Massively

Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Guilds and conflict resolution]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/26/behind-the-curtain-guilds-and-conflict-resolution/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/26/behind-the-curtain-guilds-and-conflict-resolution/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/26/behind-the-curtain-guilds-and-conflict-resolution/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Culture, Guilds, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

Obviously, lots of players takes guild recruitment seriously, as they should. But how seriously do we take guild drama?

Assuming it's not directly affecting us, most of us love guild drama and revel in other players' dysfunction. I haven't checked the numbers - I'm too lazy - but it really wouldn't surprise me if Guildwatch was one of the more popular columns over on WoW Insider. I know it's one of my favourites.

I like to think that I'm a fairly decent bloke - I try not to laugh at other people's misfortunes, and I don't like to rub a person's nose in their own failings, but God help me, I can't get enough of Guildwatch.

How far would you go to forestall the breakup of your guild? At the end of the day, if your guild leader decides to hit the big /gdisband button, it's not like you can physically stop them, short of some questionable activities you'd find difficult explaining to the police.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Guilds and conflict resolution

Behind the Curtain: Guilds and conflict resolution originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainfeaturedguild-dramaguildsguildwatchwow-insiderSun, 26 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Playing in the sandbox]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/behind-the-curtain-playing-in-the-sandbox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/behind-the-curtain-playing-in-the-sandbox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/behind-the-curtain-playing-in-the-sandbox/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Entropia Universe, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Second Life, Behind the Curtain, Virtual Worlds

I was feeling lost for a little while there. My mojo wasn't working, the Force was not strong with me, etc. I'm back in the swing of things now, however. I tried to break my habit, and move on to pastures new with Lord of the Rings Online, but it seems that I'm a one-game kind of guy, and I ended up back at World of Warcraft.

Before I settled back in to routine however, I did do some exploring and thinking. Listening to my colleague's advice, I spent some time with MMOs that I otherwise wouldn't have bothered with. I even dipped my toes into the waters of Second Life.

I've tooled around in Second Life more than once, trying to get a good handle on it. Try as I might though, it never seems to gel with me, never seems to click. That's probably more down to me than any identifiable fault with the game. That said, any game which, if I recall correctly, used to offer a furry as an option at character creation automatically scores low in my book.

That was a joke, hold off on the flames please.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Playing in the sandbox

Behind the Curtain: Playing in the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainentropiaentropia-universefeaturedsandboxsandbox-gamingsecond-lifevirtual-worldsworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 18 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: In praise of solitude]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/11/behind-the-curtain-in-praise-of-solitude/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/11/behind-the-curtain-in-praise-of-solitude/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/11/behind-the-curtain-in-praise-of-solitude/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

So, I'm back in the saddle. A break to catch my breath and a new alt of a class I've never played before appears to have worked wonders.

The alt in question is a Draenei Shaman. Yes, World of Warcraft again. Try not to hate me. Or not; it's a free Internet.

This'll only be the second time I've played through the Draenei starting area. The last time was a while after The Burning Crusade came out. Long enough after that the rush had died down, but still close enough that the place wasn't deserted. This time however, things are a little different. Death Knights appear to be the alt of choice as far as one looks. I won't lie, I've got one as well, but I've hardly touched her. The old-world starter zones are even more desolate now than at any other time in the game's history.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: In praise of solitude

Behind the Curtain: In praise of solitude originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtaingeneral-chatpeace-and-quietsolitudeworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 11 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Just when I thought I was out]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/07/behind-the-curtain-just-when-i-thought-i-was-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/07/behind-the-curtain-just-when-i-thought-i-was-out/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/07/behind-the-curtain-just-when-i-thought-i-was-out/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Entropia Universe, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Behind the Curtain

It's funny the things that can suck you right back in, just when you thought you were out.

I've been feeling pretty burned out with World of Warcraft over the last couple of weeks, and I wasn't enjoying the feeling at all. There was a brief interlude where the Argent Tournament piqued my curiosity, so I grabbed the PTR downloader to give that a try. That lasted all of about an hour, when I realised just how long it would take me to download the files. I'm not sure if I should blame BT for my frequently crappy connection speed, or Blizzard because they can't seem to create a decent downloader. It doesn't matter really, as I can QQ about both equally.

Then it hit me - burn out didn't need to be a bad thing. In a shocking turn of events, I decided to actually listen to our readers' advice, and spend some time with other MMO, and maybe try a change of pace.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Just when I thought I was out

Behind the Curtain: Just when I thought I was out originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainburnoutd6-generationentropiaentropia-universefeaturedlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotropodcastsecond-lifestar-warsstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-rpgSat, 07 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: On burnout]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/behind-the-curtain-on-burnout/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/behind-the-curtain-on-burnout/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/behind-the-curtain-on-burnout/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Warhammer 40k

So, I'm afraid that I'm getting a little close to burnout.

Oh noes. zomg. qq. whine. complain. Etc, etc.

In the past, I have suffered from serious burnout which resulted in me leaving World of Warcraft for six months or so. I'm still not sure how they survived without me. We've all been there, where the rewards for logging on just one more time aren't enough anymore. I say that we've all been there, of course that may not be true; but you're a rare specimen indeed if you've managed to play MMOs for any significant length of time without burning out for at least a little while.

I guess burnout doesn't have to be a bad thing. I only just got a Wii. Don't laugh, I know I'm a little behind the curve on that one. Spending less time on MMOs means that I'd have more time free to play through Resident Evil 4 on the Wii, which makes sense, given that I've already gone through it on the Gamecube and PS2. I could also go back and pick up Resident Evil 0, and the remake of the original. And the Gamecube versions of 2 and 3. And Umbrella Chronicles. Wait, they released Code Veronica for the Gamecube as well, didn't they?

Okay. I admit that I need help.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: On burnout

Behind the Curtain: On burnout originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>40kbehind-the-curtainburn-outburnoutworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 21 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: The guilt of an MMO gamer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/14/behind-the-curtain-the-guilt-of-an-mmo-gamer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/14/behind-the-curtain-the-guilt-of-an-mmo-gamer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/14/behind-the-curtain-the-guilt-of-an-mmo-gamer/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Anarchy Online, EVE Online, EverQuest II, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Behind the Curtain

I haven't been playing World of Warcraft as much as I should have this week, and I feel bad about it. Last week, my Warrior hit the Defence cap, I got my first 25 Emblems of Heroism, and I tanked Archavon on 10-man. This week though, I've hardly even logged on.

