killer 13.33%, Socializer 73.33%

Legion : Tracking

Welcome to Red-Ex, where X marks the spot
Login : crtyind
Password : ########

... ... ... login confirmed

Track item : 456821937-d

Item shipped!

Last scan : Independance Port

Destination : Mercy Island



Despite all the tracking systems in the world, regardless of all the positional data available, no matter what information is given, sooner or later, everything shipped enters a Heisenberg state.

You either know exactly where it is, and it isn't moving, or you haven't a clue where your post or parcel has gone, but it's definitely in motion.

Passive sensors were kept running throughout the shipping process, but the package only awoke on the ship after the echoes of the first shot had died away.
Someone was on board the vessel. Someone who was clearly armed and .... may delay delivery!

The Sky Raiders had come across the ship as it passed reasonably close to Striga, and that made it fair game. Rumours of new technologies on board and headed to Arachnos made it irresistable.
They simply made the mistake of delaying the package.

Legion : Information gathering

###Unit 63 Online###
>> Monitoring registered user
>Monitoring television

...Feed active

*kssh*
"And today in Steel Canyon, the Hellions gang have tried once more to set several buidlings bordering the financial district alight. They were thwarted by a number of he"
*kssh*
"umours abound of a creature in the lake in Salamanca. This reporter stopped a passing hero to ask about the truth of the matter, but was left facing a large mutant dog as she disappeare"
*kssh*
"ro Corps! When you need a hero long term and always on hand. We can provide vetted and insu"
*kssh*
"Now on Vox Movies, FRANKENSTEINS Brother!"

"Ooo! Monsters yay!"

...Feed disabled. Registered user requesting snack.

Legion

This simple basement is lit up like a galaxy. Stars twinkle here and there, glowing in the darkness, winking in and out of view. It is no light display however. A gaze that could penetrate the dark would spy squat forms moving here and there. Eyesockets glowing and giving the impression of stars in a field of sky.

This is where the Robo-Buddies sleep, or what passes for sleep in these bizzare creations.

Unit 1 remains active at all times. The prototype, and the central controller. This is the source of all the directives, all the models, all the ranks of supposedly cute robotic companions. In this AI core, information leaps and dances like a thing alive. Only now, there is a blip in the data. An error to correct.

AIcre Unit1-A Cmd Mdl >> Directive update >> All units >> All models
>Etoile Islands now declared viable source of revenue. Mk II unit with stealth function and Staticplay system dispatched as pathfinder.
>>Network intrusion detected from Grandville. Countermeasures employed. . . .
>>>Credit Card registered to Stefan Richter sucessfully debited $799.99. Mk I (v3.2 upgradable programming model) dispatched to Arachnos Shipping & Receiving, Mercy Island.
>>>>Mk I series Unit 63 reports variable density mace toy effective in promotional advertising. Mk I units with Mace sold separately directed to obtain substitute.

Kids at play

To start with I suppose I should pimp the link in the title. Tis to one of my new favourite sites, Massively.com and an article on EVE Online.

I was in McDonalds the other day with Shannon and there was a small party of kids that arrived. I don't know if it was just a group that reserved the bright kiddy area or actually a birthday, but it's not relevant. The kids started playing make believe, as they are given to doing. They were, as near as I can tell, playing School, with one child as the teacher. The others had to put their hands up to ask questions and speak and so on.

After reading the article linked, I remembered that game and games I used to play as a kid. Then I got to thinking about the supergroups I am in, in City of Heroes.

Obviously we're given to heirarchies. Children will assemble themselves behind a leader, games will follow rules and in teams, someone is invariably in charge.

So what then is the best way to organise an MMO guild or governing body? Is it the popularity vote (Which in the EVE example, only 11% of the playerbase voted)? Is it through rules and regulations and an edifice people can work for and around? Is it through sheer force of personality?

I'm hoping to take a quite active part in the guilds in Warhammer Online, and it seems that little guilds are just as useful and worthwhile as larger ones.
So what way to go about it?

Shall we all just play kids games and see who takes charge day to day for fun?
How would you organise a guild?

Restart

Time to get back to blogging.

A recap for anyone who doesn't know.

