Anarchy Online

It's a simple fact of life: Newer MMOs get all the blog love. World of Warcraft and EVE Online, in particular, are lavished with so many dedicated blogs that it's almost embarrassing, while most of the games that we look at in this column are practically ignored. It could just be that blogging didn't really come into vogue when these games came out, but whatever the reason, it's kind of a shame that few if any folks are out there blogging about their in-game experiences in Ultima Online or Asheron's Call.

That's why I was utterly surprised to see two brand-new bloggers hit the scene writing about Anarchy Online: Sephora's Closet and Donovan Drones. Both of these blogs came out of a community-wide effort to encourage new game writers in May, and I was so fascinated with their game du jour that I contacted each of them for an interview.

What would drive someone to blog about Anarchy Online in 2012? What is there in the game worth writing? How many more words do I need to write until this paragraph doesn't look pathetically skimpy? Come with me and we'll find out!

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First things first: Whatever MMO release is currently ticking you off is the worst launch of all time. It would be folly of me to try to convince you otherwise. You've been roundly slapped in the face and you don't want me to convince you that the pain was in vain. I understand.

Getting past that, however, would it be possible to examine the subsequent 10 worst launches in the MMO industry? If your trauma isn't too great, that is. It would be? Terrific!

What constitutes a horrible game launch is varied, although each and every one of the following games made an unfortunate blunder that caused the title to stumble instead of sprint out of the gate. It's not the end of the story, of course, but it does make for a good tale to tell to youngsters camping in the open woods or a particularly seedy LAN center.

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"I'd play this game again if the graphics were updated."

"If they re-released this game with modern graphics, it would be way more popular."

"The Game Archaeologist is my hero, and I will name my progeny in his honor."

How many times have we heard the above statements? From my perspective as someone who tries to keep tabs on classic MMOs, I see these claims quite a lot. Such sentiments pop up in nearly every other post Massively does about older games: "This title is rock-solid except for its aging visuals. Update those, and it would recapture its former glory and then some."

This has gotten me thinking whether such logic would pan out or not. With Anarchy Online's much-hyped graphics overhaul on the way, this discussion seems to crop up more often. Is the power of a graphics conversion or overhaul strong enough to pull back in previous players and fresh blood? Or is it merely slathering on new paint over a rusting hulk?

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Man oh man, why couldn't I just take a month or so off of this column without getting sucked back into it? Why must classic MMOs be so compelling and newsworthy these days?

I planned to take some time off of TGA while I went through Dark Age of Camelot in Choose My Adventure (which you're all reading, yes?), but there was so much to talk about regarding older MMOs that I couldn't sit back and stay mum. Ergo, I've dashed off this special "break" column devoted to commenting on recent news about classic games. Hopefully this will help tide you over until I get back into the full swing of things in April.

On the docket for today's discussion is Vanguard's forthcoming F2P change, EverQuest's recent conversion, Anarchy Online's stunning graphic engine video, and more!

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Massively Speaking Episode 195 wonders if you were actually fooled by any of the pranks that MMO studios put out there, or barring that, if some of the pranks sounded so cool that you wish they were real. For Massively's part, we brought back One Shots as a joke, and then we brought it back for real just because that was the best laugh of them all.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

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Game Director Fia "Lindelu" Tjernberg is absolutely pumped about Anarchy Online's future, and she's not shy about promoting it. In a massive March development update post, Tjernberg discusses many projects the team has in the works for the loyal citizens of Rubi-Ka.

Probably the biggest change on the immediate horizon is a brand-new global market interface that will allow players to buy and sell goods to each other. The market will be accessed at special terminals in the main cities as well as portable terminals, and can trade across all dimensions. Free players can browse the market, but only subscribers can buy or sell in it. Work-in-progress screenshots of the market were also posted to the main site.

She reports that while the team was happy to show off the upgraded graphics engine this past week, there's still a ways to go before it hits live. Other projects that occupy the devs' time are improving the new player experience, balancing professions, and a streamlined game launcher with a graphical character selection screen.

[Thanks to David for the tip!]

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Anarchy Online looks to be in good hands, as Game Director Fia Tjernberg returns for her second comprehensive development update. The update, which discusses the projects that the team's been working on, covers the past month in detail while hinting at future goodies.

Tjernberg stresses that the entire team works just on Anarchy Online and nothing else and has put a wrap on the first video showing off the new graphics engine. According to her, Funcom's marketers got so excited after seeing it that the studio decided to flex some additional muscle to promote it in the near future. "The artists are more confident working with the settings and materials," she writes, "and they learned what they can do to really make a difference in quality."

Other areas that the letter covered include an AO-specific world-building tool that the team's constructed, work on the new beginner experience that will tie in with the upcoming engine, the re-evaluation of professions to emphasize roles, and the details behind the upcoming server transfers. All players will be moved onto a new server that will, according to her, "keep [Anarchy Online] running smoothly for another ten years."

