Late to the Party – League of Legends
I have really been enjoying myself in League of Legends. It's a pretty good PVP game, and one area in particular I think scales well in general (and a good lesson for other games) - the learning curve.
I did the tutorial(s), and jumped into Co-Op vs AI pretty quick for a bunch of levels. Here is where I learned the basics of the game, and familiarized myself with a few different champs (both playing, and against). Took me a while to get comfortable with the constant running away, but hey, it's a feature!
Level 10 jumped into PVP and they were pretty basic matches - stay in your lane, push towers, clear your lane of towers, push base, win.
I am now only level 16, and sitting at a 36W-26L record. Not spectacular, I know - but it's all part of the learning. As I progress, the game around me changes naturally as more advanced players are introduced and more advanced tactics. I'm sure somewhere around 20 random teams will start worrying about comps and junglers, but right now the game is advancing in difficulty (generally) as I am advancing in skill (generally). I don't actually play to win as much as I play to learn. Seems the more I focus on the latter the more the former happens.
This pace, if the average player pays attention and is willing to adapt, is providing a good learning curve. I suspect as I push 30 the games will continue to change to more of what the lvl 30 ranked games look like - I have a long way to go, but looking forward to learning and getting there. While not a MMO, I am actually enjoying the journey.
I even bought some Riot Points (LoL is FTP) and all that really does is helps me to get to 30 faster, if I feel my skills are outpacing my advancement (which it did) and I find I enjoy challenging games more than RoFL stomps anyway.
I'm playing Morgana, who is classified as support - but feels more like ranged damage. I also already own Soraka (support), Taric (support), Amumu (tank) and Pantheon (Melee/Damage). Morgana is who I play the best (and most) but I'm told that it's good to get good with a various amount of champions in case your team requires a role (at 16, no one seems to care about team comps - everyone just picks their favorite). So I'm twisting in different champs to get familiar and comfortable.
It's free and worth picking up, just get to level 10 before you decide the gameplay sucks. First few games I really didn't enjoy myself - but that is because I didn't take the time to learn the expectations (didn't watch a video, nada) - the team and strategy aspects really shines through once you get comfortable and a full grasp of what the point is.
Always seem to be late to the good parties. Fashionably late, of course.
Tuesday Ramblings.
I don't post nearly as much when I am playing. One of those funny things - when I play a lot, I don't post. When I'm not playing a lot, I post. With limited gaming/personal time, it just works out that way.
I am in, and there is, a SWTOR beta. That's all I am allowed to say (NDA wise). No no, not sharing any impressions either way, just sharing what I am allowwed to share. And that's it.
I have done a lot of beta tests at various stages, and the amusing part always is the disconnect between customer expectations based on released information, and what you see know when you are 'in the know' - hands on, so to speak. This observation is completely unrelated to my sentence prior, but is a pretty consistent and common theme in the beta tests (in general) I have participated in.
On a side note, I am somewhat shocked at the lack of World of Pandas/Pokemon rage. When I read the announcement I started going to some of my favourite blogging sites to enjoy reading pages upon pages of hate and anger. Perhaps it was because Blizz's next step down wasn't a surprise to anyone (anymore), or that bloggers just tend not to care about WoW anymore. If I missed any good posts on it, please link them.
I actually like the idea of the monk class (a personal favourite in EQ) but everything else is both unsurprising and uninspiring. I will tip my hat to Blizzard for fighting to the end, trying to break the standard-ish MMO growth curve and climb then slow decline. On a somewhat unrelated note, Zynga's IPO is due soon. Not sure why that popped into my head when writing this section.
Best blogging post I read this week goes to the BBB, and it's not even game related. JP sure has a way of tackling a polarizing topic in such a way to encourage thoughtfulness on the subject. While many may not agree with him, he hits the nail on the head, and it's a brave post considering his normal subject matter. (It's also a sad statement to qualify a post about human rights as being courageous - but you know what I mean. Right?)
Have a few posts I have been plugging away on in the background that I'll get to this week. Time permitting, of course =)
I did say ramblings, after all.
I Hate Mila!