I have instead spent most of the week playing Mario Kart Wii, honing my skills so that I can crush my 7-year old nephew utterly when next we meet. There are lessons we all need to learn early in life. Chief among them being never, ever, horse your Uncle Craig at Mario Kart. He'll thank me for it in time.

I also had some problems with my internet connection, thanks to the UK's seeming inability to cope with heavy snow. Then again, it is January, so I can see why we were taken by surprise. That was sarcasm, by the way.

I have felt guilty about my lack of WoW time though. I've been neglecting my characters in favour of other games, and I feel bad about it. I've felt this way before, on the occasion that I've taken a break from WoW, for example, to spend some time with EVE Online or Star Wars Galaxies.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: The guilt of an MMO gamer

Behind the Curtain: The guilt of an MMO gamer originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>anarchy-onlineaobehind-the-curtaineq2eveeve-onlineeverquest-2featuredgalaxiesguilti-waited-for-you-frylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromultiplemultiple-subscriptionsmultiplesseymourstar-wars-galaxiessubscriptionsubscriptionsworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 14 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: The role you play pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/31/behind-the-curtain-the-role-you-play-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/31/behind-the-curtain-the-role-you-play-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/31/behind-the-curtain-the-role-you-play-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Classes, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

I haven't looked back. I've had a lot of ups and downs on my journey to level 80. I haven't always stayed true to my original goal, and ended up skipping more than my fair share of groups at level 70 - can you believe that I didn't actually visit one Heroic dungeon in Burning Crusade?

I've been in groups where the run was smooth as silk, and the chat had be holding my sides from laughing too hard.

On the flip-side, I've had groups which made me want to claw my eyeballs from their sockets, and break my fingers so I couldn't play ever again. Seriously, Barrens General had nothing on some of these people.

I've discovered that a lot of the things that make me a good healer in WoW also make me a good tank. Situational and tactical awareness, an eye for detail, the ability and willingness to communicate and the ability to make decisions quickly are necessary for success in both roles. Don't get me wrong - I'm not the best tank out there, I'm far from perfect, but I'm bloody good at it, and you could do an awful lot worse.

Tanking is a role that puts a fair amount of responsibility on the player's shoulders. Whether you like it or not, whether you even realise it or not, a lot of the wipes that happen in an instance will be your fault. Yes, that Warlock/Mage/Shaman shouldn't be pulling aggro, but you should be watching Omen and warning them about it. Mobs running around one-shotting your healer? You should be picking them up before bad things happen.

You might not agree, you might say that aggro is each player's own responsibility - that they should be checking their own Omen, and making sure they're behind you in aggro. That's fair enough, I just calls 'em the way I sees 'em.

I never expected to enjoy tanking as much as I do. I've found a role that I never thought would have suited me, but by the same token, might not have enjoyed as much if I'd gone into it earlier in the game. Maybe I was wrong about the other classes I considered, and I'd have ended up feeling as much at home being a Mage or Shaman.

Most of us play games for some small amount of escapism, to get away from our real lives and forget our stresses for a little while if we can. But are we drawn to certain classes because they reflect something within ourselves? Do I enjoy tanking and healing because of some personality quirk? Does that mean I enjoy smoothing over people's concerns and keeping them happy in real life? My family would beg to differ. Are Mages running a heavy Fire spec all secret Pyromaniacs? Are those of us with a Druid secret hippies? The analogy doesn't really hold much weight, I'll admit - but there may be something in it.

Feel free to comment below, share similar stories of you finding your niche, or even stories of you not finding it. Let me know if agree or disagree with my theories - I'll try not to delete the ones that disagree. No promises though.

Back to Part One

Behind the Curtain: The role you play pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainburning-crusadeclasseshealingplaystyleplaystylestankingworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 31 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: The role you play]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/31/behind-the-curtain-the-role-you-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/31/behind-the-curtain-the-role-you-play/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/31/behind-the-curtain-the-role-you-play/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Classes, Culture, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

This week, I'd like to talk a bit about how taking a look at how you play a game, and which class you play, and maybe choosing to change one or both can pay dividends.

Before I do that though, I would just like to mention that I did finally manage to get hold of Baron Rivendare's mount after 68 runs - my thanks to all of you who shared similar stories in the comments of last week's column. Or at the very least, my thanks to whatever Blizzard GM read my whinings and took pity on me, if that's what happened.

Apart from Keith. Ten runs, two mounts and one sword? Keith, I'll be hunting you down to kill you in your sleep, I just wanted to give you fair warning.

If you've been paying attention to any of my columns of late, you'll have noticed that I'm playing a level 80 Protection Warrior in World of Warcraft just now.

I may not have Matthew Rossi's deep, rather touching, love for the Warrior class, but I do love being a tank. Which is something of a surprise, because it was never something I thought I would enjoy being.

My first character in WoW, away back around patch 1.9 was a Tauren Druid. I won't lie, the whole idealized Native American feel of the Tauren sucked me right in. The serenely beautiful rolling plains of Mulgore certainly didn't hurt my choice either. As for the Druid class itself, I can't quite remember what drew me there. I imagine it was that the theory and lore behind the class match up well with that of the Tauren race itself - they seemed to go well together, so I guess I just went with it.

Levelling up, of course, I specced Feral. I knew the Balance and Restoration trees were there, but I avoided them. I avoided Balance because it didn't suit the way I wanted to play, and I avoided Restoration because I wasn't yet comfortable speccing into a tree which required regular PUGs to get the most out of it.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: The role you play

Behind the Curtain: The role you play originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainburning-crusadefeaturedhealingplaystyleplaystylesrolestankingworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 31 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: What keeps you going?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/24/behind-the-curtain-what-keeps-you-going/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/24/behind-the-curtain-what-keeps-you-going/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/24/behind-the-curtain-what-keeps-you-going/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Behind the Curtain

This week, I have been mostly killing Baron Rivendare. I'm now sitting with 65 kills under my belt, with no Deathcharger to show for it. We are not amused, and are now convinced that Blizzard hates us. Precious. Sss.

I have the run down to a science now - dodge one pack of mobs, step aside from that pat, kill this group, spank the boss, rinse and repeat. Then repeat it again, and again, and again, and again, and again. I'm sure you get the idea.

I was talking with one of my colleagues at my 'real' job just the other day, when he asked me if I had anything planned for the evening. I started to plan my response in my head, trying to come up with an easy way to translate, in non-gamer terms, what I'd been doing with my time of late. I ended up going with, "Not much" because I just couldn't figure out how to explain it without taking half an hour.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: What keeps you going?

Behind the Curtain: What keeps you going? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>baron-rivendarebehind-the-curtainburnoutdeathchargerdeathchargers-reinsfeaturedgalaxiesstar-wars-galaxiesworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 24 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: On the edge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/17/behind-the-curtain-on-the-edge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/17/behind-the-curtain-on-the-edge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/17/behind-the-curtain-on-the-edge/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

So, I finally hit level 80 with my Warrior.

What should I be doing now? Hitting up Icecrown, working on getting those last few pieces of gear to hit the defence cap, then working on reputation, clear some Heroic runs for more gear. And maybe have some fun, chaotic Naxxramas runs with my guild where we lay bets on who can die in the most spectacular fashion.

If, that is, I can get my dates right and sign up for the correct evenings.

What am I doing instead? Farming Stratholme for the near-mythical undead mount of one Baron Rivendare.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: On the edge

Behind the Curtain: On the edge originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainbrick-wallchokingclass-responsibilityclass-roleelitist-jerksend-gamefeaturedpressure-to-performprocratinationresponsibilitiestankingtankspotworld-of-warcraftwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingSat, 17 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Looking to the future]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/behind-the-curtain-looking-to-the-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/behind-the-curtain-looking-to-the-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/behind-the-curtain-looking-to-the-future/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

I was reading an article on the BBC News Technology pages the other day, and it piqued my curiosity.

The availability of super-fast broadband is about the only thing that's likely to entice me to move back to my home town.

But how much bandwidth do you need to kill ten more foozles?

Ofcom , the organisation which - among other responsibilities - monitors ISP in the UK, recently reported that the average home broadband speed here is 3.6Mbps. A quick Google search suggests that speeds in the US are similar.

Broadband speeds are climbing, there's no doubt about that, but upload speeds still lag behind download speeds. I imagine that this is one reason preventing developers from getting really experimental with interactivity in MMOs. If your players' bandwidth is being taken up just shunting the basic game data back and forth, why bother eating up the rest of it with something that might just end up being window dressing?

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Looking to the future

Behind the Curtain: Looking to the future originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bandwidthbehind-the-curtainbroadbandbroadband-speedfeaturedgame-mechanicslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 10 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Team: Craig Withers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/meet-the-team-craig-withers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/meet-the-team-craig-withers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/05/meet-the-team-craig-withers/#commentsFiled under: Massively Meta, Meet the Team

Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team.

What do you do for Massively.com?
I contribute the weekly column, Behind the Curtain. Instead of having a real job on the site posting up actual news, I'm lucky enough to just hang around and ramble on for a few hundred words every seven days, in a general opinion-based format.

What's your favorite MMO?
World of Warcraft, easily. Like the T, I feel like a bit of a sell-out choosing WoW, but this is my time in the spotlight, and I'll pick whatever game I want to, and there's not a thing you can do to stop me!

Sorry.

My entry into the MMO world started with Star Wars Galaxies, which I still dabble in occasionally. I've also spent a fair bit of time in EVE Online, but haven't had an active account in either for quite some time.

Gallery: Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Tim Dale

Meet the Team: Jon Shute

Meet the Team: Lemuel Pew

Meet the Team: Lesley Smith

Meet the Team: James Egan

Continue reading Meet the Team: Craig Withers

Meet the Team: Craig Withers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>craig-witherseveeve-onlinefeaturedgalaxieslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromeet-the-teamstar-wars-galaxiesworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 05 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Take a look back]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/03/behind-the-curtain-take-a-look-back/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/03/behind-the-curtain-take-a-look-back/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/03/behind-the-curtain-take-a-look-back/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Fury, Culture, Events (In-Game), Expansions, Game Mechanics, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, Behind the Curtain

Brace yourself for the obligatory 'New Year' post. I'd resolve to lose weight, tone up and be kinder to my fellow man, but I'd be lying. Not because I'm weak and won't follow through on them, but because I don't need to. I'm practically perfect in every way.

Except not really. I'm lying. I also hate Mary Poppins with a cold, implacable hatred. But that's neither here nor there.

It's been a year of ups and downs in the MMO world. We've seen World of Warcraft go from strength to strength with an expansion pack which knocked the socks off of Burning Crusade. Say what you will about Blizzard, but it's always good to see a company that's willing and able to learn not only from its past mistakes, but its past successes. We've seen the long-awaitied launch of Warhammer Online, but we've also seen some downers, with Tabula Rasa going down the tubes, and Fury falling over. Although, not as many people were upset about Fury, given that it was terrible from start to finish.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Take a look back

Behind the Curtain: Take a look back originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainburning-crusadefeaturedfurynew-yearretrospectivetabula-rasawarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingSat, 03 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: The spirit of competition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/27/behind-the-curtain-the-spirit-of-competition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/27/behind-the-curtain-the-spirit-of-competition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/27/behind-the-curtain-the-spirit-of-competition/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

I was going to write a little about the differences between making better games, and making games better.

The more I thought about it though, the more I realised that a topic like that doesn't really have a place here at Behind the Curtain.

You can take that statement either to mean that an intellectual, investigative piece doesn't really fit the mood of an opinion-based weekly column; or that an intellectual, investigative piece would simply be too hard. Your choice. Also, it's Christmas, I'm Scottish, so I've been drinking a lot.

Instead, I got to thinking about competition. I'm not really competitive at all, you see, so most games (computer and real-life) which involve Vs. modes or PvP hold little appeal to me.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: The spirit of competition

Behind the Curtain: The spirit of competition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtaincarebearcarebearsfeaturedpapa-lazarouplayer-vs-environmentplayer-vs-playerpvepvpyoure-my-wife-nowSat, 27 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Multiple MMOs pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/behind-the-curtain-multiple-mmos-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/behind-the-curtain-multiple-mmos-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/behind-the-curtain-multiple-mmos-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Behind the Curtain

When I started thinking about this subject, I remembered reading something on the subject a while back on the Daedalus Project.

Going by the figures Nick Yee collected back in 2006, less than a quarter of the players he spoke with had more than one account.

I can't help but wonder if that number will have increased or decreased with time.

Without getting too much in the state of the world-economy, as we all have to tighten our belts that little bit more, we'll end up looking for cheaper ways of relaxing and blowing of some steam. I wouldn't be the first person to point out that the average cost of a monthly MMO subscription is less than you'll spend on one night at the cinema.

While it's absolutely not my place to fault Dr. Yee's work, and I certainly don't intend to, I would have liked to see him also ask about how many players had more than one account active for the same game, and the reasons why.

The reasons given for having subscriptions to more than one game aren't surprising. Players maintain several subscriptions due to having friends and family still active in the game; or they feel that the time spent so far with the game will be wasted if they cancelled the account; or for financial reasons like waiting for the subscription plan to expire, or simply forgetting the subscription was there.

If people were asked why they play more than one game, I'd expect to see similar answers, but I'd hope to see some others, too. Game mechanics, for one. When I went back and looked at Star Wars Galaxies a while back, I didn't feel like it was a game I'd really want to play on a regular basis. That said, the crafting in the game was still as interesting as I remembered. A crafting system that isn't a simple pass/fail mechanic, rewarding time spent hunting for high-quality raw materials, and classes whose sole purpose is to craft rather than quest ticked a lot of boxes for me. And while the ground game left a lot to be desired, there was still a lot of fun to be had in space, hunting Rebels or Imperials, depending on which side your bread was buttered on.

My point is that it's a rare game that provides you with everything you want. Maybe you play one game because the combat system is second to none, but another one because the RP tools in it haven't been bettered yet. Graphics are a big thing for a lot of people, and the cartoonish graphics of WoW have put off more than one person in the past, without a doubt. Realistic graphics and presentation, on the other hand, won't stop your game from being slated if it deserves it - see Age of Conan for proof.

Your turn now. Do you run more than one MMO at a time? Which ones are they, and why? Hit the comments, and let the world know.

Behind the Curtain: Multiple MMOs pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>age-of-conanaocbehind-the-curtaindaedalus-projecteveeve-onlinegalaxiesmulitple-mmosmulti-boxingmultiple-accountsnick-yeestar-wars-galaxiesworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 20 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Multiple MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/behind-the-curtain-multiple-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/behind-the-curtain-multiple-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/behind-the-curtain-multiple-mmos/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Age of Conan, EVE Online, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Behind the Curtain

Is one MMO ever enough?

Lots of people play more than one MMO. Among the staff here at Massively, you would be hard pressed to find a writer with only one active subscription. Ever the exception however, I am a one-game kind of guy.

"Is that through choice, or necessity though, Craig?" I hear you cry. The answer is that it's a little of both. It's easy to say that I don't have enough time to play a couple of MMOs, but if I was really honest with myself, I'd admit to that being a lie. If I'm able to free up a couple of hours every couple of nights to play World of Warcraft, then why can't I alternate those nights, for example, between WoW and another game?

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Multiple MMOs

Behind the Curtain: Multiple MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>age-of-conanaocbehind-the-curtaineveeve-onlinefeaturedgalaxiesmulti-boxingmultiple-accountsmultiple-mmosnick-yeestar-wars-galaxiesthe-daedalus-projectworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 20 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Innovation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/14/behind-the-curtain-innovation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/14/behind-the-curtain-innovation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/14/behind-the-curtain-innovation/#comments

I'd like to talk about Innovation for a little bit.

There's an argument which runs along the lines of, "gamers don't get innovation because gamers don't want innovation." There's a certain logic there - if we, as consumers, are not willing to spend money buying games with innovative features or content, then why should developers and publishers spend money to make them?

Eating the same food again and again, refusing to change your diet would be monumentally unhealthy for you. Why then, do so many of us do almost exactly that when it comes to our gaming habits?

In my opinion, there's been plenty of innovation in gaming in past years. Half life 2 introduced a character I'm sure many of you grew attached to almost as much as I did; Lamarr Miss Alyx Vance. For the first time ever, we had an NPC did more than just get in your way, die easily and spout the same catchphrase over and over. While Alyx really shines in Episode One, the introduction of her character in the original game stands out for me.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Innovation

Behind the Curtain: Innovation originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>alyx-vancebehind-the-curtainfeaturedhalf-life-2innovateinnovationlamarrrichard-garriotttabula-rasatrworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 14 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Are we having fun?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/06/behind-the-curtain-are-we-having-fun/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/06/behind-the-curtain-are-we-having-fun/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/06/behind-the-curtain-are-we-having-fun/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Culture, Professions, Endgame, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Casual

Well, it all kicked off over on WoW Insider the other day, didn't it? You couldn't move for all the handbags being thrown around in the comments! Who'd have thunk it? Don't worry, I kid because I care.

The thrust of the argument SLASH discussion was whether or not we should be tracking raid progression any more. It got me thinking. Not about raid progression exactly; about how different people approach MMOs and the content they offer; about how different people find 'fun' in different playstyles.

Here at Behind the Curtain, I've shared my opinions on the Hardcore vs. Casual issue previously. To recap, I'm of the opinion that the difference between the two states, if it even exists, is in the goals one sets for oneself.

Taking that line of thinking further, I began to think about fun. 'Fun' is a nebulous concept, difficult to pin down and pretty damned different for almost everyone in the world. Wikipedia currently defines fun as, "the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind" which seems like a bit of a mouthful, to be honest.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Are we having fun?

Behind the Curtain: Are we having fun? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtaincasualcasual-vs-hardcoreensidiaeveeve-onlinefeaturedfunhardcorehardcore-vs-casualworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 06 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Too much emotion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/29/behind-the-curtain-too-much-emotion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/29/behind-the-curtain-too-much-emotion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/29/behind-the-curtain-too-much-emotion/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

Oh Richard Bartle, you so crazy!

So, the rantings of an out-of-touch academic, desperate to grab attention, or astute observations from a true pioneer of MMOs and virtual worlds? I'll go with the latter - partly because it's true, and partly because I'm scared Dr Bartle might hunt me down and shout at me.

Going by some of the comments I've seen here on Massively and elsewhere in the past couple of days, not everyone agrees with me. That's cool though, it's the Internet, and you have a right to ~~be face-slappingly stupid~~ hold an alternate viewpoint.

Don't worry though, I don't plan on dissecting the good Doctor's words today, not only has that been done to death elsewhere; I simply don't want to. Instead, I'd like to talk briefly about emotion and our emotional investment in MMOs. To be specific, I'd like to talk about emotions which arise moment to moment, as we play.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Too much emotion

Behind the Curtain: Too much emotion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainbig-royblizzardemotionemotionsfeaturedking-of-the-ogreskirin-torogresqueen-of-the-ogresquestingquestsrichard-bartlesea-lionstoo-much-emotiontortureworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 29 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: This too shall pass]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/22/behind-the-curtain-this-too-shall-pass/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/22/behind-the-curtain-this-too-shall-pass/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/22/behind-the-curtain-this-too-shall-pass/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Culture, Economy, MMO Industry, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, Behind the Curtain

And so we mark the passing of another MMO. I was going to add an adjective to that sentence, maybe 'great', 'fine' or even just 'good'. I couldn't decide, as I didn't play Tabula Rasa beyond the Open Beta. That's clearly not my fault though, obviously it's something to do with the developers not making exactly the game I wanted, needed or deserved at the time. Cry, whine, QQ, etc.

Don't worry, this won't be an obituary for TR. That would be silly; I'm not lying when I say I didn't play it beyond Open Beta. I liked it well enough, but it lacked the spark that drives me to log on, night after night.

The news of TR's demise however, has got me thinking. Like it or not, nothing lasts forever. MMOs are subject to the same financial rules as any other business, and sometimes those rules mean you lose. Regardless of how long we've been playing any particular game, how many alts you've raised up or how much of a home you've made for yourself in the community there, there's a chance your MMO will die eventually. Some games last longer than others; gaining enough momentum to garner a fair-sized and dedicated fanbase before they're shut down. Others barely get out of Beta testing before things go South, and the doors are closed before momentum really gets going.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: This too shall pass

Behind the Curtain: This too shall pass originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardbehind-the-curtainblizzardclosurefeaturedrgtrshutdowntabula-rasavivendiwarwarhammer-onlinewarhammer-online-age-of-reckoningworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 22 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Why we play World of Warcraft]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/16/behind-the-curtain-why-we-play-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/16/behind-the-curtain-why-we-play-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/16/behind-the-curtain-why-we-play-wow/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions

There's never a bad time to take a look behind you and examine your past. This is as true for MMOs as it is for anything else in life. With Wrath of the Lich King now up and running, we at Massively were wondering about some of the reason people have stuck with the game thus far.

Relatively speaking, World of Warcraft is still quite a young game, having only been running since November of 2004. In contrast, Everquest has been running since 1999, and Ultima Online beats both, having started back in 1997. I'm not here to talk about which game came first though, or how many players have stuck with EQ or UO since their inception - I want to talk about WoW, and why I think so many people stick with it.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Why we play World of Warcraft

Behind the Curtain: Why we play World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blizzardfeaturedworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 16 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Unboxing the Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/13/unboxing-the-wrath-of-the-lich-king-collectors-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/13/unboxing-the-wrath-of-the-lich-king-collectors-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/13/unboxing-the-wrath-of-the-lich-king-collectors-edition/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Expansions, New Titles, News Items, Maps, Hands-On

It can't have escaped your notice that the release of Wrath of the Lich King is upon us, and if it has let me be among the first to welcome you to Planet Earth. Here at Massively, we have a metric tonne of Wrath-related content lined up for you, starting with a look inside the Collector's Edition box. We've spoken about the CE before, but this is the first chance we've had a chance to lay hands on it.

I won't go into the details of how we got our grubby mitts on it early, but it may involve some obscene and blasphemous rituals conducted in honour of the Great Old Ones. Or a pre-order, take your pick.

Read through our Unboxing the Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition Gallery, enjoy a good look at the contents. We'll even peek inside the Art book, the two March of the Legion TCG starter decks and the Instruction Manual if you're lucky.

Take the Tour >>

Gallery: World of Warcraft: WOTLK

Unboxing the Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>collectors-editionfeaturedunboxingworld-of-warcraftwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingThu, 13 Nov 2008 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: More apocalypse please pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/09/behind-the-curtain-more-apocalypse-please-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/09/behind-the-curtain-more-apocalypse-please-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/09/behind-the-curtain-more-apocalypse-please-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Horror, Culture, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Exanimus

Seriously, don't get me started

This was the point where things got interesting for me. One lasting memory of the event I have is a one-line message I saw in the Trade channel while in Ironforge. It read simply, "Stay out of Stormwind, it's infected." I did the only thing a sane person would do in that situation and hopped on the first Gryphon to Stormwind. It was like a dream come true. Zombies were thronging the streets, attacking anyone they could get their hands on, vomiting on those they couldn't, and blowing themselves up when all else failed. Nowhere was safe. I could barely see the floor of the Auction House for all the skeletons there; the Bank was similarly decorated and my FPS dropped sharply from the shimmery green glow the infection gave off.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: More apocalypse please pt. 2

Behind the Curtain: More apocalypse please pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>arthasauction-housebanksbehind-the-curtainexanimusinfectedinfectionlich-kingmax-brooksscourgescourge-invasionworld-of-warcraftworld-war-zwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingzombie-infestationzombie-invasionzombie-survival-guidezombiesSun, 09 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: More apocalypse please]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/09/behind-the-curtain-more-apocalypse-please-pt-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/09/behind-the-curtain-more-apocalypse-please-pt-1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/09/behind-the-curtain-more-apocalypse-please-pt-1/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Horror, Culture, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Exanimus

Don't get me started on this guy...

So let's be clear here - I loves me some zombies. A childhood brush with Ray Harryhausen means that I still get chills when I think abut armoured skeletons eviscerating hapless Argonauts. Later encounters, first with ridiculously over-wrought Victorian Gothic Horror literature, and later with the genius of one Mr. Romero sealed my fate.

Regardless of the source, my love affair with the Undead has been long-standing. And no, I don't mean that kind of love affair. Freak. After I finished reading The Zombie Survival Guide for the first time, I carried it in my bag for a month afterwards. Not because I thought Zombie might be real, but because the book was awesome. And don't get me started on World War Z - Massively is not the place for a 3000-word Max Brooks love-fest.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: More apocalypse please

Behind the Curtain: More apocalypse please originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>arthasauction-housebanksbehind-the-curtainexanimusfeaturedinfectedinfectionmax brooksscourgescourge-invasionworld-of-warcraftworld-war-zwowwrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingzombie-infestationzombie-invasionzombie-survival-guidezombiesSun, 09 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: OH NOES POLITICS]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/01/behind-the-curtain-oh-noes-politics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/01/behind-the-curtain-oh-noes-politics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/01/behind-the-curtain-oh-noes-politics/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Politics

Before we get started, a few caveats. I'm no more politically aware than the average person, probably a little less. I've never studied politics in any seat of learning past High School, nor have I studied it on my time for fun. I may have made mistakes below, or came to false conclusions regarding the nature of the political systems I've outlined, so any mistakes are the result of that. That, or the fact that I'm loaded with the cold, and I've taken so much over-the-counter medicine today, that huffing paint is probably the next logical step in my intoxication.

