Many Worlds Theory

Brian "Psychochild" Green and the MMOBro recently had a little debate about whether it is better to have a single mega-server architecture for an MMORPG or multiple independent servers. Many of Psychochild's arguments for independent servers reflect a developer's concern for technical issues. While design and implementation are important considerations, ultimately both serve to enhance or detract from the player experience.

I like the idea of monolithic MMOs, but I get Psychochild's point about communities and playstyle. Allowing communities to congregate based on common interest gives the developers a chance to tailor aspects of the game to serve those interests. At the same time, isolated communities tend to develop elitist, exclusionary attitudes that may not be healthy for the game. I agree that some communities need to be protected from trolls and bullies, but it should not come at the cost of ghettoizing individual players who might like to branch out.

And what about friends you meet outside of the game, whether online or in the real world? I've met plenty of people in my travels who play World of Warcraft, for example, but never any who actually play on the same servers I do. When character progress becomes the driving force behind most games—and don't deny that it is in MMORPGs, despite the "RP" factor—it sucks to divide time and resources between servers because you might occasionally like the thrill of open world PvP, but still enjoy high-end raiding with your friends to don't PvP at all.

The big issue, as MMOBro says, is whether friends can easily play together if they meet or discover their common interest after establishing themselves in the game. Much of the problem with multiple servers could be solved by lowering the barrier to play together. TSW (which I am not currently playing, but which I consider one of the better games out there) does this fairly seamlessly. While there are multiple servers, the game design (and the story) work around the idea of a hub (called Agartha) where, unless you are in a group or get invited to another server/instance, you always return to the default server. The default server becomes more of a home rather than a confinement. The servers definitely have their own flavor, but there is no barrier for players who want to (occasionally) play together. And some world events encourage the mixing of the entire playerbase.

I have no problem with multiple servers if transferring characters from one to another doesn't involve a money grab by the developer. As Psychochild points out, in the currently typical MMO, people have to make hard choices about who they are going to play with. Friends have to coordinate ahead of time what server they want to play on and what community they want to be part of, as in real life. But isn't that kind of what the internet is all about, being able to form friendships and communities that are not based on a limiting factor like geography? The real world forces these choices, but why should the gaming world?

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This article from I Have Touched the Sky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If you repost part or all of the work (for non-commercial purposes), please cite me as the author and include a link back to the blog.

Scooter proofreads almost all my articles before I post them, for which I am very grateful. However, any mistakes are mine and mine alone (unless otherwise noted). If you are reading this post through RSS or Atom feed—especially more than a couple hours after publication—I encourage you to visit the actual page, as I often make refinements after the fact. The mobile version also loses some of the original character of the piece due to simplified formatting.

Summoning Demons

Last year, I posted a short film by Hugh Hancock, sometime curator of The MMO Melting Pot blog, called "Death Knight Love Story." This, I hope, has been mutually beneficial, because that post consistently stays in my top five every month, garnering well over fifteen thousand separate pageviews since I first published it. The man who coined the term "machinima" has a new film coming out 13 July, this time using live action. "HOWTO: Demon Summoning" looks to be a fun romp into a mess of Lovecraftian proportions.

You can support Hugh's new venture, not by donating cash (though I'm sure he wouldn't mind that), but simply by helping publicize the film's release. Go to Thunderclap and schedule a post on social media to promote the premier. Personally, I can't wait till Monday.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. If you are reading this post through RSS or Atom feed—especially more than a couple hours after publication—I encourage you to visit the actual page, as I often make refinements after the fact. The mobile version also loses some of the original character of the piece due to simplified formatting.

Cannot Be Tamed

So it's time to jump on the bandwagon of Jasyla's Gaming Questionnaire:

When did you start playing video games?
We got an Atari 2600 when I was a kid—early 1980s, I'm not sure what year. Before that, I may have wasted a few quarters on Space Invaders or something similar at local pizza parlors.

What is the first game you remember playing?

Combat is the first video I can remember playing for sure.

PC or Console?
PC, definitely.We don't even have a console in the house anymore.

XBox, PlayStation, or Wii?
Given these choices, I'll say PlayStation. I've never even owned an XBox or Wii.

What's the best game you've ever played?
That's hard to say. I enjoy them for different reasons, and they also all have flaws. I have several favorites, but none stands out as the single best game.

What's the worst game you've ever played?
Also a hard question, because what I considered horrible games, may be someone else's absolute favorite. I am going to say Myst. The game did not appeal to me at all when I tried to play it.

Name a game that was popular/critically adored that you just didn't like.
The aforementioned Myst. I also couldn't get into Warcraft 3, though I tried it after I'd been playing World of Warcraft for a while.

Name a game that was poorly received that you really like.
The Secret World. I almost named it as the best game I'd ever played, but I am not sure it is. However I do really like it, despite the fact that it can be incredibly frustrating to play at times.

What are your favourite game genres?
MMORPGs, followed closely by RTS games.

Who is your favourite game protagonist?
ME! It's why I prefer MMOs to other games where I am essentially playing someone else's character.

Describe your perfect video game.
My perfect video game would have an open character development system like TSW's ability wheel, combined with a fantasy/sci-fi scenario that is more . . . cheerful. Certainly less unrelenting horror. It would have fairly realistic graphics, but not be a brown world. I would use TSW's gear/wardrobe system, as well, where stats are not tied to the look of the character. Though the actual clothing would fit the scenario. Controls would definitely be PC mouse/keyboard oriented, similar to WoW, TSW, and a host of others, but the option to use a console controller would be available for those who would like. Combat would be kinetic, enabling and requiring motion by all players: active dodge, cast while moving, etc.

Better yet, where's my holodeck? I'd love to step into a world as beautifully realized as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, or Joss Whedon's Firefly. Could you imagine learning "spells" by perfecting hand gestures? Or actually wielding a sword and board or dual pistols? We'd all be a lot more fit, thats for sure.

What video game character do have you have a crush on?
Call me egotistical, but I really liked my Mirialan Trooper, Achillea, in SWTOR. She was tough, tried do the right thing, bucked authority when she thought it was wrong, and was just generally badass. I wish I had gotten to play her more before I got fed up with BioWare's management of the game. Achillea is perhaps the direct predecessor to Samantha "LoneStarBelle" Hawthorn, my no-nonsense, brilliant, and tough-as-nails Lumie character in TSW (shown above). Perhaps for obvious reasons, I make my female characters as attractive as I can. My male characters are generally attractive, too, I think. For their species.

What game has the best music?
I love the original World of Warcraft soundtrack. The expansions have their moments, as well. But WildStar's intro/login music is currently running through my head.

Most memorable moment in a game:
Hitting 60 and stepping through the Dark Portal several months into The Burning Crusade. I was still so amazed at the spectacle of WoW back then. What the graphics engine was capable of. I spent several minutes at one point just admiring the sky.

Scariest moment in a game:
I honestly don't get scared in games, but I'd say running through the underground garage missions in The Secret World.

Most heart-wrenching moment in a game:
SPOILER ALERT
Lately? The destruction of Sadie Brightland's rescue ship in WildStar.
SPOILER OVER

What are your favourite websites/blogs about games?
I don't really follow regular gaming sites, because they're not accessible from my office. Blogs I follow religiously include Syp's Bio Break, Belghast's Tales of the Aggronaut, and Scarybooster's blog. I hesitate to just name a few, because I read several different posts though my gReader app. Basically, check out my blogrolls on the sidebar for the latest, greatest.

What’s the last game you finished?
Like finished, finished? Rise of Nations, I guess, back before I started playing MMOs, which don't really have a "finish."

What future releases are you most excited about?

I suppose Dragon Age Inquisition, but I need to actually finish Origins. Oh! I am also interested to see Firefly Online next year.