Mild mannered bloggers over at Are We New At This? and High Latency Life are tackling an important issue in blognation. Why all the hate on WoW? I mean, it has eleventy (.2) billion subscribers! Something must be going right over at ActiBlizzEnron. It is a curious (and good) question in many ways. Chris Cavelle tries to calm the masses and instead suggests we all enjoy some Mila instead.
Thing is, I hate Mila.
I mean, she was talented in that 70's show, but her newer work in film has just been so much shallower.
I always have preferred red-heds to brunettes
I think she is losing weight, and I prefer curves to stick-women
The kids these days may like her, but I prefer a classier ladies - like Kate Beckinsale
Too much photo-shop
(See what I did there?)
All joking aside (and I really don't dis-like Mila) and light-fun-poking at the topic - personal tastes leads to criticism - constructive or not. While I prefer to read opinions that are constructive, people are going to write what they feel like. WoW is held as the 'standard' in MMO'ing, love it or hate it. Their design decisions, as proven by the whole failed-wow-clone design cycle syndrome, has impacted the direction of the genre for many years. Current and Ex-players like to wax their opinions on that impact, and the secret desire for every gamer to have every game "made just for me" (tm).
Just like everyone critiques every speech, decision, and outfit worn by the POTUS due to the perceived impact it has on people's lives, they do the same with things that impact their hobbies. Perhaps that isn't an entirely relevant analogy, but you wouldn't be able to guess the difference in importance reading some of those constructive criticisms (including some of my own.)
I played WoW for many years through the ups and downs, and had my fun with it. I'll no doubt pop back in next expansion to see if it's improved (for my tastes - important qualifier - I know many like it just as it is, even if sub numbers are shrinking). I think personally, I "hate" on WoW because the experience doesn't work for me like it used to. And because I still secretly want to play it, I complain about it. So I can still be involved in the discussion somehow.
Of course, if you wade through the mass of WoW 'bashing', you'll find some great gems in there that would indeed improve the game - and not just for whomever the author may be. You can see Blizz pushing for some (perhaps) real big changes (dissolving the holy trinity?) and adding features they swore up and down they never would do. Who knows, maybe Blizzard will Transmogrify their development. Will be fun to see. And bitch about. 
Never fear my friends, I predict WoW complaining will drop to an all time low on December 20th.
Customer Service Win
After reading this great customer service example over at World of Shadow, I'm back thinking of my own CS purchase experiences in the gaming world. Of course, from there, I can't help but continue to think, and discuss, why customer service basics don't flow over into the gaming sphere.
In my first link above, the author purchased from Riot (a la League of Legends fame) and their internal records notified him that within the preset 2 week time frame of his purchase, the item he bought had a price reduction. They credited his account the difference.
In my second link, I bought a game off of Steam for $19.99, only to have it go on sale the next day for $1.99. I was politely told "too bad, so sad" (aka - pound salt) when I asked if it was possible to get a credit for the difference.
The author from the first link is already planning a second purchase from Riot for their good customer service. I haven't bought anything from Steam since ( and almost a full year) and probably won't again. Not because I'm that jaded of a buyer, but because there are other means to buy games, and I'd prefer to purchase through services that value me as a client.
Not that I'll have much luck finding a retailer that rewards customer satisfaction. In the most basic of terms, customer satisfaction is the best predictor of future purchases. You would think the gaming world would get that by now - instead they seem intent that it is better to not get some money from many people, and get full price from people who do buy.
Some quick and easy ideas on how to retain customer satisfaction in gaming after the jump.
Tell Me What You Want (What You Really, Really, Want)
I think MMO nostalgia makes us funny people. Just yesterday I was thinking about EQ and the amazing times had there with people I still consider 'amazing'. Hell, I even went to my first ever guild message boards (circa 1999) after a 3 year hiatus to go say "hi" and see who was still kicking around and posting (long after the guild being retired). Funny enough there were people still poking their heads around there from time to time.
Of course, that led to a EQ1 trial download, and boy, is that game ever ugly. After dying to starter mobs a couple of times (yes, that's right, starter mobs can kill you!) and running out of mana halfway through my second fight, I had to laugh at myself. This was the world that made me fall in love with MMO's and the concept that gaming can reach a far greater audience than a saved game file on my hard drive. It had slightly less graphical appeal than minecraft. I lasted all of fifteen minutes before logging off, promising myself to actually give it a fair shot when I had more time, and left to go read some blogs.
My first MMO was EQ, then DAOC, then WoW. I played pretty much every MMO in between in either beta tests, short stints, or trials, but those three are the only three that captured my playtime for any significant period. All three are very different, of course, and are as reflective of a time period than anything to do with MMO.
What do we want from a MMO? Hard to figure that part out when I'm not even sure I know what *I* want. My off the cuff response to 'what does Isey want from a MMO' is pretty quick and easy to answer:
"A non-instanced, strategically paced, skill based, single world, sandbox style, relationship conducive, emotional driven fantasy world that I can enjoy in chunks of one hour (or less) two to three times a week (or when family/work time allows)."
Long answer, I love the thoughts behind this guy, and this guy, although it's hard to envision how the three would combine into an actual playable game (and I could easily link another half dozen bloggers who write about games I would play).
Ok! Easy enough. Let's get to work on that.. wait a minute.. does that really sound so good?
A lot of the systems and styles us fogeys keep discussing and clamoring for are things that have been already been dismissed in current and future game design as 'quality of life' improvements. As much as I say (and think), I want that 30 minute boat ride to Freeport, or having to speak in different languages to a complete stranger on that boat to improve my Erudite (15) language skill, it's easy to remember fondly but harder to actually play that way again. That 30 minutes would be half (or all) of a current play session for me.
Think 
vs 
And, while I can sit here and write about the systems, styles, and innovations I want (or think I want) from a MMO, the systems themselves do not really matter. I want a MMO that can illicit the emotion of the games I used to love. And I'm not sure that is entirely possible, but still remain hopeful.
What I do know is that in 10 years from now I probably won't be searching down my old WoW guilds to see if anyone is still kicking around.
Keen and Graev Hacked
I read a lot of blogs, and while surfing K&G's this morning turns out the 'Devil Hacker' hacked the website.
I'm curious if they had some post up picking on hackers or something, or just negatively reviewed a game they were playing and some fanboi took offence.
Conspiracy theorists: perhaps this is the beginning of targeted attacks on bloggers! Maybe there is a Clue type meta-game. "I suspect [Tesh], with the [DDOS attack], in the [Server Farm].
Bloggers beware.
Zombie Game : [insert verb or adjective here] Dead [insert verb or adjective here], etc.
Dead Island launched this week - a supposed cross between Fallout 3 and L4D. I haven't purchased it yet (waiting for the sale) but very curious how this turns out.
When I started doing research on the game, I came accross this video:
Couple of initial thoughts on that.
1) Dead child (albeit Zombie child - although that isn't really clear until watching the video) - kind of risky. At the same time, it really illicited emotions from me that game trailers typically don't. The combination of the reverse frame sequence, soft music, and visuals was very effective of portraying the struggle and loss of life. Very impressive that way.
Still effective in the reverse of the reversed version:
Reverse of the Reverse Trailer
2) Being a big fan of the often mindless (did I say 'often' - meant 'always!') zombie genre, the video gave me hope that the game itself could be a well placed adult oriented adventure of survival and horror to really sharpen up the genre. See: Dead [Rising], [Left 4] Dead,
Initial reviews explain the trailer to be misleading in that regard, and the game is plagued with a few notable hiccups (my pet peeve from those reports: searchable items (luggage, garbage bins) that respawn after time, making 'limited resources' actually unlimited).
I'll probably end up getting it at some point, will wait for a patch and some more reviews. Anyone have personal experience with this title?
PS - Bonus - the family in the video is actually in the game, so you can find their fate. (*spoilers on the video link*)
Family from Dead Island Trailer
World of Warcraft Tanky McTankertons
Last week Crabby McCraberton wrote a WoW Dev Blog on hotfixed changes to threat in World of Warcraft. Basically, they are removing (or working towards removing) threat as a variable in gameplay. They feel there are enough variables for tanks to worry about. This came on the heels of tank-bribery, CC changes and other mechanic adjustments to make tanking less stressful, and hopefully create an influx of tanks.
I always believed the whole idea of threat and tanking to be silly beyond reason, but understand there weren't many other creative ideas in play to replace it. This of course sparked an article, and mostly-wow-type-level-of-discussion on Wowinsider.com on whether it was time to "kill" tanking.