What with Election Day fast approaching for my estranged colonial cousins across the pond, my thoughts have turned to politics of late. I got to thinking about the conjunction of politics and MMOs, and indeed if there even was such a thing. Do any modern MMOs have a recognisable political system? Is there even a place for politics to play a role in MMOs? What I thought I'd do is have a look at a handful of forms of government and imagine how they might be applied to MMOs, and see if that can't get a discussion going. In short, I want you to do my work for me.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: OH NOES POLITICS

Behind the Curtain: OH NOES POLITICS originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>anarchybehind-the-curtaindemocracydictatorshipfeaturedpoliticsthralltotalitarianismvelenSat, 01 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Too much information]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/behind-the-curtain-too-much-information/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/behind-the-curtain-too-much-information/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/behind-the-curtain-too-much-information/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

So, just the other day I hit level 30 on my latest World of Warcraft alt - a Dwarf Priest. I hopped on the nearest Gryphon to Ironforge to train up some skills, and noticed that I had unread mail. Skipping gaily towards the nearest mailbox, I was most surprised to find a letter from Ultham Ironhorn, the Dwarven Riding Trainer, letting me know that I was now eligible to purchase a mount from his fine establishment.

For those of you unfamiliar, originally in WoW, you had to wait until you'd hit level 40 before you could buy a mount. Patch 2.4.3 changed that, and lowered the level requirement for a standard mount to level 30. I hadn't read anywhere though, that, upon reaching level 30, your character would be told about it.

Back in-game, I checked with my guildies to see if they knew anything about the mail. They didn't, none of them having levelled up an alt in some time, so it was news to all of us. We all agreed that Blizzard must have implemented it to point players in the direction of a mount, when they might otherwise have missed out on the early availability.

It got me thinking about information and the availability of it in game.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Too much information

Behind the Curtain: Too much information originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>battletechbehind-the-curatincursefeaturedhammerwikiinformationmonster-islandmountsmounts-at-level-30mudmudsplay-by-mailtoo-much-informationwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowwowheadwowwikiSat, 25 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Religion as a game mechanic pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/behind-the-curtain-religion-as-a-game-mechanic-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/behind-the-curtain-religion-as-a-game-mechanic-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/behind-the-curtain-religion-as-a-game-mechanic-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Culture, Game Mechanics, Lore, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Roleplaying

If developers chose to extend similar mechanics to affect players, you might find yourself being penalised for being in possession of 'forbidden' materials, whatever they may be. Mechanics might be in place to reflect how devout your character was, meaning you were actively prevented from taking certain actions at a certain time, reflecting any holidays or religious observations your character made. Imagine a Paladin who was actually prevented from ganking lowbies because it was contrary to his faith? Shocker.

More blue-sky thinking, I know. Putting aside for now the idea of fake religions, what about allowing real-life religions into games?

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Religion as a game mechanic pt. 2

Behind the Curtain: Religion as a game mechanic pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtaindivine-humanismdivine-magiceq-2everquest-2faithforgotten-shadowforsakengodgodsholy-lightpaladinpriestreligionreligion-in-mmosthe-lighttheocracyworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 18 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Religion as a game mechanic]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/behind-the-curtain-religion-as-a-game-mechanic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/behind-the-curtain-religion-as-a-game-mechanic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/18/behind-the-curtain-religion-as-a-game-mechanic/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Culture, Game Mechanics, Lore, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Roleplaying

Should we have more religion in MMOs?

I'm not talking about the Priests and Paladins we see in World of Warcraft, Everquest 2 and probably lots of other games I haven't played. Religion for character classes like these is more often than not a game mechanic, something which is used to explain the source of their powers.

Divine Magic is a term which is frequently used to explain a player or character's ability to cast spells. It's a catch-all term, attributing magical and mystical abilities to ill-defined deities and otherwordly beings watching over the game-world. Usually benevolent, these beings empower their followers, enabling them to carry out miraculous feats.

Probably deliberately, religion has remained generally fuzzy and ill-defined in MMOs. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Religious debate in the real world is a sure-fire way to incite some flames, and it's no wonder that games developers have been keen to shy away from it thus far.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Religion as a game mechanic

Behind the Curtain: Religion as a game mechanic originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtaindivine-humanismdivine-magiceq-2everquest-2faithfeaturedforgotten-shadowforsakengodgodsholy-lightpaladinpriestreligionreligion-in-mmosthe-lighttheocracyworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 18 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Guilds are serious business pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/behind-the-curtain-guilds-are-serious-business-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/behind-the-curtain-guilds-are-serious-business-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/behind-the-curtain-guilds-are-serious-business-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Guilds, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

What I'm wondering is just how seriously you or your guild takes the membership process? My guild have gone with a few simple questions about a player's intentions and why they want to join our guild. That won't be the case for all guilds, and I'm sure 'hardcore', serious raiders will raise the bar higher than most, and that's perfectly understandable. If you're aiming to burn through content at a rate of knots, you want to make sure you're taking on people who can hack the pace, who are geared enough to keep up, and knowledgeable enough to not have to be baby-sat through boss fights.

Making friends can be serious business, and running a good guild can be akin to running a real-life company. A fractious, barely-solvent, badly-insured company staffed by borderline-schizoid personalities, but a company nevertheless.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Guilds are serious business pt. 2

Behind the Curtain: Guilds are serious business pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtaindaedalus-projectguildguild-dramaguildsserious-businessSat, 11 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Guilds are serious business]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/behind-the-curtain-guilds-are-serious-business/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/behind-the-curtain-guilds-are-serious-business/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/11/behind-the-curtain-guilds-are-serious-business/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Guilds, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

First off - don't worry, it is indeed Saturday, not Thursday. We've just decided to move Behind the Curtain to a weekend slot; you didn't just hallucinate the last couple of days.

How serious are you when you're either creating a guild, when you're inviting people to join, or when you're looking to join one yourself?