Do you identify as a gamer?
I suppose I do, although my "gamer cred" is fairly shallow, I think.

Why do you play video games?
Video Games help me relax; and at the same time, I feel more involved with my leisure time than if I were watching TV or movies all the time. I've made lots of friends in my years in gaming. But most of all I enjoy spending time with my bride in virtual worlds.


This questionnaire was brought to you by Cannot be Tamed in the Spirit of Blaugust!

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The Daily Grind

There are times when I am really busy with work. I travel on business a fair amount. More precisely, I go places and live there for a few weeks. Depending on several factors, I may or not log in to an MMO, or even do much blogging. Other times, like this month, I am at home, going to the office during the week. I feel like I have more time, or at the very least am more relaxed. I might game more, and I might blog more. I go through spurts of interest in games and blogging. As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, I essentially took a break from blogging—and even gaming really—through most of July.

When I started my first gaming blog, "Rowanblaze Saves Azeroth," I was essentially speaking out into the void. I had no idea what I was doing, or whether anyone cared what I had to say. I'm pretty sure no one did read it, at first. Then I started this blog, met a few other bloggers talking about Star Trek Online, and found not an audience, per se, but a community. People like Scarybooster, who started Developer Appreciation Week because he LOVES games, and wanted to let the people who make them know it. People like MMOGC, Syp, and Syl, who got together to do the Battle Bards podcast because they love MMO Soundtracks. (Syp also organized the first Newbie Blogger Initiative in 2012.) People like Xander Hayes, who runs Holosuite Media because of his passion for games and the community. There are dozens more people who inspire me to write. Not the least of which is Belghast the Aggronaut.

I've never met Bel in person. I suspect, at this point, it might a cataclysmic event as two giants rush together in a great bear hug. It came to my attention that he was blogging every day in the spring of last year. I was making an effort to be more community minded and share posts I read on Twitter, and his posts inspired me to write alternate headlines and link to his blog. He was passionate about his games, and his friends. I was happy to become one. He runs House Stalwart, the name a reflection not only of an ideal trait, but of the man himself. In keeping with the general meaning of the suffix -naut; rather than a boisterous, reckless berserker, the Aggronaut is someone who stalwartly sails into the fray, drawing enemy fire to protect his comrades.

If you, Dear Reader, are participating in Blaugust, or recently started through the Newbie Blogger Initiative, I envy you. Your blog was birthed into a community of friends, headed by a giant of a man with a giant heart. You know you're not alone in your endeavors. After all, that is what community is for: to encourage each other and build something no individual possibly could.

Belghast reminded us this morning that Blaugust is more about blogging than blogging every day. It is about establishing a routine for writing, not about making blogging a chore—nor about beating yourself up for not doing it. Just the other day, the venerable Tobold commented that "the only difference between "playing" and "grinding" is whether you are having fun or not."

Blog because you have a passion. Blog because you have an opinion. Blog because you enjoy writing. Blog because it makes you feel part of a community. But whatever you do, don't blog because you feel you have to. Don't blog when it becomes a grind that you dread. And don't blog because there might be a prize at the end of the month.
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If you're interested in joining the summer flurry of Blaugust, breeze on over to Belghast's Blaugust Initiative Page on Anook and let him know you're there. It may even mean a small windfall for you, as Belghast has prizes prepared for high achievers.

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Life Goes On

So it's been a couple weeks. How've you been, Dear Reader? On this trip I just returned from, I was doing a lot of technical writing during the day, so when I would get back to the hotel in the evening, writing a post was the last thing I wanted to do. Days stretch into weeks, and suddenly it's been half a month since I've posted. Add to that the funk I (and several other folks in my circle) have been in since the untimely passing of our friend, River, and writing just hasn't been high on my priority list. I urge you to listen to Scary's last PastCast podcast which features River. If you don't have 17 minutes to spare, Scary has a recap.

