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The Daily Grind: Do you favor random quests?

Brianna Royce — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

One of Star Wars Galaxies' content quirks, borrowed heavily from Anarchy Online, is the random quest. If you tire of themepark questlines, you can trek over to a mission terminal and ask it to generate a random kill-10-rats quest for you. In SWG's prime, these quests were terribly annoying; no one really wants to spend all of his time leveling up by taking missions to destroy a gubbur lair over and over and over. Thank goodness for this new era of individual, scripted quests brought on by World of Warcraft, right?

Well, not necessarily. More than once, I (and some our our forum-goers) have been irked at hand-written quests in WoW-esque games. They're usually trite and transparent, and the quest-givers rarely have good reason to entrust me with their tasks. We're still getting kill-10-rats quests -- we just have to click through a bunch of lame dialogue first.

What do you think? Do you prefer pre-scripted, one-off, linear quests, or do you long for the simplicity and honesty of random quest generation?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Do you favor random quests? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PAX 2011: Guild Wars 2 to allow more open guild membership

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Guilds, New titles, Guild Wars 2

For the average MMO player, this isn't really news, but for Guild Wars fans, this is huge. As announced during PAX Prime this weekend, Guild Wars 2 will allow multiple guild affiliations on your game account. Each character on that account will still need to belong to the same guild (as in Guild Wars 1), but unlimited guilds per account allow you to join various groups of friends with the same characters.

As it is over any unconventional game feature, the community is split. On one hand, it will be liberating to have the opportunity to join large, small, hardcore, casual, and roleplaying guilds with the same character. But on the other hand, some players believe it will fragment dedication and dissolve the attention needed for a specific guild -- like a family.

Like we do with every newly announced feature for a high-profile MMO, we want to know how you feel about this. Let us know in the comments!

Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!

PAX 2011: Guild Wars 2 to allow more open guild membership originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: Bucket list

Larry Everett — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Opinion, Humor, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

Once we start Star Wars: The Old Republic, we will not be able to stop. After only playing the game twice, I have a hard time going back to other games because -- among other things -- voice-over dialogue is far superior to walls of text any day. Then, of course, we can't forget character choices. We will be able to tell the quest-giver what we think of fetching that item for him at the shop when he could just as easily get it himself if he decided to walk 10 feet to the building next to him. That leads me to the point of this article.

Despite all the incredible things we will be able to do in SWTOR, certain others will be missed once the game launches. Particular staples of MMO games, in general, will never be seen again. As someone who is placing his MMO future in TOR, I suggest creating a bucket list. Let's face it: When The Old Republic releases, we cannot look back to other MMOs. They will be dead to us. After the cut, I have complied a list of 10 items that we will never see again once we start playing TOR. Count them down with me.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Bucket list

Hyperspace Beacon: Bucket list originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: The no-quest challenge

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, PvE, Enter at Your Own Rift

OK, I know you all probably want to talk about the news that addons are coming to RIFT, but the truth is that it's not that big of an issue for me. My feelings on addons are that I'm for them if they enhance the game and encourage player creativity, but I'm against them if they reduce players to mere statistics in the eyes of others (GearScore) or are absolutely necessary to tackle the game's content.

So if you feel passionate about this topic, I give you leave to vent more about it in the comments below, but as for me and mine, we're going to look at quests today. More specifically, not doing them.

Now, I generally like quests. They give me a feeling of accomplishment (as I am fond of checking off items from my to-do lists in real life), the stories are occasionally interesting, and they give nice boosts to leveling. But I've come to realize something interesting about RIFT that might run under the radar of most: Quests are superfluous to the game. Well, at the very least, they're optional and not the mandatory tasks that most modern MMOs make them out to be.

So I had a thought. What about playing RIFT without questing at all -- taking on a "no-quest challenge" of sorts? Is it not only possible but fun too? Hit the jump and we'll examine this from all the angles.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: The no-quest challenge

Enter at Your Own Rift: The no-quest challenge originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: My expedition

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Humor, First Impressions, The Game Archaeologist

Today I feel a little like Jake from The Blues Brothers, the Jake who, while on the defensive when confronted with his failings, comes up with a laundry list of excuses including earthquakes, flat tires, a lost tuxedo, a stolen car, floods and locusts: "It wasn't my fault, I swear to God!" Yup, Jake, I empathize.