Guild drama is always just one forum post away for many guilds today, and if you're not careful you could end up one of the many, many casualties to appear on the pages of Guild Watch on our sister site, WoW Insider. Drama doesn't happen all by itself - it's created by the people in your guild. More specifically, it's created by the personalities in your guild; it's not uncommon for guilds to have more personalities than they have people in them.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Guilds are serious business

Behind the Curtain: Guilds are serious business originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtaindaedalus-projectfeaturedguildguild-dramaguildsserious-businessSat, 11 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain:Slow it down]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/behind-the-curtain-slow-it-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/behind-the-curtain-slow-it-down/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/behind-the-curtain-slow-it-down/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, Guilds, Endgame, Warhammer Online, PvE, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

So - Altdorf is burning. That didn't take long, did it? Fifteen days to hit the end-game of one of the most hotly-anticipated MMOs in recent memory? I know I shouldn't lol, but I did, and heartily. The more I thought about it though, the more I worried that it's simply symptomatic of the way we approach and play MMOs just now.

Is this what we've come to? I started World of Warcraft a little late in its lifetime, but I'm pretty sure that the end-game target/ideal/objective hadn't been reached and breached two weeks after the first players logged on. Such does not seem to be the case with Warhammer Online.

There's more than one reason behind the speed with which this happened. From what I'm seeing, it's partly due to the Destruction players in question making use of (exploiting?) a bug wherein they gained access to the central part of Altdorf via the 'back door'. Said door is supposed to only be accessible by Order players. Not only that, but the raid took place late at night, when most players are logged off, taking full advantage of the fact that Destruction players seem to outnumber Order players as a rule. Apparently, it was little more than a gank-fest as the Destruction players rolled over what little PC defence there was.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain:Slow it down

Behind the Curtain:Slow it down originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainend-gamewarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 03 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Blurring the lines]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/behind-the-curtain-blurring-the-lines/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/behind-the-curtain-blurring-the-lines/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/behind-the-curtain-blurring-the-lines/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Behind the Curtain, Roleplaying

I find it strange that sometimes the world created for our MMOs isn't always well served by the game itself. World building is obviously a vitally important part of designing an MMO, but what if the world created for a particular game becomes so enthralling, so exciting, that the structures of the game leave some players feeling constrained? What happens when players have ideas and stories they want their characters to play out, but the game provides no tools or options to do so?

How many times have you wanted to take the story behind your MMO just a little further, to push the envelope and really get into the world you're spending your free time in. Have you ever finished a quest chain and thought, "What happens next?" Have you ever wondered what Stormwind would look like if Onyxia's disguise stayed uncovered? Have you enjoyed an MMO enough, or more specifically, enjoyed the world enough, to actually step away from it and create your own adventures in it, outside of the game?

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Blurring the lines

Behind the Curtain: Blurring the lines originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainrole-playingroleplayroleplayerroleplayingrpwarwarcraftwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 25 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: MMOre Morality]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/behind-the-curtain-mmore-morality/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/behind-the-curtain-mmore-morality/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/behind-the-curtain-mmore-morality/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Trek Online, Behind the Curtain

See what I did there? MMOre? See? No? Fine, get lost.

So, it seems like Knights of the Old Republic Online is a definite thing now. I've actually been trying not to think to hard about that - I normally end up having to change my pants afterwards - it hasn't worked though, so my washing machine's been taking a serious beating recently.

But enough about my bodily functions and laundry habits.

We know that Bioware can make awesome singleplayer RPGs which provide you plenty of opportunities to choose the kind of person you want to be in-game. That's all well and good in a singleplayer environment, where character growth, progress and even gear can be controlled and directed with much more precision than in an MMO.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: MMOre Morality

Behind the Curtain: MMOre Morality originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainbiowarekotorostar-warsstar-wars-galaxiesswtorworld-of-warcraftFri, 19 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Gone for good?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/behind-the-curtain-gone-for-good/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/behind-the-curtain-gone-for-good/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/behind-the-curtain-gone-for-good/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EverQuest, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, Behind the Curtain

I've been thinking recently about loss. Having been incredibly lucky with my own brush with the possibility of losing my World of Warcraft characters, I got to thinking. Not only about what I would have done if things hadn't worked out for me, but about how loss works in MMOs today.

Last week, Gabriel wrote a fantastic column about item decay in games past, present and future. I've been playing Diablo 2 again lately, for obvious reasons, and I had found myself thinking on the similarities and differences between the durability system in Diablo and WoW.

I've said before that my MMO career started with Star Wars Galaxies, so I don't have the long-term experience many of the other writers here at Massively do. I've never had to worry about making corpse runs in Everquest, or had to concern myself with losing my items in Ultima Online. While Galaxies did have item decay, it wasn't set to a punishing degree - items did wear out eventually, but at a reasonable rate. When an item eventually gave out, you crafted yourself a replacement, or you picked one up from another player. By doing so, you knew you were contributing to the economy, so if you tried hard you could convince yourself that you were actually helping the game.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Gone for good?

Behind the Curtain: Gone for good? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainddodiablo-2diablo-3dungeons-and-dragons-onlineeverquestfeaturedimgdcindie-mmo-game-devel...item-decayitem-losspermadeathpermalossplayer-deathrichard-bartlestar-wars-galaxiesswgultima-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 17 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Return to Star Wars Galaxies - Part Two]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies-part-two/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies-part-two/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies-part-two/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Hands-On

For the life of me I can't remember how Star Wars Galaxies started off, way back when, but nowadays after choosing your class, the game takes you through a Tutorial. You'll find yourself waking up onboard an unnamed Imperial space station, where you've apparently been held captive due to your being 'special' in some indefinable way. It could have something to do with the monthly fee you pay SOE in the real world, but I may just be cynical. Regardless, you'll find none other than C3P0 giving you hints and tips on basic actions - movement, dialogue, combat and equipping. Immediately after that, you're busted out by Han Solo, Chewbacca and R2-D2, whose presence goes unexplained.

After helping to kill a couple of Stormtroopers, you'll find yourself on the Millennium Falcon, gunning down TIE Fighters and being threatened by Darth Vader himself. It's an interesting way to open the game, but it somehow feels a little too much. I can see what SOE are trying to do here - hook you in straight away by ticking all the geek buttons. Big lore heroes, Storm Troopers of dubious marksmanship, Darth Vader and space combat in the Millennium Falcon, all within the first 5 minutes; it's just obviously transparent. Had you stumbled across any of these characters of your own accord and interacted with them in the main game, it might have been more realistic, but to run into them before your feet even touch solid ground tests your suspension of disbelief.

