Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Gone fishing?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/the-daily-grind-gone-fishing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/the-daily-grind-gone-fishing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/the-daily-grind-gone-fishing/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


If you came from an alien world and had to evaluate our culture based solely on our MMOs... well, you'd probably conclude unpleasant things about our culture, but that's not the point. You would certainly come away with the impression that one of the most important hobbies we possess is fishing, considering how many games it shows up in. Nearly any fantasy game (and several others) will give you the opportunity to stand next to a body of water with a rod, cast your line, and wait for a while until a fish bites.

Or until you realize that you're paying $15 a month to play a game that accurately simulates how mind-numbingly tedious fishing can actually be.

Do you like fishing in MMOs? For some of us, yes, it's the sort of thing we look at once or twice and swiftly conclude isn't what we'd like to spend our time doing. For others, however, the calm and tranquility of just standing by the water, taking a look at the virtual landscape, and relaxing a bit is a welcome change from the pace of the game as a whole. Do you prefer when it's there, do you miss it if it's not, or are you completely uninterested in fishing?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Gone fishing? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boringcalmdowntimefishfishingharvestingleisure-activitytdgtediousthe-daily-grindtranquilityWed, 13 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color? pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


BrownQuest 2 ended up proving that too much of something was bad -- horribly, horribly bad. BrownQuest 2 could barely run on most systems because no one could handle the "extremely, super cool, melt your face" graphics and ended up sitting on the shelves that holiday season. The new rationale about the game was that it had future-proofed itself, lying in wait for computers to exist to run it at its graphical peak.

That peak came, and no one rushed to buy the game. People came in and people left, and the game didn't turn out to be the huge blockbuster it was anticipated to be. And now, 4 years later, I turn on my computer and run BrownQuest 2 at maximum graphics easily, and I'm just not fully impressed. Are they good graphics? Sure they are. Are they so amazing that they make me run around my room screaming so loud that I can drown out Lewis Black? (NSFW) No, not really.

So, with all of that in mind, let's turn to something more relevant. Let's turn to World of Warcraft. Say what you will about the game, but I think we can all agree that the game design of WoW is solid. It's not the holy grail, but it's certainly good enough to make 11 million people play it. Now ask yourself the question: "Would WoW be as popular and as good if it sported the extreme graphics EverQuest 2 did?"

If you're hijacking my brainwaves, you know the answer already. Of course WoW wouldn't be popular if the graphic requirements were through the roof. Even if it was an amazing game, no one would be playing it because no one would be able to run it. In these times, we can't afford to go running off and upgrading our video cards just because we want to play that one game, *cough*Crysis*cough*.

And is World of Warcraft a beautiful game? Of course it is! The vistas, the sunsets, the snow, the shattered landscapes. And for being so "cartoony" it can still pull off some really imposing places, like Blackrock Mountain, Hellfire Peninsula, Netherstorm, Icecrown Glacier, and many others. Certainly, the graphics have improved in the latest expansion, but the other areas of the game just don't scream "I'm dated" as loudly as "realistic" games can.

Say what you want about graphics that don't push the edge of technology, use bright colors, and attempt to engage us in veritable water-colored landscapes. The truth is these things make sure that the game still looks good and appealing to us years down the line, they let the tone and aristry of the game shine through in ways that realistic graphics cannot, and they make sure that you can still play with your friends without spending wads of cash to upgrade your rig.

Because, in the end, isn't that what a massively multiplayer game is about? Playing and enjoying the world with other people at your side?
Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who believes games need to grasp the imagination, not your video card. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's over running Epic Loot For All! with his insane roommates. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com.

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color? pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedboringbrowncartooncartoonyeq2everquest-2everquest2graphicsgrassrealismrealisticsoesony-online-entertainmentstylizedworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Pet peeve time, ladies and gentlemen. I despise the realism movement in video games. Sure, I love seeing more accurate graphics and more realistic environments -- that's the nice part. I get to use my nice computer to explore amazing landscapes and take part in some beautiful interactions.

But, whoever wrote the equation "Brown + Grass + Bland Colors = Realism" needs to have their head checked. With all of this amazing technology, we've seemed to have forgotten the magic of what games stand for. But what really gets me is the culture that's springing around this phenomenon. Apparently "toony" games aren't welcome here anymore. So I need to ask the question: "Who decided brown was an awesome color?"

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color?

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedblizzardboringbrownbrown-grasscartooncartoonyeq2everquest-2everquest2featuredgraphicsjoystiqfeaturesrealismrealisticsoestylizedworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Getting ground under]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/the-daily-grind-getting-ground-under/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/the-daily-grind-getting-ground-under/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/25/the-daily-grind-getting-ground-under/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One of what seems to be the universal complaints about many MMOs is the inherent grind involved in them. From the earliest days, we grind levels, reputation, trade-skills and/or professions. In end-game, you grind more factions, raid bosses for certain loot or quest completion, and potentially even more experience to gain additional talents or to unlock alternate abilities.

This grind has been there since the earliest days. But the question is this: Is grinding really an absolute requirement in MMOs, or have we simply come to expect a certain inherent level of grind as an inevitability? Is there some new mechanic that hasn't been introduced yet that you think might be viable? Or perhaps there is some variant on quest styles beyond the "collect x number of y items" or "go kill x bad guy" that hasn't been properly explored?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Getting ground under originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boringfeaturedgrindgrindingmotononous-tasksquestingthe-daily-grindSun, 25 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST