Rest state is a funny thing. On the one hand, it seems ridiculous by definition to have a game reward players who don't play, but on the other hand, it's a nice incentive to periodically stop and do other things. (Like post to message boards.) Considering the recent brouhaha with Final Fantasy XIV and its implementation of a similar system, we decided to ask the staff what they thought about rest states. Several of them wound up sleeping through it, of course, but we've assembled several unfatigued answers. Read on past the break for what the crew will be up to, and be sure to let us know where you'll be resting (or not) over the weekend!
Beau Hindman (@Beau_Hindman): I will be starting on my next Rise and Shiny game: Imagine Online. It's surprising how much I am liking it, after just taking a bit to read up on how to play! Suddenly, I am murdering demons left and right. Other than that, I need to get my taming up in Zentia, and see how Dark Age of Camelot looks on this weird setup of mine.
Eliot Lefebvre: I intend to continue getting my City of Heroes on over the weekend, as well as possibly leveling up my solo experiment for a bit in Final Fantasy XI. It should be a fairly sedate weekend in terms of gaming, although I might also break out some older stuff and kick back a bit.
As for rest systems, I've always had a soft spot for them. I think they're a nice way to give players an incentive to come back to neglected alts or return to the game after a break, even if the implementation is frequently lacking. The whole "Day Job" system in City of Heroes has always been a personal favorite.
Lisa Poisso (@emused): Top secret beta stuff that will show up later this fall in MMO Family ... And listening to my son and husband drone on endlessly about the merits of their motorcycles in Fallen Earth. As for rest systems, I really don't like them anymore. I've discovered that if I'm really enjoying a game, I don't want to level/play faster anymore.
Jef Reahard: I'll be playing a new and extremely grinderrific MMO called World of Exam Preparation. If I get time to unplug from that, Age of Conan, EverQuest II, and EVE will do their usual number on my free time.
I don't much care about the rest mechanics, as I level at a snail's pace regardless. I guess if you could consider Age of Conan's offline levels or EVE's skill advancement "rest bonuses" (since you can actually do something fun in the game other than grind), they'd be my favorite.
Bree Royce: Finally going to have a pinch of free time this weekend, so it's Going Rogue for me, plus I may play a bit more Zentia, with which I totally fell in love thanks to Beau's column.
As for rest systems, I prefer EVE's, or rather, I prefer the way EVE rewards you with skill gain even when you're not playing, rather than giving you a "power hour" when you do play. Never liked budgeting my play around power hours; it feels artificial.
Jeremy Stratton (@Jeremy_Stratton): This weekend I prepare for my return to academia. It is, however, the weekend and I will try to get some time in EverQuest II Extended, Battleforge, and of course Runes of Magic. I've been bitten by the bug altimus manyus and have 3 Runes of Magic characters I now regularly log onto. I'm sure I'm overlooking many MMOs I've played, but I can only think of World of Warcraft and RoM when it comes to "rest" systems. So, WoW is my answer.
Krystalle Voecks (@Krystalle): Going to be a weekend full of Dragon*Con MMO panel prep for me, along with the final performances of Dog Sees God. As such, there will be very little gaming, save perhaps for a bit of Civilization Revolution on my iPhone. Hope to see some of you at D*C next week!