Tjernberg also teases the next game update by saying that preliminary patch notes could arrive by the end of March.

If you are perusing this column, chances are you are a fan of virtual worlds and the sandbox genre. Join the club! (Dues will be due on the third Tuesday.) The aspect that compels many aficionados to delve into a game is the ability to make an impact on the world in some small respect instead of making them into Hive Member 1593072 running a static, predetermined gauntlet. How that impact is accomplished, however, varies; there are multiple features that can facilitate it, and which ones are considered most important depends on the player.

With the loss of one of the best sandbox games just last month, some players may be feeling a void. Others still are looking/hoping for the "ultimate" sandbox that contains nearly every virtual world feature. Certainly, there are some upcoming games that make some drool-worthy promises, but what about playing something now? There are actually games out on the market that have at least one aspect of the genre, if not more.

To start off the new year, Some Assembly Required looks at some of the top features of virtual worlds and lists games that incorporate these features. While this list isn't exhaustive (considering the sheer number of games when you include all of the smaller free-to-play titles, I'd run out of column space!), it is a comprehensive enough overview to point you toward some games worth playing that perhaps you hadn't considered before.

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Anarchy Online players know Colin "Means" Cragg quite well at this point, as Cragg has worked at Funcom since 2004 and handled the roles of both producer and game director in recent years. Sadly, Cragg announced that he will be leaving the company at the end of the month to "pursue another challenge" and be closer to his family in Sweden.

"When I look at the passion this team and the community has for Anarchy Online it has always made me feel privileged just to get to be a part of it," Cragg wrote in his farewell letter. "It has been an incredible honor to get to spend the last eight years working with Anarchy Online and being a part of the Funcom family."

Two Funcom employees will split his former duties. Dave "Ilaliya" Williams, who has worked on both Age of Conan and The Secret World, will take over as producer. Filling the game director shoes is Fia "Lindelu" Tjernberg, a long-time member of the Anarchy Online dev team.

Most MMO communities can only dream that their game would be as popular and supported as to get their own convention. A rare few see either studio- or fan-based efforts make this dream a reality. In 2012, Anarchy Online gamers will finally -- after 11 years -- join these revelers with their own convention: AO Con.

GridStream Productions is putting on the first-ever Anarchy Online convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 10th through 12th, 2012. The convention will take place at the Grand Rapids Airport Hilton, and is scheduled to have DJs, costume contests, panels, and meet-n-greets.

Registration is affordable -- it's only $25 to attend the three-day convention, but you have to be 18 by August 2012 in order to go. GridStream Productions is an in-game organization that primarily focuses on putting out Anarchy Online broadcasts.

It's seemed like every time I turned around in November, a spritely old-timer of an MMO was showing that it wasn't quite out of the running just yet. I mean, heck, we actually got word of a big change to Battleground Europe, prompting millions to throw their hands up and exclaim, "World War II Online is still actually online? Holy donkeys!"

In a way, I think these older MMOs get a free pass to escape the craziness of having to compete with more modern titles, and as such, they're more confident in their position and freer to pursue whatever is best for the game. You know, instead of trying to ape World of Warcraft (which probably aped them first in the great circle of apes).

So what's been going on with our favorite classic MMOs last month? Let's cast our UltraVision™ back on the events of November to see what's been up with four games and their communities.

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Trion isn't the only MMO studio ponying up for charity on October 15th. Funcom is also partnering with Extra Life for a bleary-eyed 24-hour gaming marathon designed to raise money and awareness for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Here's how it works: You'll need to register with Extra Life and collect pledges from friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else you come across. Then you can join either the Age of Conan or Anarchy Online in-game event and try to stay awake. What's in it for you? Well, aside from doing the right thing to help a bunch of kids in need, you might win beta access to The Secret World. While you're at it, don't forget to follow Massively's own Beau Hindman (and donate as much as you're able) as he embarks on his own Extra Life marathon.

Is Anarchy Online's visual makeover project picking up steam? Considering that Funcom's posted two batches of improved screenshots within a month, we think so!

Today Brad "Kintaii" McAtee posted four new pictures of Anarchy Online's upgraded looks. Two are high-definition renders of the city of Tir, one shows off the remodeled character heads, and one is a complete mystery for players to decipher. "Any guesses on what it could be?" McAtee taunts.

The visual overhaul is "coming along swimmingly," according to McAtee. Last week Anarchy Online's Colin Cragg reported that the team is 90% done with remodeling over 390 heads for the game. "This has been a very long haul, but it is amazing to see the strides made every week now," Cragg wrote. "I am 'cautiously optimistic'...let's leave it at that."

You can view all of the new screenshots in the gallery below.