Considering we never met, and I was never sure of his true position on certain topics, Mr. Cavelle apparently made a huge impact on me. In retrospect, I wonder how much he knew. A couple of his latest posts were . . . wistful. They demonstrated that he was rethinking some things about his life, his youth. I have things I regret about my youth: mistakes I made, the way I treated some people that didn't deserve it. People I will never be able to apologize to. Hell, I am still making such mistakes. I can only hope I get better.

However, life goes on for the rest of us, I suppose. Belghast is playing the Warlords of Draenor alpha (among other things) in Honor of River. I even have a Wildstar character I named for him. I'm still playing Wildstar with my beloved bride and loving it.

And Scary is embarking on a writing project with his 10-year-old son. A summer NaNoWriMo event seems in the offing, though I am not sure of the details or whether Scary's efforts are part of it. I for one am looking forward to reading his collaboration.

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"My Ping Sucks" — River's High Latency Life

A light has gone out in the gaming blogosphere. As I said on Twitter upon hearing the news, I am in shock. Chris "River" Cavelle, sometime anti-feminist warlock proprietor of A High Latency Life—and a person I consider a good friend (as good as online friends can be)—has passed away suddenly. My Twitter feed exploded with the news. I've been on his Chicago Tribune obituary and Facebook memories page, both with outpourings of grief and condolences for his family. River was well liked in real life and online.

He was among the first bloggers to welcome me into the sphere. It was from Rivs that I got the idea for the 20 Days of Blogging, a project I got most of the way through, but still have yet to finish two years later. He inspired many posts on this blog, and I am sure other blogs, as well.

Like many, I was amused by his humorous posts, almost always accompanied by a scantily clad female model, usually—but not always—human. Occasionally, not even female. Then just a couple weeks ago, in the wake of the #YesAllWomen meme, he did a survey and learned for himself what women go through. I say this not as a political statement, but as a testament to River's willingness to reconsider his position on a topic when presented with evidence contradicting his previous views. I'd like to think I share this trait with him, though I know I have a long way to go on specifics.

River's last blog post was about getting into the alpha for Warlords of Draenor. I haven't decided if I will play the WoW expansion when it launches. But if I do, it will be bittersweet. I'll miss you, Rivs.

Several other bloggers also have tributes up already. I will try to consolidating the posts here. If you write one or see one I have missed, please let me know.

• In Memoriam from Crucible Gaming
• RIP, My Sweet Pea. Love, Sunshine. from A Girl Grey
• Remembering River from MMO Gamer Chick
• R.I.P. River from Bio Break
• So Long, River from Me vs. Myself and I
• River from I Has PC
• Rest in Peace River from Jaedia's Menagerie
• Another Sad Post from Clearcasting
• RIP River from Altamaniac
• Remembering Rivs from Echoes of Nonsense
• In Memorium from Ten Tentacles
• Remembering River from Tales of the Aggronaut
• Fade to Grey from ALT : ernative
• Farewell River from MmoQuests
• Remembering Life from MMO Gypsy
• Dear River from Scarybooster

And a special bullet for Scary's Podcast episode with River.

• PastCast and the recap.

With that…
MY PING SUCKS..I AM OUTTA HERE!
~The Real River

You may think your ping sucked, but we always got your message.

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Link Rollup: Standing in the Stupid

Lots of good stuff floating around the blogosphere today, I may just make this a true web log post and just briefly comment on links.

Stubborn and Psychochild are both trying to figure out how to increase the social factor in MMOs. Stubborn discusses how a good guild can make a great MMORPG, while a poor guilding experience might just ruin it for an individual player. Psychochild focuses more on the grouping experience, and how a "pip" system might help folks find each other again, even through a random LFG tool. I am a player who has (1) sworn off PUGs after the toxicity of WoW LFG and (2) managed to become part of a meta-guild of game bloggers that fulfills my social gaming needs. I totally agree that social ties will increase player retention rates, and I think fewer, stronger bonds is the way to go. Devs tend to approach MMO players as if they were a homogenous group even as they cater to widely varying playstyles in an effort to appeal to different types of players. I've touched on the idea that MMOs are like cities far more than they are like small towns before. I feel devs should focus on the players' monkeysphere (while avoiding factionalism) instead of trying to make us all be friends.

