SWTOR - Knights of the Fallen Empire
I decided to return to SWTOR today, not because I wanted another MMO but instead required a narrative driven RPG. I’ve been convinced by several websites and podcast that BioWare has effectively given us KOTOR 3 via Knights of the Fallen Empire and so I decided it was time to revisit the proverbial galaxy far, far away etc. I initially played SWTOR upon its launch in late 2011 and returned to the game after the F2P conversion, when Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion was released. Although I enjoyed the game more second time around I still felt that it sat somewhat uncomfortably between an old school MMO and a more contemporary variation. The less said about Galactic Starfighter the better, as that expansion just wasn’t to my liking. Essentially my return to the game is based on the promise of a single player RPG experience and the underlying appeal of the franchise.
I decided to return to SWTOR today, not because I wanted another MMO but instead required a narrative driven RPG. I’ve been convinced by several websites and podcast that BioWare has effectively given us KOTOR 3 via Knights of the Fallen Empire and so I decided it was time to revisit the proverbial galaxy far, far away etc. I initially played SWTOR upon its launch in late 2011 and returned to the game after the F2P conversion, when Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion was released. Although I enjoyed the game more second time around I still felt that it sat somewhat uncomfortably between an old school MMO and a more contemporary variation. The less said about Galactic Starfighter the better, as that expansion just wasn’t to my liking. Essentially my return to the game is based on the promise of a single player RPG experience and the underlying appeal of the franchise.
Overall re-installing the game wasn’t too difficult. I managed to download the entire game client within an hour and forty minutes. To get the benefits of the latest expansion, a subscription is required which meant logging into the official SWTOR website. The one time password verification system quickly became trying but I sorted out a month’s fees while the game was installing. Once the game client was updated I logged in to find all three of my old characters. I had a brief look at them all but soon concluded that I had absolutely no idea how to play them or navigate around the game. So rather than waste time with these and play through the slightly older, more traditional MMO content, I decided to create a level 60 character for the new storyline. However before I proceeded I checked my cartel coins and found that I had nearly 5,000. So I bought some account wide inventory space and unlocked the Sith Pureblood skin.
Despite having played SWTOR before I’ve never explored either the Jedi or Sith classes, so this time round I decided to go all in and create a Red Sith Juggernaut. As ever the only stumbling block during character creation was trying to find a suitable name that hadn’t been already taken. This game mechanic has often been one of the MMO genre’s Achilles Heel. However once a name was secured I jumped straight into the action and played though the first chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire. Despite many familiar aspects such as the GIU and the basic game mechanics, the story takes a far more dominant place in the proceedings and the narrative moves events forward very much like a single player RPG. Checkpoints are regularly reached and as a player I can log out of the new story and return to the more traditional MMO content should I see fit. However for those wishing to avoid the usual trappings of an MMO such as other players, chat and people just generally getting under your feet, then there is a large onscreen button to return you to the instanced episodic content.
So far although I have not gone far into the story, I am enjoying my return to SWTOR. It has the usual Star Wars ambience with its strong idiomatic soundtrack and quality voice acting. As I didn’t play through the last expansion Shadow of Revan, I’m not up to speed with the plot. However I have spent some time perusing the Star Wars wiki and this has helped no end. After all Knights of the Fallen Empire is virtually an RPG and for me the appeal of that genre lies mainly with their narrative content. I don’t have many negative comments at present, although I do feel that SWTOR still has an excess of skills. The time I spent in Guild Wars 2 in recent years has certainly taught me that less is more. My hot bars in SWTOR are already awash with icons and I really don’t think that all of them are essential. I guess time will tell. At present I have a month to decide if Knights of the Fallen Empire is to my liking and it has only cost me £8.99, which means that if it goes ill, I won’t feel especially out of pocket.
Upgrading Gear in Star Trek Online
The recent upgrade weekend in Star Trek Online has proven to be an interesting experience. The 100% increase in technology points that the event offered meant upgrading gear has been a far more viable proposition than usual. So I decided to explore this aspect of the game and see if I could improve my overall build on my primary Federation character. However I am far from a knowledgeable player and was therefore initially unsure as to where to start. Should I upgrade my ship’s equipment such as deflector, warp core and shields first or focus on the various consoles. Concern over spending precious resources incorrectly is often an issue in the MMO genre. So I decided to do some research before I proceeded.
The recent upgrade weekend in Star Trek Online has proven to be an interesting experience. The 100% increase in technology points that the event offered meant upgrading gear has been a far more viable proposition than usual. So I decided to explore this aspect of the game and see if I could improve my overall build on my primary Federation character. However I am far from a knowledgeable player and was therefore initially unsure as to where to start. Should I upgrade my ship’s equipment such as deflector, warp core and shields first or focus on the various consoles. Concern over spending precious resources incorrectly is often an issue in the MMO genre. So I decided to do some research before I proceeded.
As ever with MMOs, there is seldom a universal answer. A lot of the advice available on the various STO subreddits is determined by such factors as class, ship preference and the level to which a player pursues the game. I also learned via the upgrade panel in the game that not all stats on an item can be upgraded. The preview facility is invaluable in this respect. So I pursued a common sense approach to my upgrade policy and augmented equipment that gave stats boost that I could clearly see and understand, such as EPS. Fortunately I had more resources than I anticipated and managed to upgrade all my ground gear set to Mark XIV, as well as my ships equipment. I then upgraded all my fleet engineering and science consoles as well as all of my tactical consoles. Fortunately all my weapons were already at the maximum tier.
I am quite a goal orientated player in Star Trek Online and although I do not aspire towards playing the game to its highest level, am pleased at the results that I have achieved in recent months. The upgrade weekend has meant that I’ve now attained a respectable 15K DPS and have a build that can adequately handle PVE content. Pursuing any further equipment and gear upgrades is not a priority at present because outside of the event bonus, the cost is a prohibitive. I simply do not have the resources required and am not prepared to grind to the level required to obtain them. So for now I am content with my current statistics and if I am to change anything, I may experiment with using different ships from my existing roster.
MMOs - Look to the Future, Not the Past
My local High Street has numerous restaurants of all varieties. A few years ago one such establishment changed ownership and re-opened serving traditional Italian cuisine. It was family run and subsequently had a great atmosphere with a very personal touch. The food was excellent and the chef endeavoured to do things differently, rather than slavishly churn out the usual UK interpretation of Italian cuisine. Naturally this had an impact on prices but I was happy to accommodate this because I felt I was getting a superior product and experience. Sadly L’Angelo’s closed because it couldn’t compete with the chain restaurants that subsequently opened up. Quality and ambience fell victim to corporate market domination.
My local High Street has numerous restaurants of all varieties. A few years ago one such establishment changed ownership and re-opened serving traditional Italian cuisine. It was family run and subsequently had a great atmosphere with a very personal touch. The food was excellent and the chef endeavoured to do things differently, rather than slavishly churn out the usual UK interpretation of Italian cuisine. Naturally this had an impact on prices but I was happy to accommodate this because I felt I was getting a superior product and experience. Sadly L’Angelo’s closed because it couldn’t compete with the chain restaurants that subsequently opened up. Quality and ambience fell victim to corporate market domination.
I read a post today over at Wolfshead Online regarding the decline of the traditional MMO. It covers a lot of familiar ground and does so well. It is an article driven by emotion and a personal ideology. Furthermore I’m sure a lot of gamers will share a similar world view and I am not going to argue that such an outlook is totally wrong. However the author’s arguments are based upon the notion of games being more than just products and that they should aspire to be more than just mediums of entertainment. He argues that virtual worlds should live up to their name and offer some sort of meaningful social contract with the player. It’s a nice concept. Sadly it is highly unlikely to happen within the current free market system.
