It depends on what you mean by "compete". Even people who only play 5 hours a week still find gratification in leveling their character up, doing quests, gaining equipment, etc. And many instances can even fit into 1 or 2 hour blocks of time, although some of the high-level content admittedly takes longer.
So once you view your goals differently, and you define the ways you have fun in the game, you aren't necessarily at a disadvantage.
Hopefully, readers of Slashdot will realize that a real discussion on an issue like this is impossible, because there's no way to prevent Microsoft or Google employees from coming here and posting. How do we know all these pro-Microsoft messages aren't written by somebody in Microsoft's marketing department?
I think that's one of the biggest issues that's never discussed... so many people read this site, and their opinions are shaped by what they read, because they automatically assume they're reading posts from other people just like themselves.
A large tax on video games does put the government in a rather unique position. How can you pretend to clamp down on video games if you benefit from every sale of them?
I'm sure the Republicans can find a way to spin it somehow. It all fits into the backlash theory. If the government actually fixes the "problem" of violent video games, then why would their conservative base elect them again? These issues need to stay simmering in the collective consciousness of conservatives.
Independent, non-commercial MUDs have had this capacity long before Everquest and its clones were created. These MUDs are generally created by players, for players, and they have the same gameplay elements as any of the corporate-created games. Try one out sometime.
Most people I know follow the same pattern with WoW no matter when they started playing: begin a new game, think it's awesome, level a character, usually put in a lot of hours per week on it... get slowed up around level 50, and eventually make it to 60... then they get excited again because they can go into the high level instances, but then they eventually get all the equipment they can from those, and after a few stints in Battlegrounds, get bored and quit.
You could still do this even though you were a late starter. But if you're looking for some kind of meaningful competition, then it might be best to go with a different type of online game.
Really, the very structure of games needs to be looked at... so much of the video game world revolves around "killing things" that a lot of innovation gets stifled. There really haven't been many mainstream video game hits that don't involve killing things. The Sims is about the only one I can think of.
The host of the NPR show Marketplace was talking about Google Talk yesterday and he thought he was all cool in saying things like "voype services" for VoIP.
Taking a look at your comment record... what are the odds that you're simply a Microsoft employee trying to kill Google's reputation? You sure have done a lot of Google bashing.
I'm convinced at least part of the anti-Google, anti-Mozilla "countertrend" is initiated by people at Microsoft who want to try to change the culture.
I agree with most of what you said, but HOW can you say Final Fantasy 1 is nonlinear?
I'd give Ultima 6 or Ultima 7 as examples of awesome games that were much more nonlinear, games that just dropped you into a world and let you explore and figure out your own path. The Exile/Avernum games from Spiderweb Software were a little like this too. Anyone remember playing them?
This goes back even to the old, old versions of NBA Jam that I used to play on emulator. It really didn't matter how skillful you were, because the computer team ended up matching your skill level. If you started dunking and hitting 3s on every possession, then the computer players would start doing it too and your shots would start missing. So basically every single-player game you played had a close score.
I can't really say I like this method in a general sense, although I suppose it does cater toward the kids' sports crowd who might not be very good at playing those games.
Re:Is it just me, or couldn't posts about Dev thin
on
Eclipse 3.1 Released
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· Score: 1
Coincidentally, Eclipse is also the name of a wholesale distribution system. Intuit purchased that Eclipse in 2002, so it's now called Intuit Eclipse.
I guess it's not unreasonable to think the word "eclipse" would be used repeatedly in the computer world. I used to play on an old text-based MUD named Eclipse too.
Starcraft games can run a lot longer than 20-30 minutes. If you want short games, you better stick to the tiny maps, like Bloodbath on the original CD of the game.
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It depends on what you mean by "compete". Even people who only play 5 hours a week still find gratification in leveling their character up, doing quests, gaining equipment, etc. And many instances can even fit into 1 or 2 hour blocks of time, although some of the high-level content admittedly takes longer.
So once you view your goals differently, and you define the ways you have fun in the game, you aren't necessarily at a disadvantage.
Hopefully, readers of Slashdot will realize that a real discussion on an issue like this is impossible, because there's no way to prevent Microsoft or Google employees from coming here and posting. How do we know all these pro-Microsoft messages aren't written by somebody in Microsoft's marketing department?
I think that's one of the biggest issues that's never discussed... so many people read this site, and their opinions are shaped by what they read, because they automatically assume they're reading posts from other people just like themselves.
A large tax on video games does put the government in a rather unique position. How can you pretend to clamp down on video games if you benefit from every sale of them?
I'm sure the Republicans can find a way to spin it somehow. It all fits into the backlash theory. If the government actually fixes the "problem" of violent video games, then why would their conservative base elect them again? These issues need to stay simmering in the collective consciousness of conservatives.
Have her try MapleStory. That's the quintessential grinding game built for females and little kids. It's free as well.
Independent, non-commercial MUDs have had this capacity long before Everquest and its clones were created. These MUDs are generally created by players, for players, and they have the same gameplay elements as any of the corporate-created games. Try one out sometime.
Most people I know follow the same pattern with WoW no matter when they started playing: begin a new game, think it's awesome, level a character, usually put in a lot of hours per week on it... get slowed up around level 50, and eventually make it to 60... then they get excited again because they can go into the high level instances, but then they eventually get all the equipment they can from those, and after a few stints in Battlegrounds, get bored and quit. You could still do this even though you were a late starter. But if you're looking for some kind of meaningful competition, then it might be best to go with a different type of online game.
...so does this mean it will have GRID BUGS?
There are some text-only games that are still thriving. They're called MUDs. Open up a Telnet window and connect to game.org 4000 and give it a try.
Really, the very structure of games needs to be looked at... so much of the video game world revolves around "killing things" that a lot of innovation gets stifled. There really haven't been many mainstream video game hits that don't involve killing things. The Sims is about the only one I can think of.
The host of the NPR show Marketplace was talking about Google Talk yesterday and he thought he was all cool in saying things like "voype services" for VoIP.
Does anyone actually say this in real life?
Taking a look at your comment record... what are the odds that you're simply a Microsoft employee trying to kill Google's reputation? You sure have done a lot of Google bashing.
I'm convinced at least part of the anti-Google, anti-Mozilla "countertrend" is initiated by people at Microsoft who want to try to change the culture.
I agree with most of what you said, but HOW can you say Final Fantasy 1 is nonlinear? I'd give Ultima 6 or Ultima 7 as examples of awesome games that were much more nonlinear, games that just dropped you into a world and let you explore and figure out your own path. The Exile/Avernum games from Spiderweb Software were a little like this too. Anyone remember playing them?
This goes back even to the old, old versions of NBA Jam that I used to play on emulator. It really didn't matter how skillful you were, because the computer team ended up matching your skill level. If you started dunking and hitting 3s on every possession, then the computer players would start doing it too and your shots would start missing. So basically every single-player game you played had a close score. I can't really say I like this method in a general sense, although I suppose it does cater toward the kids' sports crowd who might not be very good at playing those games.
Coincidentally, Eclipse is also the name of a wholesale distribution system. Intuit purchased that Eclipse in 2002, so it's now called Intuit Eclipse.
Their website is at: http://eclipse.intuit.com/
I guess it's not unreasonable to think the word "eclipse" would be used repeatedly in the computer world. I used to play on an old text-based MUD named Eclipse too.
Starcraft games can run a lot longer than 20-30 minutes. If you want short games, you better stick to the tiny maps, like Bloodbath on the original CD of the game.