My name is Jonathan. I'm an internet geek from Ireland. I've a wonderful girlfriend (and soon to be more) Shannon. We've been going out 5 years now, the entire time no less than 3000 miles apart.
I enjoy Warhammer, City of Heroes, Warhammer 40k, MMO society, science fiction books, fantasy books, popular science books, physics, astronomy, travelling, chatting, going to the cinema and making everything sound like a personals ad*.

So, that's the quickie recap to me.
Now to remember to blog constantly.

*= Not really

Email post thingie test

And a big old rawr for the test.
RAWR!

Geek out

Preparations continue for Warhammer Online.

I have an interview with GOA this Friday for the english GM position for WAR : Europe \o/
I've read 6 of the what... 9 Gotrek and Felix books and started in on Malus Darkblade (soon to be followed by Heldenhammer)
I downloaded all the old Warhammer RP books thanks to Cryo, and I'm looking into some means of obtaining a code for the Skaven skin cloak.

Suffice to say, my geeking out is in progress well and truly.

With regards City of Heroes. Assuming I leave the moment WAR is out, that'd be October. That also happens to be my personal 4 year point in CoX (though not the 48 month badge as I did miss the occasional payment).

Hopefully I'll have met my personal goals by then.
One of every blueside AT at 50.
(Peacebringer, Warshade, Scrapper, Tanker, Controller, Defender, Blaster)
One redside 50 and Veats unlocked.

So far I have four of the seven blue 50s. I have a Warshade at 41 and a Scrapper at 42. The hardest one for me, oddly given my playstyle of lawlnuke, will be the blaster.
As for the evil side of things, 12 more levels. 12 wee levels.

Time to get the thumb out.

WAR!

Good news today. Amazon emailed me to let me know that the Collectors Edition of Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning is shipping a wee earlier than they originally thought.
Not massively earlier, but hey every little helps. Plus it's a good sign on how closed beta is going.

So for anyone who doesn't know, the CE of WAR is limited to 60,000 units in North America and 55,000 in Europe. Included in it are several nice touches.

• Limited edition minature
• Graphic novel
• Art book
• Quests not available elsewhere
• 12 exclusive face models
• A temporary bonus power to increase xp gain
• A permenant power to add (occasionally I think) damage to your attacks
• A permenant power to allow groups to rest
• A headstart on the live game

And my favourite

• Open Beta access to what they have said will be a limited open beta

As for CoX people, right now I know at least five, maybe six others who will be right there with me in October.

Possibilities

Rawr.

So there are a few things bubbling in my mind, and I may as well jump in without preamble.

• Blogger is good, but I do not blog nearly often enough
• City of Heroes continues to be fantastic, but my "Hero blog" idea never took off due to personal laziness
• Digiweb offers some pretty sweet and pretty affordable hosting and I can't shake the urge to have my own website
• Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning looks fantastic.
• Thanks to Cryo, I bought the Pre-order Collectors Edition
• WAR has fansite kits
• I need a hobby

So I am sorely tempted to get my own domain and webspace and export this blog to it. Ideally it would persuade me to blog more about WAR and CoX and maybe even myself.

Who knows? Maybe.

In the news of me : Shannon arrives in under four weeks \o/

We who are about to...

"What is that on your badge, Captain Carrot?"

"Mission motto, sir," said Carrot cheerfully. "Morituri Nolumus Mori. Rincewind suggested it."

"I imagine he did," said Lord Vetinari, observing the wizard coldly.
"And would you care to give us a colloquial translation, Mr. Rincewind?"

"Er..." Rincewind hesitated, but there really was no escape.
"Er...roughly speaking, it means, 'We who are about to die don't want to,' sir."

"Very clearly expressed. I commend your determination..."

- Terry Pratchett, The Last Hero

RAWR!

It's my Birthday!

25 down.

I feel like an idiot

This morning at around 6.20 (GMT) the company was broken into.

As near as anyone can tell, they came in the window in my room.
A window I haven't touched in weeks and cannot say for certain was locked.

Ian and Ultan have told me it isn't my fault. Maybe. Maybe not.
Either way I feel two inches high. I am such an idiot.