There are many noble ideas and concepts that are impractical in reality; unilateral disarmament, non-selective education and universal state pensions. Gaming is no longer the preserve of a select few but a mainstream industry. It is no longer solely driven by concepts of art or creating the best game that you can. Those days are gone, the same way the movie industry has moved on from the seventies and the concept of the auteur director. It’s all about brands, franchises and maximum monetisation. A good game is a secondary consideration. It’s a sad reality and I am not necessarily endorsing it. However it is a reality that I accept and as a result I have changed my relationship with the MMO genre.
I think most entertainment industries go through a period where creativity and artistic aspiration briefly reigns. Our perceptions of such industries are also contextual so many gamers opinions are shaped by when they started gaming and the era they experienced. Although I am aware of this bias, I try not to be governed by it. I prefer not to let my heart over rule my head and philosophically always try to look forward rather than back. Yes there are deficiencies in the MMO genre but there is also scope for positive change. Those changes will simply happen within a smaller market. It’s true that many of us feel we haven’t gotten what we wanted but such is life. Do we not have to eventually reconcile ourselves to this concept? So although it’s prudent to consider what “may have been” with regard to this genre, it’s not ultimately beneficial to dwell on it excessively.
I started this post with an anecdote to illustrate a point so I’ll close with one. I use to drink in a pub in Bromley in the middle eighties that showcased a lot of live music. There were several ex- musicians and individuals that at one time had worked within the music industry. A common refrain from many of them was that the music of the time was “not as good” as it used to be. Yet the eighties are now considered to be a decade with a rich and diverse music history. Regardless of one’s stance all things change. It’s something else we have to come to terms with I life. I don’t see any benefits in being the gaming equivalent of the old Muso, habitually looking back or pondering “what if” scenarios. If we all adopted such a stance nothing would ever change, for good or ill. Sometimes it's good to draw a line under something and move on.
*Stats via SuperData
Getting What You Want in MMOs
MMOs are all about the proverbial carrot on a stick. The carrot can take on many guises and not everyone is pursuing the same goal. However most players at some point have set their sight on something in particular and doggedly gone about pursuing it. The tale I am about to tell is regarding Star Trek Online, although I’m sure readers may well find parallels with other MMOs that they may play. Essentially this is about when you just decide that you want something in a game. It may be relevant to your overall gameplay and offer a significant enhancement. It may also be just a cosmetic item that has taken your fancy. Either way you’ve decided that you must have this specific thing and that you are going to get it, come hell or high water.
MMOs are all about the proverbial carrot on a stick. The carrot can take on many guises and not everyone is pursuing the same goal. However most players at some point have set their sight on something in particular and doggedly gone about pursuing it. The tale I am about to tell is regarding Star Trek Online, although I’m sure readers may well find parallels with other MMOs that they may play. Essentially this is about when you just decide that you want something in a game. It may be relevant to your overall gameplay and offer a significant enhancement. It may also be just a cosmetic item that has taken your fancy. Either way you’ve decided that you must have this specific thing and that you are going to get it, come hell or high water.
If there is a spectrum of players in STO, I guess I’m somewhere in the middle. I have three characters at level cap and have a fairly well kitted out primary Federation alt. I’m not really interested in pursuing top tier status with a ship outputting 50K plus DPS because it means too much work. However I’m not a casual player content with just getting by via just in-game drops. So I have bought ships from the in-game store and equipped them with reputation and fleet items. Also I like to customise the look of my vessel and my crew; personalising your MMO experience is a major part of its selling point.
Last year after perusing the STO wiki, I discovered the Wells Temporal Science Vessel and for no particular reason it became the object of my affection. I don’t even play a Science class, preferring the pew-pew approach of a Tactical Captain. Yet this didn’t matter, as the Wells Temporal Science Vessel is a fine looking ship. That’s pretty much what it boiled down to. I decided I wanted something shiny. Furthermore this ship is not available for purchase in the in-game store. It can only be obtained via a Temporal Lockbox. In STO lockboxes are opened by keys that can be purchased or exchanged for in-game currency. It should also be noted that the chance of getting the aforementioned vessel from a lockbox is 0.41% or thereabouts.
To cut a long story short, after a several months of stockpiling my Zen stipend and also converting Dilithium into more Zen, I opened thirty one Temporal lockboxes. Let it suffice to say that apart from some indifferent duty officers, a smattering of Lobi crystals and some minor boost tokens I did not secure the ship I was looking for. Had I purchased the lockbox keys with cash I would have spent about $30 or so, which gave me pause for thought. Naturally my lack of success increased my desire for the ship in question and I considered the possibility of spending real money on purchasing a further batch of keys. However another option came to mind and after a quick Google search I decided upon an alternative plan.
Lockboxes give Lobi crystals when opened. This can be anything between four and fifty. The crystals can then be exchanged via a vendor for gear and ships. One such ship is the Mobius Temporal Destroyer, a Mirror Universe variant of the Wells Temporal Science Vessel. It has a tactical build so is actually more suitable for my type of game play (which is not sophisticated). Through spurious logic I quickly made this ship my new objection of obsession. However it costs 800 Lobi crystals and I have only 166. The random nature of lockboxes meant I could potential spend a fortune on keys before I had sufficient currency. So I opted to buy the ship for $28 from an online vendor instead. That works out at about £15 which I thought was a fair price.
Now buying from such sources always comes with an element of risk. These sort of online traders that primarily deal in gold are far from legitimate. However I saw the risk as being no more than that of buying a bunch of lockbox keys and not getting lucky, so I bought the ship via PayPal. It was delivered to me in-game about half a day later (due to the time differences between the UK and China). Let it suffice to say that I now have the ship I desired and not only is it a fine looking vessel but it performs well. Being a Tier 5 ship from a lockbox, I was entitled to a free Tier 5U upgrade and I now have all the ship’s mastery skills unlocked. I have also managed to increase my DPS output to 11K which is not too shameful.
In writing this account it is curious to reflect upon the way we latch on to certain items or pursue specific goals in MMOs. I’m sure someone, somewhere has written a study about such behaviour. This recent situation with the ship has put me in mind of when I was determined to get the skeleton horse in LOTRO when the Haunted Burrow event went live for the first time. I also obsessed for hours regarding the Charzooka in Guild Wars 2. I’m still not exactly sure what drives these needs and desires to get what we allegedly want. Bragging rights is one answer or may be the satisfaction of earning something after a long grind. I simply got what I wanted by spending money so perhaps that makes we feel that I’ve gamed the system. Either way, I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if I find myself doing this gain in the future, either in STO or some other MMOs.
Note:
Both the Wells Temporal Science Vessel and the Mobius Temporal Destroyer, being unbound items can be exchanged or sold on the in-game auction house. Their respective prices are 400 million and 175 million Energy Credits, which for those who do not play STO, is a lot.
LOTRO – Update 17.2 Adds New Quests in Minas Tirith
Having recently completed Update 17 for LOTRO one of my main complaints was a shortage of quality quests in the new area. The Epic Story dominates the proceedings and I was quite surprised by the lack of secondary quest hubs both inside and outside of the Pelennor Fields. However update 17.2 that was deployed today has addressed this issue by adding several new quest lines. These can be found near the Stone Theatre (in the northern 1st Tier), inside the Houses of Lore, inside the Houses of Healing, at the Citadel, at the Training Ground, and near the Baths of Belecthor (in the 4th Tier). A new public endgame space is available in the city Cisterns.
Having recently completed Update 17 for LOTRO one of my main complaints was a shortage of quality quests in the new area. The Epic Story dominates the proceedings and I was quite surprised by the lack of secondary quest hubs both inside and outside of the Pelennor Fields. However update 17.2 that was deployed today has addressed this issue by adding several new quest lines. These can be found near the Stone Theatre (in the northern 1st Tier), inside the Houses of Lore, inside the Houses of Healing, at the Citadel, at the Training Ground, and near the Baths of Belecthor (in the 4th Tier). A new public endgame space is available in the city Cisterns.