Continue reading Return to Star Wars Galaxies - Part Two

Return to Star Wars Galaxies - Part Two originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredreturn-to-galaxiesstar-wars-galaxiesswgswg-fifth-anniversarySun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Return to Star Wars Galaxies - Part Three]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies-part-three/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies-part-three/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies-part-three/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Crafting, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Player Housing, Hands-On

If you choose a combat profession in Star Wars Galaxies, the crafting system is completely bypassed in the Tutorial. While you do have the ability to craft items, you're apparently supposed to figure that out yourself. You're told how to open your Inventory and Datapad, but not given any real instruction on either. Considering that you'll be using the Datapad to store Waypoints, Pets, Vehicles, Ships and Draft Schematics (assuming you figure out the crafting), it would have been nice to have a little light shone on the subject. There is of course a New Player Guide for Galaxies on the official site, but that's beside the point really - you shouldn't have to Alt-Tab and search the Internet just to get information on the basics systems of the game.

The Legacy quest line is in place for Trader characters as well; it just doesn't really go anywhere. The first few Legacy quests for Traders explain how to use the various crafting tools in the game and introduce you to the basics of crafting, but things just fizzle out after that.

Continue reading Return to Star Wars Galaxies - Part Three

Return to Star Wars Galaxies - Part Three originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featfeaturedreturn-to-galaxiesstar-wars-galaxiesswgswg-fifth-anniversarySun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Return to Star Wars Galaxies]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/13/return-to-star-wars-galaxies/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Professions, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Hands-On

Or: Thoughts on the state of the game from the point of view of a returning player.

A long time ago (a few years back) in a Galaxy far, far away (not really), I played Star Wars Galaxies on a daily basis. I left shortly before the New Game Enhancements were rolled out, but after the Combat Upgrade; which means that I didn't suffer the shock of having my character's current skill set removed without warning and redesigned as a completely different class. For the record, my main character was a Master Teras Kasi Artist and Master Doctor, and was about halfway through the Aurilia Village quests to unlock my Jedi slot.

As Michael said previously in his Galaxies history lesson, what's past is past, and while I'm not the person to demand that Galaxies be rolled back to the 'good old days', I'm not going to deny that I enjoyed the game most before the Combat Upgrade. So, with the game's Fifth Anniversary having just passed, I decided to install the 14-day trial from the Galaxies website, give the game a try, and see what kind of state it's in just now.

Read on for my impressions of Galaxies, from the point of view of an ex-player, returning for the first time in years.

Continue reading Return to Star Wars Galaxies

Return to Star Wars Galaxies originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredreturn-to-galaxiesstar-wars-galaxiesswgswg-fifth-anniversarySun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Hacked account - opportunity or deathknell?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/behind-the-curtain-hacked-account-opportunity-or-deathknell/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/behind-the-curtain-hacked-account-opportunity-or-deathknell/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/behind-the-curtain-hacked-account-opportunity-or-deathknell/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Exploits, Behind the Curtain

Well, it seems I may have been too hasty in jumping on the 'omgblizzardgmsaretehsuckzorz" bandwagon last week. Merely a handful of hours after logging back on to my World of Warcraft account and submitting a GM ticket after reformatting my PC, not only had my deleted characters been restored, but all of their gold and items had been recovered.

Colour me chuffed.

I was correct in my suspicions, and whoever had managed to compromise my account had indeed stripped and deleted two of my level 70 characters. The last time I had logged on, I had three characters at level 70; a Horde Druid and Priest and an Alliance Warrior. On checking the Armoury, both the Priest and Warrior were missing, and the Druid was naked - which, as I'm sure any other Tauren player can attest, is rarely a good look.

Now, as much as I deplore it, I can understand the concept of hacking a person's account in order to sell their gear, then pass that money along via a Goldseller - that's simply business, but I don't understand why you would delete a character completely - while the first is an undeniably rotten thing to do to a person, it's generally something that can be recovered from, or (in the worst-case scenario) rebuilt. New gear can be acquired, gold can be earned once again, and if your guild happens to be chock-full of good folk like mine, you'll maybe get some help along the way.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Hacked account - opportunity or deathknell?

Behind the Curtain: Hacked account - opportunity or deathknell? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainfeaturedhackedhacked-accountworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 26 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: My turn to get hacked]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/behind-the-curtain-my-turn-to-get-hacked/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/behind-the-curtain-my-turn-to-get-hacked/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/behind-the-curtain-my-turn-to-get-hacked/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, Opinion, Behind the Curtain

It's official - my guildies are 'teh awesomez'. The reason? My World of Warcraft account was hacked yesterday afternoon, and I've already been inundated by offers of assistance and gold from my friends, should things go South once I log back into my account.

To clarify - I came home from work yesterday evening to find a nausea-inducing email from Blizzard informing me that my account had been suspended due to activities which made them suspect it has been compromised. They advised that they had reset my account password, and suspended the account for three hours as a precautionary measure. Unable to actually access my account in-game, I check the Armoury to see what state my characters were in, only to find that of my three level 70 characters, only one is now showing up, and he's completely naked. So it seems that not only have all my items been sold off, but at least two of my characters have been deleted. It's that last part that really annoys me.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: My turn to get hacked

Behind the Curtain: My turn to get hacked originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainfeaturedhackedhacked-accountworld-of-warcraftThu, 19 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Why bother?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/behind-the-curtain-why-bother/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/behind-the-curtain-why-bother/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/behind-the-curtain-why-bother/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Myst Online: URU Live, Crafting, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Exteel, Free-to-Play, Behind the Curtain, Warhammer 40k

What is it that keeps us playing, months and years after our first trip through the character generation screen?

The obvious answer is that we're still having fun. Maybe you've been playing World of Warcraft since release or earlier, you've got an alt of every class, epics to make a GM weep with envy, but you still get that little tingle of excitement every time you log on, that keeps you coming back for more.

What kind of enjoyment do you get from your MMO? Hopefully you are actually having fun with it. If not, I suggest you seek help, or go play Vanguard. Just kidding, maybe.

That being said, how do you quantify 'fun'? Exactly what is it about WoW or EVE Online or any other MMO that keeps you coming back for more? The steep climb to yet another epic flying mount in WoW has pushed me perilously close to burn out over the past few weeks (the impending release of the new 40K rulebook may also be a factor) so I've been thinking, more than usual, about what keeps us going in situations like this.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Why bother?

Behind the Curtain: Why bother? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>behind-the-curtainburn-outeveeve-onlineexteelfeaturedfree-to-playgalaxiesworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 12 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST