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Massively Multiplayer Games For Dummies
Massively Multiplayer Games for Dummies draws on Lum's many years of first-hand experience playing and making titles in the genre. Acting as a guiding hand for someone unfamiliar with the standards and expectations of what is essentially an insular society, the book assumes nothing about your knowledge of these games. The book is laid out into seven sections, which (in order) get you set up with a game, talk you through the newbie experience, cover groups, guilds, the endgame, and introduce you to the world of MMOGs outside of the gameworld. The seventh section is a great closer, with experiential and first-hand knowledge from Jennings and others who have been there and done that.
Jennings' lack of assumptions turns what could have been a limited-use dictionary into a truly universal reference. He lays out what a new player should expect when picking a first game to play, and goes into some detail on the technical requirements a PC should meet in order to play most of these games. The various classic 'roles' in a Massively Multiplayer title (tank, nuke, healer) are discussed in depth, with examples from several different titles used to add specifics to his general information. Discussions of grouping and etiquette are especially well seen. The act of 'pulling' (starting a fight in a controlled manner) is given a good deal of consideration. What might seem like quirky expectations long-time players will have when it comes to behavior (rolling on loot, frequency of healing, etc.) are explained and given a context for a player who just might not know otherwise. That, really, is the best thing about this book. It lays out the stuff that folks who have been playing these games for years just 'know', and are unlikely to even think about when describing play to a new gamer.
While this tome is aimed squarely at new players, even folks who have been playing for a while may learn something from his discussions of topics such as guilds and raiding. There is an entire section on Guild drama, and ways to know when it is time to move on. I know folks who have stayed with dysfunctional Guilds long after they should have, and this text could provide some backbone to a player with an attachment problem. The section on Raiding features some excellent pointers that will allow a player to reach a place between the common sense 'do what you're told' and scathing cries of 'learn2play!!!". Emphasis on position and considered movement is given, ensuring a new raider who has referenced this text will be a joy for any guild leader to have along. The raiding section is also one of several sections where Jennings offers up a first-hand account of the theory he's espousing. An overview of a raid on the dragon Onyxia in World of Warcraft is a useful conceit, a way to highlight the suggestions he makes in the rest of the chapter with a real-life context.
This 'learn by example' style of writing is both engaging to read, and very effective. It also fairly accurately recreates the conditions under which most new MMOG players learn how to operate within a gameworld. This gives players who use the text as a kickoff point a common reference with their more experienced brethren, and further integrates the new players with the rest of online gaming society. It also leads into the chapter on the 'game outside of the game', which ends the coddling period for a new player and thrusts them fully into online player society. Whatever illusions a new player might have about their fellow party members will be swiftly dismissed after even a single visit to an official game forum. There's also some discussion of strategy sites (like Allakhazam and Thottbot). Jenning's pragmatic approach is much appreciated; Acknowledging that there are places to go for help when you're just plain lost is not something I've seen many online game strategies do.
If you pick this book up while browsing in a store, the chapter to read when you've only got a short time available is chapter VII. The 'Part of Tens', featured in every Dummies book, is an extremely entertaining jaunt through some simple information about massive games. 'Ten things I wish I knew' are bite-sized pieces of advice for new players, all reassuring and usually funny. 'Ten MMG-Related Web Sites' detail some of the most informative sites about massive titles on the internet. It also lists some of the most 'informative', with sites CorpNews and F13 sure to give any new player a crash course in massive player society. 'Ten Proudest Achievements' is a series of firsthand accounts from actual players, each from a different game. Not only do they give the new player a humorous look at real play situations, they allow for exposure to different playstyles and gameworlds in the words of people like those they might meet in-game.
The back of the book contains pure information: a lexicon and a software disc. The lexicon is a large glossary of terms and abbreviations that are commonly used in massive games. Seeing 'WTB' or 'LFG' in your chat window can be intimidating, and new players with this available will have far less to worry about. The glossary even includes some more esoteric terms likely to be seen in-game, like STFU, FTW, and Zerg. The software disc is actually a demo disc, containing installs for the Wolfpack Studios title Shadowbane and Mythic's own Dark Age of Camelot. While I personally wouldn't suggest either of those games to a player new to the genre, it's nice that they were able to bundle in some of the actual software. Someone who hasn't even purchased a game yet will at least have the option of trying out the lessons learned throughout the book.
Scott Jennings accomplishes a laudible goal in the writing of this book. While the Massive genre's growth would indicate that there is no longer a reason to worry about the 'death of the industry', quality over quantity is something that I've always felt fairly strongly about. MMGs for Dummies is, in many ways, a citizen's guide to online worlds. It gives you the lay of the land and teaches you some of the expectations your fellow citizens will have. By introducing knowledgeable new players to the genre, Lum is improving the lot of everyone who plays. After all, gameworlds can be as good or as bad as the people that inhabit them.
Gamers who are already members of the MMOG nation will probably not get a lot of mileage out of this book. A few tidbits might prove enlightening, many of the anecdotes are humorous, and the history that Jennings imparts to the book will be informative for pretty much everyone. This text is well and truly aimed at people new to the genre, though, and experienced players can give it a pass. If you've never played a MMOG, and want to, this book will be well worth the price. For the cost of about a month's subscription fee, you can avail yourself of the knowledge of an online gaming veteran that won't ever complain about your ninja looting, your camping, or your fascination with the /dance command.
Appearantly, the discussion of the link to amazon with a refer to slashdot has been completely smurfed by the removal of any link to any place where this book can be purchased.
sig?
Gawd knows they need all the help they can get!
Karma: a way in which to silence those with an unpopular viewpoint regardless if the view is correct and just.
Massively Multiplayer Game For Dummies
Well, from my experiences interacting with people online, I'm pretty sure I've been playing it.
10/10 this book delivers!
At least link to the book!
Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
His book, Massively Multiplayer Games for Dummies, is a straightforward text on what to and what not to do in any Massive game you're likely to play.
Word has it that there is to be a hit follow-up to this titled "Cybering in MMO's: Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to type". Back on topic, it's good to see he covers needed wisdom such as the breakdown of common slang terms like LFG, WTB, WTS, etc. Heaven knows any time I ever talk somebody at work into starting up, that's the first thing they ask me about is all the acronyms.
If big boobed women work at Hooters do one legged women work at IHOP?
Is this just a freekin advertisement?
As long as it tells the dummies to stop running around shouting things like "50 Cent r00lz!" or "Who here likes to f**k?" it's well worth the money and I hope it sells to every n00b out there.
...they should be able to sell it to virtually every MMG player in the world. Good marketing idea.
99 bottles of beer in 175 characte
I'd be interested to see if Rainz' assassination of the indomitable Lord British will be depicted in the book...
I keep this book on my shelf right next to Intelligence for Dummies and Complexity for Simpletons.
Should be placed in EBay gaming section as a must buy with any account! For true N00bs this will be great and maybe even cut down on the improper channel usage and the not so random /ooc HELP!
Although I am kicking myself for not having thought of this, as I am sure all seasoned veterans are as well. The Suffering of 5 years of EQ, then 2 more in SWG and now WoW has taught me by the mighty mackerel blow to the head! I again say Kudos.
But the acronymns for the gear, and just the vernacular in general, makes it difficult to learn some of the intricacies of the game. A guide to *that* would be awesome.
But as with anything, if you don't ask questions YOU WILL NEVER LEARN ANYTHING. Jump in with both feet, but ask for help on the way!
Anonymous Cowards are at -6...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471752738/qid=11 36023806/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-1472913-3813725?n =507846&s=books&v=glance
Not sure of the political hoofrah surrounding this, but hey, it's my book, so I want you to buy it and stuff.
(Thanks for the review, Zonk)
Welcome to Real Life.
In this game you start life as a helpless child totally dependent on others for survival. As you gain experience and skills you will have access to more of the game's features, including day care, school, college, and finally a place called "the real world."
You will also have responsibilities. If you so choose, you can become responsible for new game-players as they enter the game as infants. Be aware that this is committment that will entail responsibilities for as long as both of you are still in the game.
The game never ends, but at some point you will be forced to exit the game due to circumstances or declining health. The game is engineered so it is very difficult to spend more than 115 years in the game without a severe decline in health.
Strategies:
Early in the game: Listen to others and realize that part of their responsibility is to protect you from harm. Learn from them.
Mid-game: If you have responsibilities for others particularly new players take them seriously. Form lasting alliances.
Late game: Give useful advice to those who are in earlier stages of the game. Spend time with newcomers.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
mmorpgs = treadmill that makes you fatter.
;(
i've really got to stop playing them
Remember book reports? When your classmates would stand up in front of the room and tell about a book they'd read, and you were sleeping at your desk. This is the same thing, only for grownups. Enjoy your nap.
I'm too lazy to research this, so I'll ask you folks fully expecting more ridicule than meaningful responses in the hopes that at least one meaningful response will point me in the right direction...
Are there any MMOGs that one can enjoy 30 minutes at a time, not needing dedicated groups to all be online at the same time, not requiring monthly subscriptions (okay, I'd maybe pay $5/month for such a distraction but no more), that are not just hack/slash, hunt/gather, boring, repetitive, do this same crap over and over just so I can level up, FPS/RPG games?
I could really enjoy a multiplayer cooperative puzzle solving game that didn't require every member of a group to be online at the same time. Imagine some of those simple puzzles they put in newspapers (crosswords, soduko, cryptoquotes, etc.) of massive size where a group of six or so friends could get online together and work cooperatively towards solving it, or any one of you could get back on at your liesure and put 30 minutes into solving a tiny part of it. Imagine massive puzzles of various types that are aggregates of smaller puzzles and as each smaller piece is solved, the larger puzzle inches closer towards the final solution.
Anyway, that'd maybe interest me in MMOGs. Otherwise, I can play FPS/RPG/RTS stuff on my GameCube and PS2 that's just as entertaining as EQ, et. al. (to me) without it costing me $10-15/month per game.
Never heard of the guy. He must be referring to the real master - Leeroy Jenkins.
>
> In this game you start life as a helpless child totally dependent on others for survival. As you gain experience and skills you will have access to more of the game's features, including day care, school, college, and finally a place called "the real world."
>
>You will also have responsibilities. If you so choose, you can become responsible for new game-players as they enter the game as infants. Be aware that this is committment that will entail responsibilities for as long as both of you are still in the game.
>
> The game never ends, but at some point you will be forced to exit the game due to circumstances or declining health. The game is engineered so it is very difficult to spend more than 115 years in the game without a severe decline in health.
This guy's gotta be astroturfing or shilling. He's missed a whole bunch of problems with the gameplay.
First off, it's slow. We're talking boring like the Sims, but even slower-paced, and the devs only concession to the slow gameplay is to have a speed-up item that can only be used once a day. Moreover, the speed-up item only works at night (when you should be trying to play) rather than during the day part of the cycle where the game is at its most boring.
The list of defects goes on. No fucking server rollbacks. You read in the paper that your character's about to get hit by a nuke, so you spend a few days setting up a menage-a-trois with your boss' wife and just one lousy goat, and no nuke comes. Gameplay after that sucks so hard that you might as well pull out the old .45 and reroll.
Anyways, this guy's review is teh suck. But "Real Life" is teh bigger suck. I wouldn't even warez it.
I use to play them before I had things like responsibilities. Well, let me rephrase. I use to play them before I decided I should be living up to my responsibilities.
Good Ol' Lum. I once had the honor of being featured in one of his cartoons that spoofed my former clan, the Crimson Empire. Nefas Nekura. Though I believe he modified the name slightly. Its hard to remember when there were so many people spoofing us that we ceased to make serious banners and went with Sesame Street themed banners featuring our new clan name "teh Cramson Emprire".
Read my short stories - You won't regret it.
Too bad it probably wont do any good per the standard formula for an online game:
Take a person + giving them total anonimity = 1 royal mother f**cker
examples of this are:
PpL WhO TaLk LiKe ThIs (They should get beaten to a pulp with a copy of a typing tutor/ mavis beacon teaches typing software and a god damned english book)
ninjalooters (which I personally think should result in a perm-ban)
the porn deprived souls who think about nothing but how hot the females of a certain race are
and the off shoot of the above who can't think of anything besides cybersex, failing to realize that the char that they're talking to could very well be a guy
thus supporting my theory that all mmo's should have a required IQ test before you create a character, and if you fail, you can only make a char on a specific server, thus isolating the problem from the rest of us who put oxygen to good use.
Boy, you got that right! Sure is great that when *you* started playing these games you sprang forth from the head of a god, complete with knowledge *and* |\/|@d sk!llz.
Arrogance like this is what keeps online games identified with the flaccid prick in the minds of many. Congratulations.
No game can survive indefinitely without new blood; better to help the noobs than to kill your favorite game because your attitude sent them looking for some other game. Some day, it will even happen to WoW.
The REAL WORLD for Massively Multiplaying Dummies
Most people would call these simulations instead of games, but it ticks me off when discussions of massively multiplayer online gaming completely ignore us wargamers.
There's more out there than ogres and clerics, folks. Come learn where the term "tank" really comes from. You'll crap your pants as you wait for that Panzer IV to bypass your Crusader tank so that you can take him out with a flank shot instead of bouncing shot of his front armour.
"Even for Slashdot, that was a very obscure reference!" - Anonymous Coward
Never heard of the guy, and frankly, I think the thought of reading a *book* to know how to play a game is retarded. Do people actually buy these things?!? On a sidenote.... I want a MMO game in the sense of Freelancer (sorry, thats the most recent thing that came to mind). A space based combat/trading game, complete with it's own economy. Allow you to roam the universe as a trader, build a business empire, etc. Or become a pirate, looting other ships, building up a fleet, etc. Become a mercenary for hire, run escort missions (real ones, for real people, the aforementioned business empires). All in a massive online environment. Is there something like this already?
I'd love to jump into WoW or similar, but I'm an old fogey and don't keep up with the fansites and discussion groups. This means I literally am starting from ground zero, open the box, read the instructions kind of place.
Would this book help? And when answering, don't forget the Old Fogey part. I have 25+ years in the software/hardware industry, 20+ years with interactive fiction, 20+ years with RPGs (Bards Tale on the A2e was my first), but _0_ years with MMORPGs, and I suck ass at online strategy games, like Warcraft3.
Flame away...
https://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
"MMO's are for dummies" - thats funny
Oh, wait. I thought this was one of those "Ask Slashdot" things.
Where is Chinese Gold Farming for Dummies? And I wanna see a translated version!
Click Click Bloody Click PANCAKES!
Yuo just described Eve Online...
Do you know you can shorten amazon links? To just the first part:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471752738
(that way it will fit on web pages, and no one will be suspicious of you embedding links, and also your private amazon browsing history won't be embedded in the url.)
Was a fun site, especially when exploits were posted on there for EQ. Also was very entertaining to read the flame wars between Mad and his associates which led to the demise of the site and then at the time to Slow News Day.
LEEROY JENKINS!!!
Why not include the referrer link? You wrote the book, you deserve the money.
... why an MMORPG claims to have Roleplaying in it but the world and story appears to be static forever and ever and where the players cannot change the world around them?
I would love an explanation on that. That would be sweet.
ChozSun
ChozSun.com
Save yourself some money by buying the book here: Massively Multiplayer Games For Dummies. And if you use the "secret" A9.com discount, you can save an extra 1.57%!
Lums site was popular, interesting and full of interesting and annoying people... but anytime I see someone state that a site was "the most" in anything I become dubious.
I would say sites like UO Stratics, Crossroads, Alakazham, etc received far more visits than Lums site did.
I do however miss a site like Lums, we need someone calling out the problems with current gaming.. someone who is a central point where the devs can visit etc.
This is only tangentially relelvant to your post, but I thought I'd point out that in WoW, they have a system for PvP that I think is pretty good -- in order to attack someone in your own faction, you have to challenge them to a duel, and they have to accept. A duel flag (literally, a flag that's standing nearby on the ground) is set, so everyone knows what's going on, and you can go at each other. Or they can refuse the challenge, and nothing happens.
It seems like a pretty good system to me. I've been playing for about a month and haven't ever been randomly attacked, and I play on a PvP server.
I don't know if this system is something Blizzard invented specifically for WoW, or if it's more or less standard within MMORPGs...but I thought it was a pretty good idea.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
Why oh why do people keep doing this?
Something cannot be "massively" multiplayer!
Multiplayer is a qualitative adjective, a boolean if you will. Something is either multiplayer or it isn't. There are no degrees of multiplayer-ness, it is a check in the box.
Multiplayer means "more than one player." If a game supports 2 players, it is multiplayer. 10? Multiplayer. 3 billion? Still multiplayer. Where the hell did this "massively" notion come from? Aren't there any other programming dorks like myself that realize this?
Seriously, I can't stand the standard MMORPGs that are shoved at us constantly. 90% of MMOGs just suck, plain and simple. I'd highly suggest playing PSO (Phantasy Star Online, or in a couple of months, Phantasy Star Universe, the new one). Sega is kind of bad about bug fixing and updating, but it's a solid game that's gone through 4 consoles. Best of all? The older versions (Not Blue Burst, which is for the PC) have offline modes (and PSU will, because it'll be for the PS2 and the PC)
I've been trying out Anarchy Online lately - one must not take on a lvl 4 Filth Flea when you are still lvl 1 or 2- he whipped my ass!