The patch has also added a comprehensive list of all emotes that are available in the game. These can be perused and previewed via the collections panel. There have been nominal changes to some of the barter currency requirements and tweaks to the housing system. All mounted combat melee skills now do more damage (including melee auto-attack). Melee damage should be approximately doubled. There are now more stable travel options within Minas Tirith. It would also appear that Turbine have added a further “Chicken Run” via Sandson's Farm. Comprehensive patch notes can be found on the official LOTRO forums.
This patch certainly seems to be more generous than the usual bug fixes that are released. Perhaps Turbine are trying to make amends after their woeful datacentre move last week that is still proving problematic for some players. Furthermore, as many tech savvy players have stated, although improving the server performance issues may well improve gameplay to a degree, it doesn’t address the bottlenecks that exist within the game client that remains un-optimised. May be LOTRO players can take comfort in the fact that Turbine are currently recruiting for the following roles; Database Administrator, Senior Big Data Engineer and Senior Performance Engineer. Perhaps there are further performance improvements on the way.
LOTRO Server Issues
Monday’s datacentre migration has unsurprisingly proven problematic for Turbine. As a result major issues continue to affect LOTRO players with faults such as severe lag, bad rubberbanding and random crashes to desktop and server disconnects being common place. Players have also had to endure loss of housing items, loss of friend lists and disconnection from chat servers. Five days later, despite hotfixes and continuing maintenance many players still find the game “problematic”. Turbine are naturally trying their best to keep the community informed but the longer this problem persists the more damage it potentially does.
Monday’s datacentre migration has unsurprisingly proven problematic for Turbine. As a result major issues continue to affect LOTRO players with faults such as severe lag, bad rubberbanding and random crashes to desktop and server disconnects being common place. Players have also had to endure loss of housing items, loss of friend lists and disconnection from chat servers. Five days later, despite hotfixes and continuing maintenance many players still find the game “problematic”. Turbine are naturally trying their best to keep the community informed but the longer this problem persists the more damage it potentially does.
A side issue that has emerged from this situation is the fact that the five remaining European LOTRO servers will now not be relocated to Amsterdam. Instead they will be joining the five US servers in New Jersey in the new datacentre. Naturally players based outside of the US have already voiced concerns as to whether the increase in latency and exacerbates the ongoing technical problems. Furthermore Turbine have not yet confirmed a revised date for the proposed EU server move bringing in to question whether it was ever a genuine proposal.
Turbine have struggled in the past to make good on some of their promises and commitments. Like many businesses those dealing with the public are not necessarily privy to policy decisions being made at senior levels. It has been suggested by some more canny industry commentators that perhaps the company is reticent to move infrastructure to Europe in light of recent changes to consumer protection legislation, which are more robust and customer friendly than its US counterpart. Whether this is the case or not is uncertain at present but certainly both the change in decision regarding the servers and the impact that the migration has had is pause for thought for all concerned.
Downtime and login issues impact ultimately on the bottom line. A player that does not log in to the game is a player that is not spending and I have suspicion that LOTRO is a game that survives purely because it hits a specific financial target each quarter. Despite what some gamers may think there is seldom any sentiment in business and the moment the numbers aren’t favourable then hard decisions are made. Let us hope that the folk at Turbine can find a speedy solution to the ongoing issues currently affecting LOTRO. I cannot help but think that given the reduced size of the production team that they may have overreached themselves. Let us hope that is not the case.
Hearts of Stone
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a gaming milestone in many ways and was by far the best game I played in 2015. For me an RPG is all about character and plot first, followed by gaming mechanics. The Witcher 3 has a rich and varied narrative that doesn’t shy away from difficult issues. The plot is nuanced and doesn’t offer glib binary dialogue options. I actually cared about the characters and was moved by the tragedy of some storylines. It’s the nearest I’ve come to an interactive novel. The open world is enthralling and combat is accommodating of different play styles. Overall I feel that the £27.48 I spent on the base game and season pass has been incredible value.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a gaming milestone in many ways and was by far the best game I played in 2015. For me an RPG is all about character and plot first, followed by gaming mechanics. The Witcher 3 has a rich and varied narrative that doesn’t shy away from difficult issues. The plot is nuanced and doesn’t offer glib binary dialogue options. I actually cared about the characters and was moved by the tragedy of some storylines. It’s the nearest I’ve come to an interactive novel. The open world is enthralling and combat is accommodating of different play styles. Overall I feel that the £27.48 I spent on the base game and season pass has been incredible value.
I returned to The Witcher 3 last week as I had time in my schedule to tackle the first expansion, Hearts of Stone that was released last October. As the benchmark for story telling had been set so high with the initial game, I was somewhat sceptical if CD Projekt Red could maintain the standard with this standalone tale. However my concerns were misplaced and Hearts of Stone has proved to be another intelligent, thought provoking, bittersweet tale. The expansion also strives to add more variety to the questline and I found such events as the wedding celebration to be a particularly different. Interacting with guests, playing party games and dancing make a pleasant change from the usual carnage. The vault break in was also a departure from the norm and I liked the way I got to choose my crew. I purposely antagonised the Dwarf Cassimir Bassi so he blew himself up.
There is naturally new armour and weapons available if you need to upgrade. I still find the Superior Wolven Witcher Gear to be a good set, even at level 39. The only change I’ve made is with my primary weapon. After defeating The Caretaker, I looted his spade which is an unusual weapon that heals you for 10% of all damage inflicted on enemies. I’m still experimenting with Runewords and Glyphwords system. They give large bonuses to weapons and armour but destroy the slots that they’re applied to. It’s something I want to ensure that I get right so a little more research is required before I’ll commit to a specific build. I recently started using bombs in combat, especially when fighting large groups of bandits or pirates. The Superior Grapeshot really does cause a lot of carnage if used pre-emptively.
As Hearts of stone have proven to be such a good expansion, I am now very optimistic regarding the next content update Blood and Wine. It allegedly offers twenty hours plus of narrative set in the all-new in-game region of Toussaint. I’m therefore looking forward to another involving tale and the pleasure of exploring a new part of “The Continent”. As plaudits continue to be heaped upon The Witcher 3, perhaps a few more game developers will take note of all the things that CD Projekt Red seem to be getting right. Commercial success does not have to be at the expense of creativity, quality or priced prohibitively.
Teddy Floppy Ear - Kayaking
I saw a trailer for this game last year and for some reason found it amusing. I did some digging around online and discovered that Teddy Floppy Ear or Miś Uszatek was an established character from Polish children’s literature. There was a TV show using stop motion animation, which ran from the mid-seventies to the late eighties similar to the likes of Paddington or The Clangers. There’s also a statue dedicated to Miś Uszatek Piotrkowska Street in Łódź, so it would seem that he’s held in high regard and considered to be cultural significance in Poland. So when a gaming bundle appeared recently at Indie Gala, including the above game and two others featuring Teddy Floppy Ear, I considered it rude not to buy them.
I saw a trailer for this game last year and for some reason found it amusing. I did some digging around online and discovered that Teddy Floppy Ear or Miś Uszatek was an established character from Polish children’s literature. There was a TV show using stop motion animation, which ran from the mid-seventies to the late eighties similar to the likes of Paddington or The Clangers. There’s also a statue dedicated to Miś Uszatek Piotrkowska Street in Łódź, so it would seem that he’s held in high regard and considered to be cultural significance in Poland. So when a gaming bundle appeared recently at Indie Gala, including the above game and two others featuring Teddy Floppy Ear, I considered it rude not to buy them.
So to begin with, Teddy Floppy Ear – Kayaking is a children’s game aimed at five to eight year olds, according to the developers notes but certainly it has appeal beyond those parameters. This point and click adventure game mixes an enjoyable story with puzzles and healthy dose of learning. There’s a strong moral subtext to the proceedings and good manners are extoled at all times. During this particular adventure, Teddy Floppy Ear takes advantage of the beautiful spring weather and goes on a kayaking trip with his friend Piglet. He soon finds out that there is a problem with Mr. Catfish who acts a little too bossy, and needs to be taught a lesson in kindness. During his trip, our hero solves numerous puzzles testing mathematical skills, eye-hand coordination, logical thinking and perceptiveness.
