Ah yes the billboards. Last I played they advertised ARK and the Shadowlands expansion. I have to admit they were eye-catching and I wish MMORPG's would have more changing content. The last time EQ gave me 30 days free I logged in and West Commons looks exactly the same as it did a year ago, albeit instead of 90 toons there was only me there.:)
I have mixed feelings on ads in MMORPGs. Honestly what would EverQuest/AC/Horizons/etc advertise? Cosplay? Renaissance Festivals? Furries?! (Yikes) Sam Adams? Would an elf discuss the ad with her halfling friend or would they just "roleplay" the ad mentioned something about Master Jecht's fine swords?
Perhaps if they implemented it in a way where you could choose an ad-free version at full price, or an ad-supported version for a discount (or even free of monthly fees?) it would work. It would certainly make buffbot/multiple-box playing more affordable. Your main client could be ad-free and the rest show ads which you probably don't even see anyway. Ad-free clients would see a billboard which "fit in" the game theme but the others would see an actual ad.
Certainly would be interesting, looking forward to see how it turns out. I certainly don't want ads in a game I pay monthly for unless there is a benefit attached.
I wouldn't say it's an unfair stereotype. Some women earn it quite justifiably. I've known and worked with plenty of them. We all have met people who fill stereotypes in perfectly, and that is why they still exist.
I also played DAoC for two years (like the above and other posters mentioned) and loved it, but quit for a multitude of reasons (ToA one of them).
Since I always game with my man, we tend to favor games which let us level up easily in a duo. DAoC was ok with this, and CoH is fantastic. We are level 30 of 50 and grouped briefly only once. Sure it has flaws, but that certainly is one of its strong points. We can log in, do a few missions or some street fighting, and log off after an hour or two and feel like we got something accomplished. That's pretty hard to do in most other MMORPG's.
Forced grouping (a la FFXI) hurts casual enjoyment of games, and CoH certainly gives you options. Once they add PvP and more PvE content (yes missions ARE repetitive and boring, no argument there) it will really be a nice game.
One thing I disagree with the above poster is the "end game" idea. Put good, interesting, CHALLENGING content at every game level not just the end!:)
My boyfriend works at Best Buy as a tech and I hear stories like that all the time. Only if the customer requests it (and obviously, pays) do firewalls/virus scanner/spyware protection get installed. They aren't allowed to install any free software.
Basically they install a series of tools, mostly free and widely available ones, to clean the computer then they remove all of that software and present the customer with a clean but unprotected pc. The garauntee is only 7 days, long before it's noticeably slowing down again from malware or a virus.
Sad really.
Although the stories about all the pr0n he finds are pretty amusing.
VERY valid point in that FFXI is far different than any other in the series, and requires a far different mode of play.
Forced grouping to level is just a play design I despise. I don't mind that grouping for optional things like raids is required. It's natural a tough opponent would require more manpower. But one little goblin requries a whole group of the right classes? Rubbish.:)
Grouping is fine in an MMORPG and should be promoted, but smaller parties, duos, and soloing should be a completely viable option as well (as in CoH) to earn my $14.95 a month.
Personally, I don't get why people would play a MMORPG and then spend most of their time solo; if I
You do realize, some people want to play FFXI because they played every single other game in the series, but they don't have the multiple hours to invest in one sitting that organizing a party requires? I have heard many horror stories of people waiting HOURS to find a group that would let them in. Hours of sitting doing nothing is fun?
What if said person wants to level their main job, not do a quest or start a sub-job, but no groups are available?
Ever think of time zone issues, where they might play on off-peak times where the server population is lower?
As a game ages and the average population's level range is higher, who are latecomers going to group with?
I'm not flaming, just there's a lot of downside to the "you have to have the perfect group to advance" style of MMORPG that I thought would die with EverQuest but was reborn in FFXI. If all conditions are perfect grouping is wonderful, but how often does that happen? Having no other option is, in my opinion, terribly narrow-minded design.
I goofed and missed it on the preview, meant to add that my high school CS teacher was female. That might have helped somewhat, on top of the fact she was an excellent teacher and geek herself.
When I was in 9th grade I asked for a typewriter for Christmas, instead my Dad suggested a computer. Where he got that idea I have no clue, but I got one. After my brothers helped me put it together (none of us knew anything about computers) I taught myself how to use it. I was hooked! I took all the computer science courses at my tiny high school and my teacher (much
Now that I have a BS (in CIS) and have been working a few years, I do notice most other women I've worked with in IT really don't have the driving interest in technology I do. It's more like just a job. Hence I bond more with the geeky guys where we can chat about the new video cards, OSS, or whatnot.
Really you can't force a love of technology on anyone, male or female. If they're into it, they'll find their own particular area. Not giving them the exposure or serious chance is the worst crime.
But they've got an even better one waiting, that you just stepped into... What would you do about the problem of paedophiles on the internet? The silence and the subsequent flapping whilst you think of a solution is more ammunition for their argument.
Ever think parents should start being responsible for their kids 24/7 instead of just letting them IM, e-mail, or meet Joe Pedophile? Nah that's too easy, let's invade everyone's privacy instead.
While I respect the idea of glitz, I have to say there is something to be said for a more intimate, personal type of gathering. I've never been to E3, although honestly I'd jump at the chance. However from what I see it's a bit of overload, personally.
I attended a DAoC Fan Meet in Washington, DC a few years ago and have to say that was the best and most informative time I ever had concerning a game I played. We actually got to have dinner with "Lum the Mad" (I forget his real name) who was a developer for the game and I got to hear a little how their database works. They also had small-group meetings to discuss various parts of the game.
Granted I'm not media, I'm a nerd and am more interested in the technology behind the game, but it was also neat to interact with the people who wrote the code you spend so much time playing. I'm guessing huge trade shows just don't allow much of that type of casual interaction unless you are press or famous.
It wasn't a flashy event but I felt I learned a lot more than I would at some huge event like E3. I'm curious why more game developers don't have smaller events like this more often, and I wish they would.
They did change Realm Abilities a lot since I first played. I'd wholeheartedly agree with you before the change, time spent in RvR gaining realm points was about 50% of determining your character's success, the other 50% was who you RvR'd with regulary.
However after the change, they made tiers out of all the realm abilities and the first level of each is pretty cheap compared to what it used to be.
For example, I was RR 8 before I could finally buy Mastery of Concentration (for a Healer, that was pretty much necessary, and before NF cost almost 20+ RA points) since I had no respecs left and couldn't be bothered to go on retarded raids hoping to get a respec stone. Now you can get
MoC 1 for 5 points. Granted it doesn't work exactly the same or as powerful until you spend 15 points on it (even then it's a little nerfed). Purge is similar, as are many other realm abilities that took forever to get.
I played for two years to hit 50 and get 8L1. I know new guilds who came to our server did that and more in a matter of months. Casual players will never match people who put in 10-12 hours a day unless they add some sort of time/turn limiting to the game.
That said, however, having a good squad playing regularly together, with the right classes and best gear meant the best RvR experience. That's still a lot of "rights" to have to collect no matter how fast levelling occurs.
I actually was able to log into the third-party billing site and cancel my subscription. Granted, I did it this month after trying the 7 day trial (lasted about 3). However my boyfriend didn't have that option and he too had to call in to cancel, for reasons we could not determine.
The worst part of this game is it feels so unprofessionally developed. The interface to log in is a web page, and you have to enter your login credentials twice just to log in. Then you proceed to pick your server/character, still on this web page. It looks terrible, I mean even Ultima Online had a client login screen where you picked your server and character.
However they did have subclassing available from Day 1 of your character's life instead of FFXI's level 18 + difficult quest. *sigh*
Ah, the good old days of BBS door games like L.O.R.D, Usurper, and Drug Lords where you actually had to strategize how to use your limited turns each day. The most successful players were the best at using those, not the ones who had 14 hours a day to play. Thanks for the reminder.:)
AO had an interesting mission-based levelling system AND larger raids similar to EQ. As one of the MMORPG's I played for over 2 years (DAOC is the only other with that kind of longevity for me) it is one of my favorites. However they completely missed the mark with their latest expansion, Shadowlands. Since you cannot go over the cap of 200 unless you level in Shadowlands, missions are a thing of the past (after 200) and it's back to the EQ/DAOC style "camping a spot for xp" type treadmill.
It was fairly easy to put together a team (level ranges are pretty lenient in AO) and do a mission in an hour or so. With Shadowlands it goes back to waiting for a group in a good spot or with a certain class (Crat). To be fair, the new world is haunting and strange and the new items are interesting, but I feel they really dropped the ball when it comes to advancing after 200.
If they would remove the Shadowlands restriction (yes I'm aware the 200+ levels are called "shadowlevels", which is why you have to go to SL zones to xp for it) in the next expansion "Alien Invasion" and allow advancement after 200 with new mission types in Rubi-Ka (or SL, as long as it's not "camping a spot" garbage) I'd gladly reactivate.
DAOC, before SI AND TOA was a great game to play casually once you hit 50, since you could pvp for an hour or two at a time if you wished. Often (after 50) I'd log in around 7pm and play until 10-10:30 or so and really enjoy it. However once the expansions hit which required long (4+ hour) raids for items to "keep up" it just turned into every other MMORPG.
"Whoa, whoa. You better watch what you say about my car. She's real sensitive."
Now she will furrow her brows, headlights flashing in anger before running you over!
3.) Online play is simply much easier and more popular on the PC and will always stay that way, despite what MS and EA would like you to believe. I think that it's also more fun, because console games generally attract more immature children.
Trust me, once you've played a few MMORPG's (only two of which have a console connection method) you'll realize immaturity is something decidedly not limited to children and has nothing to do with the game platform.
Slashdot Mirror
Ah yes the billboards. Last I played they advertised ARK and the Shadowlands expansion. I have to admit they were eye-catching and I wish MMORPG's would have more changing content. The last time EQ gave me 30 days free I logged in and West Commons looks exactly the same as it did a year ago, albeit instead of 90 toons there was only me there.
I have mixed feelings on ads in MMORPGs. Honestly what would EverQuest/AC/Horizons/etc advertise? Cosplay? Renaissance Festivals? Furries?! (Yikes) Sam Adams? Would an elf discuss the ad with her halfling friend or would they just "roleplay" the ad mentioned something about Master Jecht's fine swords?
Perhaps if they implemented it in a way where you could choose an ad-free version at full price, or an ad-supported version for a discount (or even free of monthly fees?) it would work. It would certainly make buffbot/multiple-box playing more affordable. Your main client could be ad-free and the rest show ads which you probably don't even see anyway. Ad-free clients would see a billboard which "fit in" the game theme but the others would see an actual ad.
Certainly would be interesting, looking forward to see how it turns out. I certainly don't want ads in a game I pay monthly for unless there is a benefit attached.
I wouldn't say it's an unfair stereotype. Some women earn it quite justifiably. I've known and worked with plenty of them. We all have met people who fill stereotypes in perfectly, and that is why they still exist.
I also played DAoC for two years (like the above and other posters mentioned) and loved it, but quit for a multitude of reasons (ToA one of them).
Since I always game with my man, we tend to favor games which let us level up easily in a duo. DAoC was ok with this, and CoH is fantastic. We are level 30 of 50 and grouped briefly only once. Sure it has flaws, but that certainly is one of its strong points. We can log in, do a few missions or some street fighting, and log off after an hour or two and feel like we got something accomplished. That's pretty hard to do in most other MMORPG's.
Forced grouping (a la FFXI) hurts casual enjoyment of games, and CoH certainly gives you options. Once they add PvP and more PvE content (yes missions ARE repetitive and boring, no argument there) it will really be a nice game.
One thing I disagree with the above poster is the "end game" idea. Put good, interesting, CHALLENGING content at every game level not just the end!
My boyfriend works at Best Buy as a tech and I hear stories like that all the time. Only if the customer requests it (and obviously, pays) do firewalls/virus scanner/spyware protection get installed. They aren't allowed to install any free software.
Basically they install a series of tools, mostly free and widely available ones, to clean the computer then they remove all of that software and present the customer with a clean but unprotected pc. The garauntee is only 7 days, long before it's noticeably slowing down again from malware or a virus.
Sad really.
Although the stories about all the pr0n he finds are pretty amusing.
VERY valid point in that FFXI is far different than any other in the series, and requires a far different mode of play.
:)
Forced grouping to level is just a play design I despise. I don't mind that grouping for optional things like raids is required. It's natural a tough opponent would require more manpower. But one little goblin requries a whole group of the right classes? Rubbish.
Grouping is fine in an MMORPG and should be promoted, but smaller parties, duos, and soloing should be a completely viable option as well (as in CoH) to earn my $14.95 a month.
Anarchy Online would have you fight a single mob type (heckler) for literally hundreds of hours to advance in level. Very bad examples there.
:)
*shakes cane*
Damn youngins! Back in my day we did missions to level!
Personally, I don't get why people would play a MMORPG and then spend most of their time solo; if I
You do realize, some people want to play FFXI because they played every single other game in the series, but they don't have the multiple hours to invest in one sitting that organizing a party requires? I have heard many horror stories of people waiting HOURS to find a group that would let them in. Hours of sitting doing nothing is fun?
What if said person wants to level their main job, not do a quest or start a sub-job, but no groups are available?
Ever think of time zone issues, where they might play on off-peak times where the server population is lower?
As a game ages and the average population's level range is higher, who are latecomers going to group with?
I'm not flaming, just there's a lot of downside to the "you have to have the perfect group to advance" style of MMORPG that I thought would die with EverQuest but was reborn in FFXI. If all conditions are perfect grouping is wonderful, but how often does that happen? Having no other option is, in my opinion, terribly narrow-minded design.
I goofed and missed it on the preview, meant to add that my high school CS teacher was female. That might have helped somewhat, on top of the fact she was an excellent teacher and geek herself.
When I was in 9th grade I asked for a typewriter for Christmas, instead my Dad suggested a computer. Where he got that idea I have no clue, but I got one. After my brothers helped me put it together (none of us knew anything about computers) I taught myself how to use it. I was hooked! I took all the computer science courses at my tiny high school and my teacher (much
Now that I have a BS (in CIS) and have been working a few years, I do notice most other women I've worked with in IT really don't have the driving interest in technology I do. It's more like just a job. Hence I bond more with the geeky guys where we can chat about the new video cards, OSS, or whatnot.
Really you can't force a love of technology on anyone, male or female. If they're into it, they'll find their own particular area. Not giving them the exposure or serious chance is the worst crime.
But they've got an even better one waiting, that you just stepped into... What would you do about the problem of paedophiles on the internet? The silence and the subsequent flapping whilst you think of a solution is more ammunition for their argument.
Ever think parents should start being responsible for their kids 24/7 instead of just letting them IM, e-mail, or meet Joe Pedophile? Nah that's too easy, let's invade everyone's privacy instead.
I always thought it sounded like Chun-Li was saying "King sized Dick" when she did her upside-down spinning kick thingy.
While I respect the idea of glitz, I have to say there is something to be said for a more intimate, personal type of gathering. I've never been to E3, although honestly I'd jump at the chance. However from what I see it's a bit of overload, personally.
I attended a DAoC Fan Meet in Washington, DC a few years ago and have to say that was the best and most informative time I ever had concerning a game I played. We actually got to have dinner with "Lum the Mad" (I forget his real name) who was a developer for the game and I got to hear a little how their database works. They also had small-group meetings to discuss various parts of the game.
Granted I'm not media, I'm a nerd and am more interested in the technology behind the game, but it was also neat to interact with the people who wrote the code you spend so much time playing. I'm guessing huge trade shows just don't allow much of that type of casual interaction unless you are press or famous.
It wasn't a flashy event but I felt I learned a lot more than I would at some huge event like E3. I'm curious why more game developers don't have smaller events like this more often, and I wish they would.
CoH is one of the few MMORPG's where duos or small groups work just as well, if not better than huge groups.
:)
Time spent in FFXI: ~4 months
Duo: Warrior & White Mage (Me)
Level attained playing casually: 16 (almost 17) of ~70
Time spent in CoH: ~3 months
Duo: AR/Dev Blaster & Emp/Dark Defender (Me)
Level attained playing casually: 27 of 50
Guess which one is still active?
They did change Realm Abilities a lot since I first played. I'd wholeheartedly agree with you before the change, time spent in RvR gaining realm points was about 50% of determining your character's success, the other 50% was who you RvR'd with regulary.
However after the change, they made tiers out of all the realm abilities and the first level of each is pretty cheap compared to what it used to be.
For example, I was RR 8 before I could finally buy Mastery of Concentration (for a Healer, that was pretty much necessary, and before NF cost almost 20+ RA points) since I had no respecs left and couldn't be bothered to go on retarded raids hoping to get a respec stone. Now you can get MoC 1 for 5 points. Granted it doesn't work exactly the same or as powerful until you spend 15 points on it (even then it's a little nerfed). Purge is similar, as are many other realm abilities that took forever to get.
I played for two years to hit 50 and get 8L1. I know new guilds who came to our server did that and more in a matter of months. Casual players will never match people who put in 10-12 hours a day unless they add some sort of time/turn limiting to the game.
That said, however, having a good squad playing regularly together, with the right classes and best gear meant the best RvR experience. That's still a lot of "rights" to have to collect no matter how fast levelling occurs.
In my mind's eye I imagine him to carry a blue water sword and voice-over annoyingly.
But unlike woefully female-inept Titus, Tidus knows blitzers want to SCORE!!!
I actually was able to log into the third-party billing site and cancel my subscription. Granted, I did it this month after trying the 7 day trial (lasted about 3). However my boyfriend didn't have that option and he too had to call in to cancel, for reasons we could not determine.
The worst part of this game is it feels so unprofessionally developed. The interface to log in is a web page, and you have to enter your login credentials twice just to log in. Then you proceed to pick your server/character, still on this web page. It looks terrible, I mean even Ultima Online had a client login screen where you picked your server and character.
However they did have subclassing available from Day 1 of your character's life instead of FFXI's level 18 + difficult quest. *sigh*
Ah, the good old days of BBS door games like L.O.R.D, Usurper, and Drug Lords where you actually had to strategize how to use your limited turns each day. The most successful players were the best at using those, not the ones who had 14 hours a day to play. Thanks for the reminder. :)
AO had an interesting mission-based levelling system AND larger raids similar to EQ. As one of the MMORPG's I played for over 2 years (DAOC is the only other with that kind of longevity for me) it is one of my favorites. However they completely missed the mark with their latest expansion, Shadowlands. Since you cannot go over the cap of 200 unless you level in Shadowlands, missions are a thing of the past (after 200) and it's back to the EQ/DAOC style "camping a spot for xp" type treadmill.
It was fairly easy to put together a team (level ranges are pretty lenient in AO) and do a mission in an hour or so. With Shadowlands it goes back to waiting for a group in a good spot or with a certain class (Crat). To be fair, the new world is haunting and strange and the new items are interesting, but I feel they really dropped the ball when it comes to advancing after 200.
If they would remove the Shadowlands restriction (yes I'm aware the 200+ levels are called "shadowlevels", which is why you have to go to SL zones to xp for it) in the next expansion "Alien Invasion" and allow advancement after 200 with new mission types in Rubi-Ka (or SL, as long as it's not "camping a spot" garbage) I'd gladly reactivate.
Guild Wars http://www.guildwars.com/ is supposed to be similar, except it will have no monthly fee.
DAOC, before SI AND TOA was a great game to play casually once you hit 50, since you could pvp for an hour or two at a time if you wished. Often (after 50) I'd log in around 7pm and play until 10-10:30 or so and really enjoy it. However once the expansions hit which required long (4+ hour) raids for items to "keep up" it just turned into every other MMORPG.
"Whoa, whoa. You better watch what you say about my car. She's real sensitive." Now she will furrow her brows, headlights flashing in anger before running you over!
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro! 3 Dead Milkmen.
3.) Online play is simply much easier and more popular on the PC and will always stay that way, despite what MS and EA would like you to believe. I think that it's also more fun, because console games generally attract more immature children. Trust me, once you've played a few MMORPG's (only two of which have a console connection method) you'll realize immaturity is something decidedly not limited to children and has nothing to do with the game platform.