Meanwhile, Zubon is talking about the danger of thinking that, because a game (or even a specific scenario) caters to your own playstyle, you are in some way a superior player. He even touches on the long tails of the RNG gods, and they can skew the individual player experience severely, even while maintaining the appearance of even-handedness in the aggregate. I have fallen victim to the playstyle aspect in various games, and seen it happen to others. The Secret World seems to have a particular knack for reminding me that I'm not so hot, simply by changing up which mobs are resistant to what ability procs. Luckily (or frustratingly), the ability system is designed to be flexible enough that I can (and must) adapt. So just remember, (like in real life) if you have a buddy seemingly incapable of accomplishing a task you skated through, it may have nothing to with your respective skill, and everything to do with how well (or poorly) the task matches up to the stats (talents) and tools you have been given.

And lastly, my new phrase of the day from my buddy Belghast: "Standing in the Stupid." Of course, we've all stood in the fire or the filth or the poison. The Stupid encompasses them all, and is a perfect generic term. It has the added bonus of integrating well with another old friend's favorite retort. When someone cannot seem to get out of the fire/filth/poison, I can just say, "You, sir, are stuck on Stupid."

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Death Knight Love Story

UPDATE 2022: When trying to figure out what happened to the missing video below, I found out that Hugh Hancock, proprietor of MMO Melting Pot and Strange Company's Director, died in 2018. May your journey to the Sea of Reeds be complete, Mr. Hancock.

Hugh Hancock of MMO Melting Pot has done a great service to the community in the past, writing posts that crystallize the currents of the MMO blogosphere into short digests with links to various other bloggers posting on the topic at hand. Not only has it been a good way to find new blogs to follow, he has honored me on occasion with a mention.

Today, I thought I would return the favor. The Melting Pot has fallen somewhat silent of late, due to another project Hugh has been working on. He's made some posts on a couple blogs I follow—and that touch on subjects of interest to me—promoting his new machinima film Death Knight Love Story.

In the first post I noticed, Syl, the MMO Gypsy, hosted Hugh's discussion of the music of the film. In the second, Hugh talks about the likely cause of ballooning MMO budgets with the venerable Tobold. He may have guest-posted on other blogs I missed.

Finally, here's Hugh's announcement on his own MMO Melting Pot. The animated film follows the star-crossed story of two brave souls caught in the middle of the epic struggle to defeat one of Azeroth's greatest menaces, and features the voice talents of Jack Davenport, Anna Chancellor, Joanna Lumley, and BRIAN BLESSED as Arthas, the Lich King.

Part 1 of Death Knight Love Story is now available to watch for free at http://www.deathknightlovestory.com/.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. If you are reading this post through RSS or Atom feed—especially more than a couple hours after publication—I encourage you to visit the actual page, as I often make refinements after the fact. The mobile version also loses some of the original character of the piece due to simplified formatting.

QOTD: Scarybooster's Back

We interrupt this blog with an important bulletin. Scarybooster has returned to the blogosphere, on our very own Blogspot network:

Don't expect anything. Expect everything!
Scarybooster, Hotdog Social

 That about sums it up. :D

Tib Conquers Polaris

Time for yet another set of Pics from Polaris. On Friday, Scooterz both took the day off, and among other things, spent some time playing RIft and TSW. One of our Guildmates in House Stalwart (I keep wanting to type Stuart), a college chappy named Tibuant mentioned that, while he was up to the Savage Coast in TSW, he had yet to run the first instance, the Wreck of the Polaris. Readers of this blog will hopefully recognize Polaris as the source of hilarious helicopter rides. And "Cthulhu."