I think it is, and have thought so for some time. Whether or not that is actually possible in WoW itself - or if the devs would actually be innovative and do that - is doubtful
My personal experience in MMO's has mostly been as the healer. I had a natural affinity for it and the challenges that went along the responsibility of making up for players mistakes. On my 17th (or was that 18th?) return to WoW, and my solo nature of advancing my character after the advent of the dungeon finder tool, I decided to give tanking a shot. The insta queues for tanking and subsequent rewards for doing so actually work out wonderfully for a solo-MMO player - assuming that you have the requisite patience, modicum of "skill" required, and thick skin to enter the LFD. My playstyle (30 minutes here and there) meant I could log in, instantly get a group, accomplish something, and logoff. As a DPS toon, my first 30 minutes was spent waiting in the queue.
I came to really enjoy tanking. It fit my style and playtime, and I became pretty good at it. Problem for me was that I didn't *love* the class I was playing (Paladin) so I levelled up my Druid and tried him tanking. Same result. Loved tanking, not the class. OK, will try levelling my warrior - sigh. Just don't love the class! So while I spent a few months improving queue times for my DPS/healing friends, I couldn't settle in on a class liked to tank with.
My favorite class in WoW, heck, even one of 'all time', is the Shaman. If I could 'tank' with my Shaman I would probably still be playing today. The class style and totems just really works for me.
That puts me firmly in the belief that if you give a player the option to play what class they want to play, and the way they want to play it, those holes may be finally plugged. Just sayin'.
I haven't been following it closely,but my understanding is that GW2 won't require the trinity and as such, may be worth picking up - if indeed there is a class choice that resonates with me.
Fun Police for Jedi
EA and Bioware are wrapping everything into their 'hail mary pass' launch of SWTOR (pardon the pun) to do everything imaginable (and then some) to recoup their eleventy billion dollar investment.
For those of you who don't clicky links on blogs, they are releasing a PVP warzone based on a neutral planet where the good guys and the bad guys pause their intergalactic conflict (oh, that silly thing?) to partake in something loosely resembling football set in a fantasy world. Immersion breaking? Yes. Misguided? Probably. Downright silly? Uh-huh - if you are one of those Star Wars geeks who endear the IP.
But the real question is: will it be fun? Yes, probably. It sure looks that way. I just don't think it belongs there, and is an aspect that totally negates the whole point of having a story based (brand new pillar, amirite?) MMO in the first place.
Next PVP warzone being released is on hoth and involves both ice skates and a small round disk made from compressed wampa fat. DLC price of $10.
My hype meter is at an all time low for SWTOR.
Solution to the USA Debt Crisis
Take off, eh.
Yes, yes. Politics on a gaming blog is bad for business. However, I can't resist!
In the mid 90's Canada faced a very similar debt crisis - debt to GDP pushing 70%. Outrageous spending. Madness. The Federal Party at the time was the Liberal Party of Canada (I can already see my Republican American friends shuddering) and at that time Prime Minister Jean Chretien, and his Finance Minister Paul Martin, set a course to balance the books.
- Between 1995 - 1998 they cut Government spending by 14%
- For every ~$6 in expenditure cuts, they increased tax revenues by $1
- Unemployment dropped from 11.6% in 1995 to just over 6% by 2007
- Canada ran a budget surplus every year from 1998 to 2007
- Marginal tax rates very similar on individuals (27% USA, 31% Canada)
- Corporate tax rates better in Canada (Federal/Provincial) ~26% vs USA (Federal) 35% + State Corp tax of 0 - 4%
Here is the fun chart. Please remember that Canada's economy is tied VERY closely to the USA one.
While both economies were hit hard by the recession, the fallout and the result of it all didn't hit Canada nearly as hard. We are also leveling off the up curve really well.
I know it's far more complicated than just posting fancy charts, etc. My point here is that a 'socialist' country that provides universal health care and other expensive social programs with similar/lower taxation than our close friends south of the border can clean up their mess, the USA should be able too to.
Of course, it depends on if the political system will allow it to. Good luck my friends, and please remember that your friends up north and other good chunks of the world have figured this out before. Call if you need help.