Most people are perfectly willing to help but when you see the same question pass by for the hundreth time your patience will run out.
Not that this book will help. Noobs never read anything. Those who do read the official manual and still need help with somethings get all the help they need in game. The book just isn't needed.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
The problem isn't explaining what PK means. The problem is that by the Xth time you have to explain it to some idiot to lazy to google you are running out of patience.
Yes there are somethings you will have to ask to find out. There is nothing shamefull about that. Just realize that you may be the 100th person asking it today and even the most helpfull of people can have a bad day.
The most difficult thing. Other players are not there to help you. So when somebody helps you say "thank you". Everytime. You would be suprised how many people can't be arsed. Doesn't matter if you are the nicest person on the planet if a helpfull player has just dealt with an asshole you could catch the flak. Live sucks but thats the way it is.
Before you ask a question A: make sure you read the docs. Read that manual during the install. Questions that are in the manual really are irritiating to answer.
B: Do not ask, "my I ask a question". That is irritating. Just state the question already.
C: Do not spam. If nobody is replying then accept it and come back later. If chat is busy do not spam your question 3 times in row to make sure people see it. It is a good way to find yourselve quickly playing a very solo MMO game.
D: Use proper and full english. Nothing more annoying then having to decipher a bunch of engrish.
E: Be polite. You catch more more flies with honey or something. Say thank you. Yeah you got what you want but you might need some help in the future and some people /addignore those who do not say thank you.
F: Be patient. A helpfull player may be in the middle of a battle and cannot instantly answer your every message.
G: But the most important, learn to google. 99% of the MMORPG questions are repeats and someone somewhere will already have answered it complete with pictures on the web.
In the end there are such a thing as stupid questions. Do not expect others to fall over themselves to help you avoid reading manuals or doing your own websearches.
Oh of course some call my attitude elite. Like that is an insult. Yet I have noticed one thing. All those people who always complain they cannot not get help NEVER help others themselves. The people that demand the most are the ones who give back the least. odd eh?
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
I was sad to see it go.
Why not? Simple. Getting a group of people together at say 20:00 will mean half turn up at 20:30 demanding we get started because they only got 10 minutes time.
You should just be able to get a deathmatch game going in 30 minutes. A group adventure. Good luck.
So none of the classic MMO games meet your needs. The closest are the Korean games wich can for a large part be played solo especially early on. Just go in, slaughter stuff and then quit. The moment a game requires a group and some planning 30 minutes is the absolute minimum. 10 minutes for everyone to show up, 2x5 minutes for badroom breaks (a bathroom break never is a signal for everyone to take a leak) and another 10 minutes because one person needs to get Potion/Trained/Weapon/etc.
A really together group can be underway in less time but it will take months of carefull training. Oddly enough in virtual worlds it is usually women who are the most organized and likely to be ready to go at the agreed time.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
One day, I was out fightning kobolds in Antonica, when suddenly I was ambushed by the Horde. I managed to get away from them, but I then got stopped by an Imperial patrol, who discovered that I was a Rebel.
They were much more powerful than I was, so I fled for my Mog House. Unfortunately, my distaff still hadn't finished, so I went back out to Antonica...
Wash, rinse, repeat...
GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
Just had to get that out. Clicky
Even the Sun goes down.
"Studies prove initial suspcions correct-- Massively Multiplayer Games (are) For Dummies"
Conclusion: the Empire squashes the Federation like a bug. Accept it.
Im sure the Anarchy online players know what im talking about...
There are several games online right now that attract people besides clueless, leetspeaking kids. I've been playing Lusternia for several months now, and I haven't found any person that couldn't speak proper English and lasted more than an hour or so. The game has an immersive roleplay environment, a very strong social aspect, and is generally a lot of fun; people who can't roleplay, and take part in the virtual world simply don't spend much time there, and if they do, they get their speaking priviledges gradually reduced until they can learn to roleplay. The game is text-based, but it has absolutely no relationship to Diku MUDs and the such; it's professionally run, and still free to play. There are several of those games running on the internet, and while none of them have a playerbase big enough to be called 'massive', I think they're a lot more fun compared to the constant, threadmill grinding that are most MMO games.
I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: "O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And God granted it.