Tibuant in quite contemplation. You silly Lumies and your masks.

Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?

With Tib tanking, Scooterz on the street cannons, and me healing, we decided we were geared well enough that the three of us should be able to get through the Wreck without too much trouble. Which was indeed the case, until Cthulhu showed up.

Hey, folks. I'm gonna need you to step out of the Helicopter for a minute, thanks.

The Ur-Draug (his official name) did give us some trouble. I'm not sure how many times we wiped; happily, it was never for completely idiotic reasons. In the end though, it was only a matter of time before we got the rhythms of the fight down and then Cthulhu.

The Titanic Trio

Tibuant, a.k.a James, just started blogging, by the way. Take a little time to head on over to his site—Plate Mail and Blue Jeans—and welcome him to the community.

Blog Spotlight: Geek Fitness—With a Quote for the Day.

Just like in a video game, you really need some support to take on those fitness bosses. If you want to blow up the Evil Lords of Gluten, you’re going to need help. If you want to smash the Council of Three Fats, bring some friends. If you plan to pulverize the Princess of Pilates, pull in a party of positive influences. If you want to escape the seductive grasp of Lady Laziness, you’re going to need someone to slap some sense into you.
~Professor Beej, It's Dangerous to Go Alone

I started following B.J. Keeton a while back on Twitter and on his gaming & literature blog appropriately named Professor Beej. A man of many talents, B.J. is an English professor, indie writer, MMORPG enthusiast, and—more recently—amateur athlete. I really only included the above pic so you know that B.J. ain't playin' around.

I, personally, have not made the great strides he has in losing weight, but I am working on it. I need to include more movement in my routine, though. B.J. and others, like Psynister and Fynralyl over at The Chubby Couple, inspire me that it can be done, and it doesn't require a crazy diet that I can't stick to and is probably unhealthy. It takes determination, subtle lifestyle changes, and the support of family and friends. Don't go alone.

QOTD: Happy Blogoversary to Bio Break

I cannot write enough good things about Justin "Syp" Olivetti, though I have attempted to in the past. Anyway, it's the fourth blogoversary of Bio Break, Syp's general gaming blog.

Google now places this as the first result for anyone bored enough to search for “bio break.”  Not bad for one of the 20 worst business buzzwords, yes?

It's pretty awesome actually. Wait, did you do that search while not logged in, Syp?

P.S. This post also matches my record of YTD posts at 116, set my first year blogging.

Victor Barreiro on Journalism, Criticism, and Debate

"You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war."~~William Randolph Hearst

My good friend Victor "Stillwater" Barreiro asked my opinion on a piece he wrote for Rappler a day or two ago. He's concerned about his neutrality and integrity as a games journalist. (He also has a blog over at Games and Geekery):

As Rappler editor at large Marites Vitug wrote recently, it’s been suggested that as many as 9 out of 10 [Filipino] journalists are corrupt, with the extent of their corruption varying in degrees. The problem appears to be something caused by a number of factors, such as vested corporate interests, a lack of editorial independence, the need for money to survive, a desire for acceptance among corrupt peers, or simply not knowing whether an act is wrong because it has become common practice.

If the need to survive is an indicator of corruption, then pretty much the entire human race—and several other species—are guilty of corruption. I realize that people can behave unethically, but I don't believe that is our default setting. No offense, but journalists have an overinflated sense of neutrality that can lead to false concerns over "corruption." There are corrupt journalists, to be sure. I am also sure Victor is not one. Meanwhile, critics have an ever expanding outlet for trolling people they disagree with:

A short time after [a corruption scandal broke] I was also accused of being on the take. . . The simple reason was that I wrote an opinion column about my excitement for a game’s reboot based on the information provided by various sources.

I was reading last night about incidents of corruption over the past decade or so at the American Red Cross. Some cases were patently unethical, if not illegal: embezzlement, theft of goods, sexual misconduct. Other cases were occasions where I feel the ARC was correct, or behaved ethically, then was criticized unjustly. For example, the organization was warned against appearing to endorse corporate donors, like Coca Cola and Anheuser-Busch, who donated bottled water in support of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. What was the ARC supposed to do, not accept the water? On other occasions they had donations in excess of what was needed to accomplish their mission for a given disaster, but were prevented from diverting those funds improve their ability to respond to future relief efforts. Then they were criticized for being unprepared. Heads rolled. The whole reading riled me up almost to Hulk levels. Just ask Sctrz.

Anyway, back to Stillwater's dilemma. When journalists, whether in the games industry or not, express their opinions in good faith, they need not worry about baseless criticism and accusations of corruption. If you report something that is false, but in good faith, all you can do later is set it right by reporting the truth. As long as you weren't lying in the first place, intentionally misleading your audience, you have done nothing wrong. You're biased, but if you're honest about your bias, write on.

I want to be criticized for my opinions and my representations of entities in my writing. This is not because I can adequately defend myself, but because it makes me accountable for the things I say and the facts I write, and if new information comes to light, I must work to ensure my writing remains accurate. This is because journalists work to inform the public.

Journalistic integrity is admirable, and to be sought after. Journalists need to be accountable for their writing. But journalists are human, with human foibles. Except for Andersuperman Cooper.

But what do I know? I'm just a damn dirty blogger.

Scarybooster: Blogger Extraordinaire

I has a sad. No, seriously, I'm a little emotional here.

Today marks the last official post from one of my earliest blogging friends, an insightful man with an inimitable way of reminding me and all of his other readers what is really important about gaming. Amazingly, he has written pretty much every post from his fruity smart phone, something I tried a couple times before giving up. His stories and parables humorously illustrate the foibles of the self-appointed MMO critics of the blogosphere and skewer the cynicism of a jaded playerbase. He even had the opportunity to write for MMORPG.com, where, unfortunately, a wider audience just didn't get it.

In the spirit of said anti-cynicism, Scary brought us Developer Appreciation Week, which tradition I plan to continue. Feeling the slow drag of the blogosphere has finally gotten to him, and he is discontinuing his blog for a while. In the meantime, his blog will still be up, so you can peruse his work. He said he may still post occasionally between now and the expiration of his current domain lease, but we won't getting anything regularly from him. I personally hope he gets bit by the writing bug again sooner rather than later.

Blog Spotlight: Casual Aggro

I thought I might start a new category of posts, in which I focus on a fellow blogger and maybe a recent post they have done that I particularly like. Heh, typing that makes me think of the QOTD posts, though for those I usually focus on a specific statement that may not be part of a blog. Any posts of this sort will be tagged "Spotlight."

A new friend, guildie, and fellow blogger I "met" through the New Blogger Initiative, @BigMikeyOcho of Casual Aggro, posts interesting thoughts on MMOs and players. That he has similar tastes and playstyle to my own helps a lot in my opinion of his opinions. ><

Yesterday, Ocho posted about the elements he feels make up a good Foundry Mission (player designed) in STO:

• Story: Has to frame the actions of the Player Character well. Provide sufficient motivation (besides game rewards).
• Balance Not too much talky, not too much action.
• Believability The actions of the PC should not conflict with the Player's concept of the Character.
• Detail The environment of the mission should fit the story. Also, proofread! Then proofread again! Then have someone else proofread!
• Time The length of the mission should be commensurate with the reward. Not too long, nor too short.

I'm not sure what other games allow for the sort of player-designed quests the way STO does. However, professional game designers would do well to follow the advice Ocho provides for player/designers. Some do a better job at this than others.

Anyway, Ocho has a great natural voice as he writes. I enjoy reading his posts about the various aspects of games he is currently playing. Check out his stuff over at Casual Aggro.