The game can be completed in a few hours but could be spread out over a week or so, if played in measured sessions. I must admit I did enjoy this concise, amusing adventure and found the central character rather likable. Some of the time based puzzles proved challenging to a gentleman of my mature years but children will more than likely complete them with ease. The simple kayaking sections of the game are restful, as is the ambient sound track by Michał Wasilewski. Overall I think the phrase “charming” is very appropriate for Teddy Floppy Ear – Kayaking. I look forward to playing both the Mountain Adventure and The Race, which seems to be a Teddy Floppy Ear themed kart game.
Oculus Rift to Retail at $599
The consumer electronics industry has been labouring on virtual reality for decades, pursuing what they see as the next major technological innovation of our time. I have never doubted that VR has many practical applications that are both beneficial and profitable. Gaming is certainly one of them, offering a new medium in immersive entertainment. However I have never felt especially enthralled the prospect of VR and what it has to offer. I don’t like experiences that isolate my senses and so the idea of placing a device over my head that does just is far from inviting.
The consumer electronics industry has been labouring on virtual reality for decades, pursuing what they see as the next major technological innovation of our time. I have never doubted that VR has many practical applications that are both beneficial and profitable. Gaming is certainly one of them, offering a new medium in immersive entertainment. However I have never felt especially enthralled the prospect of VR and what it has to offer. I don’t like experiences that isolate my senses and so the idea of placing a device over my head that does just is far from inviting.
However the development of the Oculus Rift in recent years has been a fascinating process to watch. The project was originally crowd funded in 2012 and those involved with its development had many laudable aspirations. The idea was to create something that was reasonably priced, customisable and accessible to as broader customer base as possible. Virtual reality and specifically the Oculus Rift were seen as part of the ongoing “democratisation” of technology. Sadly that perception took a major knock in July 2014 when Facebook acquired the Oculus VR for $2 billion and the hip indie ideology was replaced by corporate imperatives.
As of today consumers can finally pre-orders the CV1 version of the headset via the Oculus website. The unit price is $599 (£410) and orders will ship in March. This move was timed to coincide with the CES tech show in Las Vegas, where Oculus is demoing the headset. Although the technology on display has been broadly praised the price has not been well received among consumers, especially gamers. Costing $100 more than a next-gen console the device is not going to be universally adopted immediately. It is interesting to note that Oculus have not elected to sell the device at a discounted price to secure a foothold in this new market, despite the presence of competitors.
There are a few other things to consider with regard to the Oculus Rift and the whole VR idea per se. As of yet there is not a killer app for this medium; no essential game that showcases why we need VR. The headset also requires an extremely robust PC to showcase its abilities. Buying one may also require a similar cash outlay on a computer upgrade. There also doesn’t seem to be an immediately obvious ancillary market the developers can rely upon to raise further revenue, such as a licensing scheme or app store. All these factors could work against the Oculus Rift. If the device does not find its predicted market then it could end up being this year’s 3D TV.
An Unpleasant Truth
A few years ago I was listening to talk radio presenter Nick Ferrari discussing violence in video games. It’s a perennial subject that often fills the phone in schedules. Nick is in his mid-fifties, is not a gamer and struggles to understand its appeal. While talking to a caller, the conversation continuously came round to the fact that killing plays such an integral role in so many games. The caller did their best to highlight the other aspects of gaming, such as the challenge of attaining achievements, the development of new skills and the social dimension. To which Mr Ferrari simply said “so why not play chess?” which also offers all of the above. Now I considered this to be a good question at the time. Then recently I purchased a game that stated as a selling point that it contained absolutely no violence, which brought this subject back to mind.
A few years ago I was listening to talk radio presenter Nick Ferrari discussing violence in video games. It’s a perennial subject that often fills the phone in schedules. Nick is in his mid-fifties, is not a gamer and struggles to understand its appeal. While talking to a caller, the conversation continuously came round to the fact that killing plays such an integral role in so many games. The caller did their best to highlight the other aspects of gaming, such as the challenge of attaining achievements, the development of new skills and the social dimension. To which Mr Ferrari simply said “so why not play chess?” which also offers all of the above. Now I considered this to be a good question at the time. Then recently I purchased a game that stated as a selling point that it contained absolutely no violence, which brought this subject back to mind.
Obviously not all games are centred on killing. However let us proceed on the understanding that a sizeable portion do. Pick any premium title FPS then take a moment to consider its attractions. I’m sure such things as personal achievement, bragging rights and an adrenaline rush, come to mind. I’m sure catharsis and letting off steam also play a part. However, is there not an elephant in the room? And would not that said pachyderm be violence? It is a very emotive point. The moment that term is introduced into the equation, people will naturally start to backpedal. We are modern gamers. We are reconstructed, renaissance men and women. We are no longer knuckle trailing cellar dwellers. We’re well rounded, fully functional, emotionally connected human beings. As such, do we really wish to admit to a facet of our nature that is considered taboo?
Well most of us don’t. So we will spin as much bullshit as possible to avoid being linked to this aspect of gaming. Perhaps it would help if I admitted a few things, that possibly a lot of gamers do to a greater or lesser degree. When playing an FPS, I frequently give vent to the less seemly aspects of my personality. For example, I become extremely angry if things do not go my way, or if I am “one shotted” by some gaming savant. Furthermore I relish not just the defeat of an enemy but the very act of violence itself that is used; the more extreme and outrageous the better. Rational behaviour goes out the window and I become a potty mouthed, ill tempered, boiling cauldron of emotions. I revel in the exhilaration of this state. There is nothing like adrenaline and strong emotions to make you feel alive.
Gaming often inspires a broad spectrum of emotional responses. Be it the touchy-feely warmth of social gameplay, or throwing a complete fit because you got beat at Mario Kart once again. But it is the FPS that affords you the opportunity to act in a manner that you normally would never countenance, that elicits the strongest response. Society runs on a strict set of rules and a requirement that the public adheres to them. Unlike some people, I am happy to accept that everybody has the capacity to behave in the opposite fashion. These negative facets of our personality may well be baggage from our evolutionary past, but they cannot be ignored. I am not in any way endorsing that we should embrace these passions and allow them to govern our lives, but I do feel it is important that we at least acknowledge them.
At times gaming has shown me some of the less pleasant facets of my own nature. However rather than encourage these traits, I believe that gaming allows me to identify them, manage them and even purge them. Now I know a lot of people will reject this notion, as it offends their moral sensibilities to admit that within every human being a monster lurks. Yet has history not shown us that the most heinous crimes that we’ve committed against each other have frequently been carried out by regular people such as you and me? Therefore I believe it beneficial that gaming can provide a conduit for the channelling of aggression in a positive manner, in the same way that sports can.
Classic Game Themes: Star Trek Online
MMORPG genre frequently benefits from a robust and charismatic score. It helps greatly in establishing specific races, classes and regions within the game, giving them a unique identity and characteristics. Music can be used to provide the player with audio cues about the environment and the quests they are undertaking. The use of a leitmotif can be invaluable in establishing a games tone as the story progresses. Therefore many games in this genre have sumptuous scores by established composers. As so many are set within a traditional fantasy setting, many soundtracks seem to follow a particular pattern. Star Trek Online however is one of a handful of science fiction based MMOs and as a result its soundtrack is subtly different.
MMORPG genre frequently benefits from a robust and charismatic score. It helps greatly in establishing specific races, classes and regions within the game, giving them a unique identity and characteristics. Music can be used to provide the player with audio cues about the environment and the quests they are undertaking. The use of a leitmotif can be invaluable in establishing a games tone as the story progresses. Therefore many games in this genre have sumptuous scores by established composers. As so many are set within a traditional fantasy setting, many soundtracks seem to follow a particular pattern. Star Trek Online however is one of a handful of science fiction based MMOs and as a result its soundtrack is subtly different.
Many fans have had their musical association with Star Trek shaped by such composers as Sol Kaplan, Alexander Courage, Dennis McCarthy and Jay Chattaway, who contributed to the scores of the various TV shows. However it is the movie spinoffs and their iconic themes from the likes of James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith that perhaps have made the most lasting impressions. Naturally when Star Trek Online launched in 2010, players were expecting something inherently in the idiom of the established franchise and suitable epic considering the scope of the game. Thankfully composer Kevin Manthei musically literate score managed to address expectations and remains a very engaging and varied game soundtrack.
Kevin has a strong background in composing for games as well as television. He also studied at the University of Southern California under Jerry Goldsmith, which possibly gives him a further insight into the existing sound of Star Trek. Certainly a lot of his work for STO still retains an inherently nautical theme which both Goldsmith and Horner explored with their movie soundtracks. There is also a healthy dose of tribal percussion to cues associated with the Klingons. But it is in space and through the ambient music that plays whilst exploring that really seems to evoke the heart of Star Trek. Through a diverse selection of themes, the player really gets a sense of the enormity of respective quadrants and the thrill of boldly going where no one has gone before.
A Year in Gaming Part 2
I started 2015 playing RPGs. Despite becoming bored with Dragon Age: Inquisition and its ponderous storyline, I still found this particular genre engaging. January and February are often slows months in my line of work, so it’s a good time of year to immerse oneself in games of this type. I played through both Arcania : Gothic 4 and Rise of the Argonauts and found them both to be enjoyable. Neither of these titles was revolutionary, being mainly “business as usual” RPGs. However both were bought as part of gaming bundles and the discounted price does have an impact upon my gaming expectations. For what they were, I enjoyed them.
I started 2015 playing RPGs. Despite becoming bored with Dragon Age: Inquisition and its ponderous storyline, I still found this particular genre engaging. January and February are often slows months in my line of work, so it’s a good time of year to immerse oneself in games of this type. I played through both Arcania : Gothic 4 and Rise of the Argonauts and found them both to be enjoyable. Neither of these titles was revolutionary, being mainly “business as usual” RPGs. However both were bought as part of gaming bundles and the discounted price does have an impact upon my gaming expectations. For what they were, I enjoyed them.
During the course of the year I strayed from my using game choices on two occasions and both proved to be good decisions. Hand of Fate is an action role-playing video game with roguelike and deck-building elements. I usually never touch deck based games but the fact that each hand of cards plays out in third person action combat intrigued me. Furthermore the creators Defiant Development have continually patched and added free DLC to the game over the course of the year. The other title that was a departure from my usual purchasing habits was The 39 Steps, which is a digital adaptation of John Buchan’s classic story. The interactive narrative that allows you to engage with the world around you and discover the story is imaginative and creative. I hope that Scottish developer The Story Mechanics do more famous novels in this idiom.
As I stated in my previous post about my gaming experiences of 2015, that I’ve changed my stance on the MMO genre. I have continued to play through content updates for LOTRO and am overall pleased that such material is still being produced. However the latest update set in Minas Tirith is of varying quality and for ever good and engaging quest line, there is also an arbitrary or frankly disappointing one. I have never been a fan of the Epic Battles but the two new ones set upon the walls of Minas Tirith are extremely underwhelming. As ever the NPCs do most of the fighting and I found my involvement relegated to cutting grappling hooks from the walls. Navigating around the wall and city circle below is confusing and frustrating. Update 17 is also somewhat unstable and I have had more crashes to desktop over the last month than I’ve had in the game for the last few years.
Star Trek Online proved to be far more engaging in 2015 than in previous years. The Delta Recruitment event was a great way to encourage players back to the game and to reward levelling. I enjoyed my experience so much I bought a discount lifetime subscription. Like LOTRO, STO benefits from a great IP and they really do utilise it well. Cast members from the show continue to voice characters that they’ve played and the standard of writing is consistently high. STO is also the only game in which I’ll grind through seasonal festivals as Cryptic are one of the few developers that giveaway decent loot, rather generic cosmetic items. I have earned two Tier 6 ships over the course of the year, both of which are worth £20 each.
I tried Marvel Heroes this summer after hearing positive feedback about the game from several friends. I must admit the game does provide a great way to scratch that pew pew itch and the barrier to entry is low. You can roll an alt and be playing within minutes of downloading the client. It’s also one of those titles where there’s always something going on or something to work towards. However because I don’t have any major ties to the source IP, I decided not to make this one of my primary gaming titles. I was hoping that the Heart of Thorns expansion for Guild Wars 2 would fill that role. Sadly the new landmass and class were not to my liking and ArenaNet are simply taking the game in a direction I’m not happy with. So Guild Wars 2 was finally uninstalled from my PC where it’s been since the games launch in August 2012.
It is customary to list ones favourite games at this time of the year or pick a specific title that is worthy of praise. For me that has to be The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. The fact that I played over three hundred hours between October and November indicates how compelling I found it. The open world is magnificent, rich with detail and a dynamic weather system. The game mechanics are sufficiently varied to be engaging without being too complex. You can play tactically relying upon your spells or focus on potions and support items if you please. Naturally if you prefer a more hands on approach you can go full out DPS. But the games crowning glory is its narrative and the sense that your decisions really do have an impact upon the world. I cannot remember the last time I played such a gripping story and cared this much about the central characters. The story telling in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is adult and complex. This is not a binary world with clear cut consequences.
2015 has seen a reduction in my overall gaming per se. My free time has fresh demands upon it and coupled with my changing relationship to both fandom and the wider gaming community, I don’t feel disposed towards playing as much. The close of the year has seen me dabble with the cell phone controlled RPG, Eon Altar and that has been a positive experience so far. I also bought GTA V at a discounted price so have explored that open world in recent weeks. At present I do not have any major titles in mind to purchase in 2016. I suspect that the next twelve months will more than likely follow the same path as the last, with regard to game releases and my attitude towards them. I suspect if gaming wants to vie for my attention in 2016, it will have to pull something quite special out of the bag.
A Year in Gaming Part 1
This time last year I wrote a two part post called A Year in MMOs. Twelve months later I find myself writing a similar round-up of my gaming activities. However this time round the title has now become A Year in Gaming. One of the most significant changes for me over the course of 2015 has been my step away with the MMO genre. Where in the past I would seek out new titles and stay abreast of those in development, I now find myself no longer drawn to the genre by default. Traditional titles such as LOTRO have been sidelined. This is because both MMOs and I have changed over recent years. Although I still play this genre (mainly STO), I do so sparingly and it is no longer the apple of my eye or the mainstay of my gaming time.
This time last year I wrote a two part post called A Year in MMOs. Twelve months later I find myself writing a similar round-up of my gaming activities. However this time round the title has now become A Year in Gaming. One of the most significant changes for me over the course of 2015 has been my step away with the MMO genre. Where in the past I would seek out new titles and stay abreast of those in development, I now find myself no longer drawn to the genre by default. Traditional titles such as LOTRO have been sidelined. This is because both MMOs and I have changed over recent years. Although I still play this genre (mainly STO), I do so sparingly and it is no longer the apple of my eye or the mainstay of my gaming time.
Game design and mechanics naturally evolve over time and are often driven by basic market forces. There is therefore a wealth of differences between games such as Ultima Online and Guild wars 2. Although I have adapted to the more casual game play that is now prevalent in the genre recently, I do find that MMOs are becoming increasingly homogeneous. Beyond their own setting and lore, new titles seldom have anything different to offer with regard to game design. They lack of a killer mechanic; something that makes them a radically different experience from their competitors. Then there is the requirement to invest time in such games, which is something I can no longer do. The days of me playing a particular game every day for five hours or more have past.
So this year I’ve found myself playing more single player games; titles that can be played and completed within a reasonable time span. In fact I found this to be a satisfying aspect in my overall gaming experience. I like the idea of playing through a compelling story at a measured pace and then reaching a definitive conclusion. This may take just a dozen hours, as was the case with Hand of Fate and Rise of the Argonauts or over three hundred with titles such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It is an experience more akin to reading a book, indicating that a strong narrative is an essential aspect of my gaming enjoyment. It would seem that as I get older I want less of a challenge and more of an emphasis on entertainment. Excessively complex games, with a steep learning curve and chronic skills bloat are not as attractive to me as they use to be.
Another facet of gaming that has changed for me this year has been my perception of the wider community, including both fan and professional websites. I have stopped reading several news outlets and blogs simply because they do not provide any valuable information about games any more. 2015 has been the year of the live stream of the "let's play" video on You Tube and these are now an integral part of my decision making process as to whether to buy a game or not. However I’m increasingly finding that my age often put me at odds with many of the You Tube personalities. I appreciate that many are running commercial endeavours but their need to “entertain” and be “characters” for me gets in the way of the reviews and critiques. Take for example Jim Sterling’s #FuckKonami “campaign”. I broadly agree with the sentiments he’s trying to express but the very terms it’s couched in just strike me a puerile and therefore mitigate much of the point.
When you are a fan of something, you often feel that it is something special, unique and meaningful. There is a chance that the object of your affection is all those things but more often than not that is simply wishful thinking. Games are commercial leisure products, made with the express purpose of making money for the publishers. The wider industries associated with marketing and reviewing them are similarly self-serving. Perhaps part of a gamer’s personal journey over time is finding a sense of perspective on these matters. I believe this year I have found such a point of equilibrium. Gaming is an entertaining leisure activity and that on occasions can be art. But for most of the time it is an ephemeral pastime and a shamelessly commercial endeavour (I’m looking at you Star wars Battlefront) and therefore should be treated as such.
A positive lesson I have learnt over the course of this year’s gaming is that I now have a very clear handle on what I want from the title that I play. Apart from one mistake which was the Guild Wars 2 expansion Heart of Thorns, I have enjoyed all of the purchases that I have made this year. This essential comes down to fully researching each title and what it specifically has to offer as well as at what price point I purchase a product at. Once again it is interesting how the financial cost of a game impacts upon ones expectations. I no longer feel like a child in a toy shop, running from display to display, overwhelmed by the choice available. 2015 has been the year of coming to terms with what games are and what I want from them. It's only taken me a quarter of a century!
LOTRO – Major Initiatives for 2016
Turbine has published their 2016 road map (or major initiatives as they now call them) for LOTRO and as ever, it is being hotly debated on both the official forums and on sites such as Massively Overpowered. Next year LOTRO will see a level cap increase to 105, the inclusion of a new instance clusters, a twelve player raid and the start of a collection system. The two yearly updates will take players to the Battle of Pelennor Fields and then on to the Black Gates of Mordor. Turbine are also promising to regularly fix bugs and improve what they call “quality of life”. Overall I think this is just “business as normal” as far as LOTRO goes and once again I think we have to be realistic about the sort of new content you get in an MMO of this age. If Turbine can deliver all the above then frankly I’ll just roll with it.
Turbine has published their 2016 road map (or major initiatives as they now call them) for LOTRO and as ever, it is being hotly debated on both the official forums and on sites such as Massively Overpowered. Next year LOTRO will see a level cap increase to 105, the inclusion of a new instance clusters, a twelve player raid and the start of a collection system. The two yearly updates will take players to the Battle of Pelennor Fields and then on to the Black Gates of Mordor. Turbine are also promising to regularly fix bugs and improve what they call “quality of life”. Overall I think this is just “business as normal” as far as LOTRO goes and once again I think we have to be realistic about the sort of new content you get in an MMO of this age. If Turbine can deliver all the above then frankly I’ll just roll with it.
First and foremost what strikes me the most about this road map is how near we are to the “end” both in terms of the story of The Lord of the Rings and the license that keeps the game afloat. If we find ourselves at the Morannon in late October 2016, then the following year will really be about rapping up the storyline and giving players a satisfactory conclusion. Personally I don’t think there is scope for any further license extensions or stays of execution and that once the expiry date of the current legal agreement is met, then the game will fold. Therefore I want to see the epic story in LOTRO concluded in a satisfactory way. The road map for next year seems to be addressing this. The game dawdled too long between 2010 and 2012.
Popular opinion on the nominal level cap increase seems split. It raises such issues as a new gear grind or more specifically a new set of essences to obtain. Once again many of those debating the pros and cons of this forthcoming change fail to see that they are not really representative of the majority of LOTRO players. My primary character is a level 100 Lore-master and I have elected not to pursue essences for slotted gear. I only play the PVE content and have found that not having the highest stats on my gear has not been an impediment. As for my LI it is imbued and I see no reason to throw any further resources at it. It can simply level as I do. Again my gameplay is not suffering as result of this decision. If you don’t want to grind then don’t do so.
Something else to ponder is that Turbine have responded to player concerns in the past and deferred such things as level cap increases. It may not be likely that they’ll do it again but I think it demonstrates that there is scope for augmentation to the 2016 road map. Plus there is the major hurdle of completing the new server migration and the technical revisions being made to the in-game chat system. If these prove to be problematic and swallow precious time and resources then it could prove ill for LOTRO. Only time will tell. In the meantime for the average LOTRO player it’s been an adequate year and it looks like the next twelve months will be so to. Considering that the MMO genre is no longer the paragon of virtue and cash cow that it use to be, I think we should consider Turbines 2016 plan to be the best option available.
Is there Such a Thing as Game of the Year?
December is a time for top ten lists, retrospectives and summaries. You’ll find them on most blogs, fansites, podcasts and You Tube channels. I’m sure I’ll be producing some content of this nature myself over the next fortnight. Christmas puts a lot of demands upon our time so posts of this kind are a necessity more often than not. Naturally one of the most common subjects of debate is the so called “Game of the Year”, which at first glance seems a somewhat innocuous subject. However it’s a far more contentious matter when you stop and consider by what criteria do you judge a game to award it such a title? Plus there’s the perennial issue of gamers not being the most level headed group when it comes to controversies and dissent.
December is a time for top ten lists, retrospectives and summaries. You’ll find them on most blogs, fansites, podcasts and You Tube channels. I’m sure I’ll be producing some content of this nature myself over the next fortnight. Christmas puts a lot of demands upon our time so posts of this kind are a necessity more often than not. Naturally one of the most common subjects of debate is the so called “Game of the Year”, which at first glance seems a somewhat innocuous subject. However it’s a far more contentious matter when you stop and consider by what criteria do you judge a game to award it such a title? Plus there’s the perennial issue of gamers not being the most level headed group when it comes to controversies and dissent.
So what exactly makes a game a candidate for Game of the Year? A large number of positive reviews from the gaming press? Or a high numbers of sales? May be it comes down to popular consensus from the gaming community? May be its all three? The thing is there isn’t a definitive formula or specific methodology. For a lot of bloggers, streamers and podcasters it simple comes down to an arbitrary decision of what game they enjoyed the most. I for example have played a lot of Witcher 3 this year and had immense fun with. I could label that my Game of the Year but as I have not played a great deal of other games and many of the AAA titles that have been released, am I really making an objective statement?
I’ve read more about games this year, than I’ve played them. As I’ve stated in recent posts I have less time for games and my overall relationship with this pastime has changed. As a result I see the underlying concept of Game of the Year as being merely a marketing term; a sound bite or a tag line to place on advertising or packaging. Some of the lists that my blogging colleagues produce can be entertaining. At this level I say that’s the purpose of the title, Game of the Year. It’s a talking point. Yet sooner or later such debates are derailed by trolls who fail to grasp the concept of differing opinions. Plus it’s also worth considering did we really get any truly ground breaking, innovative and radically different games this year, worthy of such a title? Or did we merely get more of the same with some games managing just a little more polish than others?
So Long Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 has always been a game that’s easy to return to. In many ways this has been the game’s biggest selling point for me. The lore doesn’t appeal to me that much but the games frictionless approach to combat and character stats have always made it easy to jump back into after being away. So for the last three years I have been a regular visitor to Tyria. However, many of the changes that came with the October expansion, Heart of Thorns, were not to my liking. That’s not to say that they were bad. They seem to have found favour in some quarters. But from my perspective the changes made to Guild Wars 2 have not improved or enhanced it and took the game in a direction contrary to my tastes. As a result I have stopped playing the game entirely.
Guild Wars 2 has always been a game that’s easy to return to. In many ways this has been the game’s biggest selling point for me. The lore doesn’t appeal to me that much but the games frictionless approach to combat and character stats have always made it easy to jump back into after being away. So for the last three years I have been a regular visitor to Tyria. However, many of the changes that came with the October expansion, Heart of Thorns, were not to my liking. That’s not to say that they were bad. They seem to have found favour in some quarters. But from my perspective the changes made to Guild Wars 2 have not improved or enhanced it and took the game in a direction contrary to my tastes. As a result I have stopped playing the game entirely.
In many respects I find abrupt change interesting. Guild Wars 2 was sold upon release on the idea that it wasn’t based around forced grouping, the holy trinity of classes and the ubiquitous gear grind. The game was flexible and decidedly different from the average MMORPG. Over recent years there has been a slow about turn on all these aspects of the game. This autumn’s expansion has been a further validation of this, with content that could only be completed via a group and a return to traditional raiding with new class variations to facilitate such gameplay. The increased focus on PvP by developers ArenaNet means that Guild Wars 2 has even less appeal for me now.
As a mature gamer I’m not heart broken by these changes and I do not blame the developers for trying to keep Guild Wars 2 financially viable. I hope it works out for them. The fact is that things change and they don’t always change in your favour. Therefore I shall not be playing Guild Wars 2 any further as it no longer has anything to offer me that I like. I see no reason to repeat old content, having taken three alts to level cap. So as of today I have uninstalled Guild Wars 2 and wished it a fond farewell. No tears, no fuss. The entire situation reminds me of my relationship with Doctor Who. I use to like it but it changed too much for my taste so we parted company. Such is life.
Returning to Middle-earth Again
Now that Turbine have settled into the pattern of releasing two content updates for LOTRO a year, I have correspondingly settled into the pattern of re-subscribing for a month or two when each one appears. The latest, Update 17 The Siege of Minas Tirith, went live on 27th October but as there was so much other gaming content released at that time, I postponed my customary winter excursion to Middle-earth. I must admit that I had provisionally checked out the new area and the iconic city of Minas Tirith on the Bullroarer test server and I was not especially impressed. However as of last night having found the time in my gaming schedule I decided it was time to re-subscribe to LOTRO and push on with the epic story.
Now that Turbine have settled into the pattern of releasing two content updates for LOTRO a year, I have correspondingly settled into the pattern of re-subscribing for a month or two when each one appears. The latest, Update 17 The Siege of Minas Tirith, went live on 27th October but as there was so much other gaming content released at that time, I postponed my customary winter excursion to Middle-earth. I must admit that I had provisionally checked out the new area and the iconic city of Minas Tirith on the Bullroarer test server and I was not especially impressed. However as of last night having found the time in my gaming schedule I decided it was time to re-subscribe to LOTRO and push on with the epic story.
Having recently transferred from Gilrain server with most of my kinship, this is the first time I’ve undertaken any major content on our new home of Laurelin. Sadly my hopes for a more vibrant game economy have not happened. The auction house on this server is just as devoid of a broad spectrum of gear and items as the previous. It would appear that no one seems to craft and sell level cap items anymore. I blame slotted armour. It would appear that out of the two European English language servers that survived Turbines downsizing, Evernight has proven more popular. I may well at a future date move an alt there to see if there are any significant advantages on that server.
As for the latest instalment of the epic story, it is proving to be quite engaging once you have got beyond orientating yourself around Minas Tirith and carrying out the ubiquitous fetch quests. As ever with Turbine, there are times when the story telling in LOTRO really does demonstrate a keen understanding of Tolkien’s source text. Such moments are always enjoyable. Then there times when some of the regional quests really do feel arbitrary. There’s a particular quest requiring you to kill three captains of the enemy in camps in the Pelennor fields. These NPCs do not always spawn in the same place and may be at one of three possible locations. Rather than feeling challenging it simply comes across as a cheap way to extend the quests playing time. Sadly this is how Turbine’s content has become recently; of varying quality mainly due to a lack of time and resources.
Minas Tirith itself is a rather dour and sombre affair. Far from being the White City it’s rather drab and grey. As I suspected after the beta test, there are copious quantities of fast mounts to help navigate around the cities seven levels. Exploring each level is fun initially and if you’re not in a rush can yield some nice hidden features. However after a while the novelty soon wears off and its design simply becomes an impediment to travel and a pain in the butt. If you leave the city and travel Old Anorien you soon discover that the mob density has been cranked up. Again you can cogently argue that this is a ploy to slow players down etc. The addition of two warbands in such close proximity to each other is a similar example.
Nostalgia and fond memories are major factors when it comes to playing LOTRO and I think Turbine is fully aware of this. They’ve fully committed to the Big/Epic battles system and there are a further two in the latest update. Yet I still strangely have enough goodwill towards this ageing MMO to endure these and soldier on to the next stage of the story. I still think about the immense fun I had playing LOTRO between 2008 -2009. Plus there’s the fact that there isn’t any other Tolkien based game of this kind around, nor it there likely to be in the future. So I guess I like many players I will dutifully work through Update 17 and then leave, only to return again in the Spring when the next update becomes available.
Eon Altar: Early Access
Last week I got to try the RPG Eon Altar which I subsequently discussed with my co-host Brian on the Burton & Scrooge podcast. We were overall very positive about the game which is currently in early access on Steam. However we could not play the game in co-op mode as it is not designed for collaborative internet play. Eon Altar is intended for up to four people to play co-operatively, locally via your wireless network. This is very much a game that caters to social play, via your living room and couch. So I press ganged my son into helping me out and managed to spend three hours today checking out the co-op aspect of the game. Let me say right up front that Eon Altar comes into its own when played with two or more players and that this is the optimal way to play the game.
Last week I got to try the RPG Eon Altar which I subsequently discussed with my co-host Brian on the Burton & Scrooge podcast. We were overall very positive about the game which is currently in early access on Steam. However we could not play the game in co-op mode as it is not designed for collaborative internet play. Eon Altar is intended for up to four people to play co-operatively, locally via your wireless network. This is very much a game that caters to social play, via your living room and couch. So I press ganged my son into helping me out and managed to spend three hours today checking out the co-op aspect of the game. Let me say right up front that Eon Altar comes into its own when played with two or more players and that this is the optimal way to play the game.
For those who are unfamiliar with this game it a co-op isometric RPG featuring all the usual mechanics you’d associate with the genre. There are abilities to unlock and gear to upgrade, as well as consumables to craft. The main difference is that the game requires a smartphone or tablet to play and that the device is more than just a mere controller but in many ways your character. It’s a very innovative approach and makes playing collaboratively a much more personal experience. Character interaction is handled via the phone and players can elect to share unique information within their team or pursue their own goals. This adds an interesting dimension to group undertakings.
It is important to note that Eon Altar is currently still a work in progress and at present only three levels are available. There are four classes to choose from; Battlemage, Assassin, Crusader and Guardmans. During my co-op play through I chose the Assassin and my son opted for the Battlemage. This gave us the advantage of ranged attacks but left us a little squishy when engaged in melee combat. It did not take us long to discover this and adjust our tactics accordingly. The game environment can at times encourage you to run headlong into new areas with the allure of loot. The isometric view can occlude your view at times and there is the risk of pulling all mobs in an area.
As I mentioned on the podcast, movement via the smartphone is extremely fluid. You can set waypoints and run to them or keep your finger on the screen and control your alt directly. Navigating your characters build and stats via your phone is intuitive. The drop down menus and their respective nested screens are relatively easy to fathom. Minor issues such as font size can be challenging for those with “older” eyes but overall this easy to use. The skills wheel in combat is also very logical. Where the game is lacking at present is with its tutorials. It takes a while to figure out when you should be looking at the monitor/TV screen and when you need to be looking at your phone.
I do not consider myself an excessively lazy player and am not afraid to investigate a games mechanics, interface and the virtual environment it takes place in to figure things out. However there were several occasions while playing Eon Altar where I wanted a prompt either on screen or via the phone. Has a dialogue discussion finished? Where do I go next? Can I have a clue or a hint as to how to solve a problem or fight a foe? Because of the nature of the game I don’t necessarily expect a full blown world map but a bread crumb trail or an arrow would have been beneficial. I ended my co-op session because it could be determined what to do next.
Isometric views in games as mentioned earlier have advantages and disadvantages. For example if players choose to go in opposite directions the game camera can only accommodate them so far. Eventually someone has to decide to follow the group. Perhaps having the ability to flag a player as leader would be useful. A follow option would also help greatly. There were several times when the in game camera panned round in such a fashion that a wall was in the way. The game deals with this by making the obstacle opaque but is still blocks your cursor/reticle which cause no end of problems if a fight starts.
Another matter to be mindful of while playing Eon Altar is friendly fire from AoE skills, especially those used by the Battlemage. It is important to watch where you stand and the inclusion of a tell or marker showing where AoE damage will occur would reduce “accidents” from happening. Ranged bow skills require the avatar to be a specific distance away from the target. At present the game will simply run your character to the optimal location when the skill is used. It would be nice if there was a way of choosing a safe location before using the bow attacks and that the game highlighted these, similarly to the way SWTOR does with the smuggler class.
The above comments are designed to provide some hopefully useful feedback for the developers. However I would like to point out that despite the issues one naturally encounters with an early access game, I had immense fun playing two player co-op. As this game is designed to be played via a sofa rather than across the internet, it has a different social dimension. My son and I quickly got very competitive with regard to looting. Basically is became a race as to who got all the “good shit” first. I have a suspicion that four player co-op with the right group of friends would be a genuinely enjoyable and laugh out loud experience. There’s so much scope for “accidently killing” your team mates, friendly bickering, getting lost and general tomfoolery. For me this is the core of quality social gaming, as it was with multiplayer sessions on the SNES back in the day.
After playing yesterday, I sent my game logs files to Flying Helmet Games, who are proactively seeking feedback at present. There is a forum to leave bug details as well as your overall thoughts. The various developers and company managers are also accessible on Twitter. As I consider Eon Altar to be a game with a lot of potential, I naturally would like to help in any way I can with ironing out the bugs and seeing the full game released. I look forward to playing again soon and hope that a new build is forthcoming. If you are interested in assisting an indie developer with an innovative product and are fully aware of the ramifications of early access, then you may wish to pick up a copy of Eon Altar.
The Elder Scrolls Online and the $1,000,000 Giveaway
In the past an MMO kept players engaged with their game by the psychology of the subscription model and providing content updates. Loyalty and the overall cost of running multiple games meant that most players dedicated themselves to one game and stuck with it. Free to play eliminated these ties and a lot of MMO players became a lot more itinerant. Developers therefore have had to become a lot more creative in finding ways to keep people logging into their games. Hence we now find many MMOs that feature daily rewards, content that has to be unlocked by claiming it and short term events that offer unique rewards.
In the past an MMO kept players engaged with their game by the psychology of the subscription model and providing content updates. Loyalty and the overall cost of running multiple games meant that most players dedicated themselves to one game and stuck with it. Free to play eliminated these ties and a lot of MMO players became a lot more itinerant. Developers therefore have had to become a lot more creative in finding ways to keep people logging into their games. Hence we now find many MMOs that feature daily rewards, content that has to be unlocked by claiming it and short term events that offer unique rewards.
The Elder Scrolls Online launched in April 2014 with a subscription based business model. By March 2015 the game went buy to play and was rebranded TESO: Tamriel Unlimited. Developers ZeniMax now find themselves in a very competitive gaming market in which MMORPGs are no longer the cash cow they were considered to be a decade ago. Like many companies they have been striving to maintain their share of the market and find a way to keep players logging in and playing, as well as encouraging perspective players to buy the base game. I must admit that their latest marketing campaign does have a novel approach and an interesting hook. Bethseda Softworks are to giveaway $1,000,000 to one lucky player, be they an existing or new customer.
The criteria for entry are at first glance somewhat straightforward. You need to log in to the game or complete an entry form available online by January 10th 2016. The winner will be drawn on 1st February and the funds duly paid. At present the base version of the game is currently retailing at its full price, although discounted keys can be found from reseller sites. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were another major Steam sale over the Christmas period. Needless to say the chance to win such a cash prize will definitely cause a spike in account logins. Whether returning players decide to stick around remains to be seen.
Like most competitions there’s a wealth of small print as well as terms and conditions. As each country has its own legislation governing giveways some geographical regions are excluded from entering. As you would expect this has caused those affected to protest most vocally online. As for myself, I briefly considered buying the game and entering but when you consider the initial cost and the approximate odds of winning, this is not a particularly sound gambling proposition. Sure I’d end up with a game that I could play but I have neither the time nor the inclination for another MMO at present. Part of me also thinks this stunt is a little tacky. I’d much rather be enticed to play a game because of some well-made new content. But this is how the gaming industry runs nowadays. Mass appeal has simply lead to greater commercialism. Makes you wonder what the next developer/publisher will do to top this?
Star Trek Online: Q's Winter Wonderland!
Regular readers probably know by now that I'm not a huge fan of festivals in MMOs. Mainly because they never seem to offer rewards that I want. Some folk love to collect cosmetic items and will happily repeat content to obtain them. I prefer a more tangible carrot on the end of the stick but sadly that seldom occurs. However Star Trek Online launched its seasonal festival today, namely Q's Winter Wonderland! This offers players the chance to claim a new Tier 6 ship, a Breen Rezreth Dreadnought Cruiser. This is quite a prize as the latest vessels sell for 3,000 Zen in the in-game store, which equates to about £20/$30.
Regular readers probably know by now that I'm not a huge fan of festivals in MMOs. Mainly because they never seem to offer rewards that I want. Some folk love to collect cosmetic items and will happily repeat content to obtain them. I prefer a more tangible carrot on the end of the stick but sadly that seldom occurs. However Star Trek Online launched its seasonal festival today, namely Q's Winter Wonderland! This offers players the chance to claim a new Tier 6 ship, a Breen Rezreth Dreadnought Cruiser. This is quite a prize as the latest vessels sell for 3,000 Zen in the in-game store, which equates to about £20/$30.
Now obviously Cryptic do not just give players this shiny new vessel on a plate. It has to be earned. Players have to repeat a special racing event that rewards 40 Winter Prize Vouchers, twenty five times before they can unlock their prize. The repeatable activity is far from hard though and simply requires players to beat the clock on a race course made of ice. The trick is to forward roll when taking corners to avoid sliding. I consider this even to be an equitable arrangement and as I am currently well disposed towards this MMO, will be "grinding" towards my goal.
There are of course plenty of other activities to partake of each day which give favours that can be exchanged for traditional cosmetic items such as a pets and winter wear. These are all winter themed and involve snowballs fights and an evil Borg assimilated snowmen invasion. I must admit I prefer the summer festival so I am at present simply working towards earning the new ship and not really partaking of the other activities. It may also be considered heresy but I’ve never been a fan of the character Q in Star Trek The Next Generation, having always found him somewhat trying and bombastic.
Overall I think ones attitude towards in-game events and festivals depends very much on your overall disposition towards the game itself. Since returning to STO in April I've been having a lot of fun which is what gaming is supposed to be about. Therefore I am more than happy to indulge Q's Winter Wonderland! Plus working towards a reward that has some practical benefits is sufficient motivation for me to continue with the required repeatable event. It's a shame that other MMOs don't take a leaf out of developer Cryptic's book, when it comes to viable festival rewards.