After going through an excellent month of EverQuest on The Game Archaeologist here, I had every intention to marinate in old-fashioned EQ goodness for the very first time in my life. I set several evenings aside, put on my chainmail bikini and Viking hat, and told the computer to, I quote, "Bring it on."

Then the floods and locusts happened, in the form of a number of personal crises compounded by an unexpectedly difficult time just getting into the EverQuest Escape to Norrath unlimited trial. I don't know what's going on over at SOE, but the signup for this trial simply doesn't work. I followed the directions and downloaded the client, but the next screen (which contained the activation key) never appeared. It appears that I'm not alone dealing with this frustrating experience, but long story short, I eventually created a second account to just get the 14-day trial (instead of the unlimited one) to get in the game. By then I was down to just a mere two evenings of EverQuest trompings, which I knew would not be enough to satisfy the fans looking for an in-depth impressions of their favorite game.

So I have to throw myself on your mercy and tell you that I played it, but not nearly as much as I should've. That said, it definitely was an intriguing expedition from which I took away quite a few notes and during which I at least had the opportunity to get my feet wet. What is EverQuest like to an experienced MMO player who's coming to the game for the first time over a decade after it released? Hit the jump and let's see how far down this rabbit hole goes!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: My expedition

The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: My expedition originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the Forbidden RuneScape: The R-Team

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, The Game Archaeologist

The Game Archaeologist is a lazy adventurer-slash-professor who dons his trademark cap for a weekly expedition through some of the most famous MMOs of the past few decades. Each month he chooses a different title to examine its highlights, talk with its developers, and invite its fans to share their experiences.

They come from all over the world just for one shot to be the elite of the elite. After a rigorous selection process, the survivors undergo months of hardcore training. Fingers aching from the strain and eyes itchy with sleep deprivation, these ripped warriors emerge to battle evil wherever it rears its ugly head. Budapest, probably. Or Easter Island. They loot with wild abandon, they craft with purpose, and they aren't afraid to jam on the caps lock button to make their voices heard.

So if you need their help -- and if you can afford them -- maybe you can hire the R-Team.

As we continue our month-long RuneScape safari, it's high past time that we hear from the R-Team members themselves. Four past and present RuneScape players graciously laid out the case as to why this MMO rocks socks off. To make a good thing even better, Jagex sent in five new screenshots for your enjoyment.

So what are you waiting for? Hit that jump like you mean it!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Forbidden RuneScape: The R-Team

The Game Archaeologist and the Forbidden RuneScape: The R-Team originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet team discusses elite skills and PvP in Guild Wars 2

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Guild Wars 2

Yesterday's interview with ArenaNet at Kill Ten Rats ended on a promising note: "to be continued."

That promise was fulfilled today when Ravious posted part two of the interview. While much of yesterday's discussion revolved around energy usage and potions, today's focused more on skill usage -- particularly elite skills.

Elites in Guild Wars 2 will be quite a bit different from what we're used to in Guild Wars. Ravious described them as "ace-up-your-sleeve" skills used to turn the tide of battle when they're most needed. Martin, Regina, Jon, and especially Isaiah had plenty to say about elites and how they work, including a few specific examples.

The team also addressed weapon skills and PvP, two subjects of great interest to the community. Head over to Kill Ten Rats to check out the full interview!

ArenaNet team discusses elite skills and PvP in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet talks energy and group dynamics in Guild Wars 2

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Guild Wars 2

After the recent Guild Wars 2 news drought, new information is certainly welcome. Ravious over at Kill Ten Rats provides just that today with a new interview with several members of the ArenaNet team.

Ravious chatted with community managers Martin Kerstein and Regina Buenaobra as well as developers Jon Peters and Isaiah Cartwright for some fascinating discussion on part of the development process. The group discussed energy use in Guild Wars 2, and gave us some interesting news on how your gameplay style will affect it.

They also covered some ground on group dynamics and how you can best work with your teammates in Guild Wars 2. The best part of this interview is that it ends with "to be continued." Head on over to Kill Ten Rats to see the interview for yourself, then join us in anxiously awaiting the next installment!

If you are looking forward to GW2 but aren't a current Guild Wars player, you might want to check out the great deal on the Guild Wars Trilogy at Best Buy. What better way to pass the time while you wait for more GW2 news?

ArenaNet talks energy and group dynamics in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Weird staples of every fantasy MMO

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Humor, Perfect Ten

If you take some weird, outlandish, or out-of-the-ordinary item and then saturate your life with it, sooner or later the bizarre becomes the accepted norm. So much so, in fact, that you'd cease to even think about it. I mean, do we ever question those magic boxes known as "microwaves" that mysteriously heat up our foods? Does anyone blink twice anymore when small computers tell us how to drive instead of nagging spouses? What about Carrot Top?

Likewise, fantasy MMORPGs have erected trope after trope that we no longer question -- or even notice. Actually, the only time we'd notice one of these is if a game failed to include it. No matter how illogical and sometimes silly these MMO staples are when you think about them, we've been around them so long that we would no more notice them as we would the individual keyboard buttons that we type on daily.

Still... you're thinking about them right now, aren't you? Those keys, cruelly dominated by your pecking fingers, pushing them back into place. What a techno-bully you are! In any case, come with us as we count down 10 weird staples that every fantasy MMO seems to include.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Weird staples of every fantasy MMO

The Perfect Ten: Weird staples of every fantasy MMO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your preferred weapon type?

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Until the day that we can conquer our virtual enemies with hugging and snuggling, it will always be necessary to arm ourselves for battle with the gruesome tools of the trade. MMOs typically start you out on your career with rusty butter knives and wiffle bats, but before long you have the choice of thousands of types and varieties of weapons.

So what's your preferred weapon to kill those 10 rats? Do you like doing your damage up close with dual daggers? Perhaps it's a hefty sword that commands respect as you lop off heads. Or do you spend your time turning living objects into pincushions with your lightning-fast bow and arrow? Maybe your tastes run to the more exotic?

Myself, I'm partial to either quarterstaffs (level softly and carry a big stick, is what I say) and any fully automatic assault rifle that I can get my hands on. I know some players who just can't stand to play any class that can't use a big honking two-handed sword. What about you?

The Daily Grind: What's your preferred weapon type? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's the longest break you've ever taken from MMOs?

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Even the most die-hard among us need a break now and then from killing ten rats. I mean, those rats, they deserve it -- don't get me wrong. They killed our families, stole Christmas, tried to blot out the sun and sold us Amway. But heroic rat-slayers need vacations from MMOs, and sometimes we have to get away for a while to recharge our batteries and check out other entertainment pleasures out there.

So what's the longest break you've ever taken from playing MMOs? Was it because you burnt out, crashed hard, and vowed not to go back (at least, not for a very long time)? Were you forced to leave MMOs behind due to a vacation or tour of duty overseas? Did you find a single-player title that sucked you in for a marathon gaming session?

We'd love to hear about your breaks -- what took you away from MMOs, and what you learned while you were away. Did it refresh your perspective and attitude?

The Daily Grind: What's the longest break you've ever taken from MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: The highs and lows of Middle-earth

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, The Road to Mordor

Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was also the most trite way to open an article, especially if you were to be submitting it to your English teacher. Still, I've never encountered a week in LotRO that's given me such a bipolar experience, and I'm going to need your help to work it out. You with me? Good, then grab a cup of red tea and let us spin such a yarn that cats all over the world will be attracted to it.

The week began with a switch back to my Captain -- I like to juggle characters, but my cappy (Captain Crunch, thank you very much) is the flagship character of my account, the one in which I've poured the most time and interest. Crunch had just hit level 45, which meant she was eligible to start Volume II, Book I. This is generally recommended at level 45, because the book nets you your first legendary item (and your second, by the end of it). I figured, might as well get cracking on that infamous LI grind I hear so much about, so away I went!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: The highs and lows of Middle-earth

The Road to Mordor: The highs and lows of Middle-earth originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Where is your uncanny social valley?

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind

Ravious at Kill Ten Rats took an amusing look at the scale of social interaction in MMOs the other day, outlining the type of interaction vs. the level of fun in a game, and it made us wonder.

The type of gameplay preferred varies from person to person, of course. What one person views as the most fun type of play can sound completely boring or annoying to another person, and the same goes for interacting with those in the MMO world around you.

So where do you stand? Are you one of those players who leaps headfirst into any PUG, excited at the prospect of meeting new people? Do you prefer your circle of friends, those known elements that won't surprise you, be it good or bad? Or do you eschew company as a rule, preferring to treat the game as a single player game?

Click the handy comment link below and let us know what you think!

The Daily Grind: Where is your uncanny social valley? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How consistency softens the grind

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion

"Grind" is on the verge of becoming what "nerf" already is -- a word thrown around so frequently and with such broad possible meaning that it's essentially meaningless. After all, the word now gets used for any part of a game the player finds boring and repetitive, rather than the process of repeating something over and over. It's the latter meaning that Kill Ten Rats discusses with an intersting thesis -- we don't mind a grind so much as we mind one we can't advance without breaks.

Using the Guild Wars Wintersday redux as an example, the point is made that the holiday events are a straight-up grind -- but they're a constant one that you can pick up and start with no downtime, then stop whenever you want. Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft have both taken the same approach with Skirmishes and the Dungeon Finder, taking the slow march to being ready for an instance out of the equation.

It's an interesting idea, that what we really dislike aren't the grinds but being stuck unable to make much progress in them. If you tend to think that grinds are the worst thing in MMOs today, it might be an opportunity to re-examine that stance.

How consistency softens the grind originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The lesser of two evils is still evil

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Exploits, MMO industry, Opinion

There are a lot of choices we face where we don't so much pick a good option as we pick the option that's least negative. Most people would argue that going to work is a better choice than faking illness and calling out, but not really a choice they like. Kill Ten Rats recently posed an interesting question along the same lines: would you rather your game have gold farmers or cheaters?

As the full piece argues, gold farmers are the greater evil to the companies running the game -- they aren't paying customers and they're disrupting the playerbase. But the average player is more likely to run into cheaters than gold farmers, and they're more likely to have a direct negative effect upon the experience of the game. Yet teams tend to be more active in pursuing gold farmers (witness Aion's theatrical destruction of them) because cheaters, to the company, are a slightly lesser problem.

Obviously, it's not a binary equation, and some games (such as Final Fantasy XI) place both at an equally high target priority. The fundamental question, however, is an excellent one -- cheating jerks, or RMT bots? There's no good option.

The lesser of two evils is still evil originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Characters go around again?

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind

One of the features that's become more and more de rigeur for single-player games is the concept of a "new game plus," a second go-through of the game with all of the abilities and equipment you picked up the first time around. In some cases, you can't even actually play the full game until you've managed to beat it once, at which point you earn a number of rewards that would have been useful to beat the game the first time around. (Insert your own jokes about boss loot here.)

Kill Ten Rats recently suggested the idea of allowing a similar mechanic in MMORPGs, borrowing from games such as Torchlight that allow you to retire a character and pass benefits on to a new one. Certainly it has advantages -- we've all had a character or two that's sat at a level too high to be deleted that we don't want to play any longer, and it'd be nice to pass along something useful for the playtime. On the other hand, a forced cycle of leveling followed by retirement followed by another level grind could get tedious quickly. What do you think? Would this sort of feature be an enjoyable way to expand your character stable, or a searingly obnoxious grinding treadmill?

The Daily Grind: Characters go around again? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chasing carrots, and why we do it

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Leveling, Opinion

A while ago, Kill Ten Rats advocated a rather interesting approach to solving the problem of any tedious grind: cheat. More viable in a single-player game (but still possible if you're willing to use methods of dubious legality), the reasoning was to cut away the reward portion and see if you were enjoying what you were doing on its own merits. Two follow-up posts have been made since then, further extrapolating the question and getting into the way our brains fire in response to anticipation of reward.

Grind, of course, is both a dirty word and a quintessential part of any current MMO, which means that we generally aim at games with the most enjoyable grind. But are we focusing on an enjoyable grind, or just one that's not too painful as we head toward the end goal? Is the problem with Aion (to pick a game routinely raked over the coals for its grind) the basic structure, or could the grind become irrelevant if it were just a hair more enjoyable? The very structure of MMOs encourages a certain amount of grinding, and it's interesting to take a look at whether we're doing it because the grind is fun, or just because we've tricked ourselves into thinking it's not all that bad.

Chasing carrots, and why we do it originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview with Undead Labs' Jeff Strain

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, New titles

Last month we heard about Jeff Strain's new studio Undead Labs, and his upcoming zombie MMO. In the wake of that exciting announcement, Kill Ten Rats was lucky enough to spend some time with Jeff in an interview.

They covered quite a few important questions: fast zombies or slow ones, why it's best to hide in a Costco in the event of a zombie apocalypse, those darn velociraptors, and why so many development companies are in Seattle.

Oh, yes, they also talked about gaming. Jeff covered some interesting points on the complexities of console MMO gaming -- the lack of a keyboard seems to be the biggest issue -- as well as how much he loves the term "MMO" (not really). Jeff also gave due respect to World of Warcraft, and even managed to toss in a "shameless plug" for Guild Wars 2. The full interview is well worth your time, and can be found here.

Interview with Undead Labs' Jeff Strain originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The roles we play, part 2

Brendan Drain — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

Continue reading The roles we play, part 2

The roles we play, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The roles we play

Brendan Drain — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Culture, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, Quests, PvE, Opinion, Roleplaying

To some people, the term "role-playing" conjures up images of guys with tinfoil swords and shields shouting "Lighting bolt!". Role-playing in MMOs gets a similarly polarised reception, suggesting scenes of people playing pretend and speaking to each other in Shakespearean tone. To those of us that grew up with pen-and-paper role-playing games and single-player RPGs, it might mean the opportunity to play fantastic characters like wizards and rogues. At its core, however, role-playing is something far more subtle and fundamental than we sometimes give it credit for and it underpins the entire MMO genre. In playing an MMO, we are inherently playing roles that the game's developers have created for us. But do most MMO developers really know how to create engaging gameplay for us or are they failing to immerse us in their own chosen roles?

In this probative opinion piece, I delve into the roles we play in MMOs and the things developers often do wrong when designing an immersive game experience.

Continue reading The roles we play

The roles we play originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disguising the grind, part 2

Brendan Drain — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Continue reading Disguising the grind, part 2

Disguising the grind, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disguising the grind

Brendan Drain — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Age of Conan, EverQuest II, Culture, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, Quests, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, Virtual worlds

Believe it or not, grind is an essential part of an MMO and we might be pretty lost without it. Repetitive content is the cornerstone of the MMO genre but it's not all just smacking monsters over the head for hours on end or completing yet another "kill ten rats" quest. The repetitive elements in an MMO give us predictable gameplay in a form we can digest. We don't feel lost when we pick up a quest because it uses similar mechanics to previous quests we've done. From a development standpoint, the amount of time it takes to create new and unique gameplay for an MMO is quite large and it's just not feasible to churn out unique gameplay with every new piece of content. Instead, developers are forced to re-use the same gameplay mechanics over and over again. So if we genuinely appreciate predictable, repetitive gameplay and it's not feasible to do otherwise, why are we always so up-in-arms about the evils of grinding?

In this probative opinion piece, I look at why we need repetitive gameplay in MMOs and the various ways developers disguise grind to keep the game entertaining.
Update: Link to page 2 fixed. Thanks Brian!

Continue reading Disguising the grind

Disguising the grind originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lore is important

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Lore, Opinion, Academic

Lore matters. It's often considered to be low on the list of game features, it won't save a game that is otherwise lackluster or missing content, and it can't be the only reason you play a game. But it still matters, and it still has a lot of importance, and Kill Ten Rats has offered a long essay explaining exactly why lore is so important to the games we play and enjoy. Even if you generally don't think of yourself as someone who enjoys lore, it matters to you, and you would notice if it wasn't there.

The image above is a dramatization -- which looks more interesting, an elaborate piece of concept art of a character class or a square black box blankly listing attributes? As the essay points out, would you rather be fighting dragons and ogres, or hexagons and trapezoids? There's a very good reason why we need lore in our games and why we don't see any games that don't attempt to provide it, and it's explained here very, very well. Whether or not you consider yourself to be a fan of lore, you owe it to yourself to read the essay, and perhaps re-evaluate the way you see the backstory of the game.

Lore is important originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The balance of force in Star Wars: the Old Republic

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic

It might be a slight exaggeration to say that everyone in the world is looking forward to Star Wars: the Old Republic... but only slight. With the latest class reveal, the Imperial Agent is poised to give an excellent sneak-and-snipe playstyle to the Sith side of the game. All well and good... but as Kill Ten Rats notes, how is this game going to get any PvP balance? To the best of everyone's knowledge there's no equivalent ability in the Smuggler's arsenal, the Republic's counterpoint to the Agent, and it's not much of a matchup when one side is invisible and the other side isn't.

Overly Positive recently made a few observations regarding the class balance, noting that BioWare seems to be taking an approach a la Warhammer Online -- each class has a loose equivalent on the other side, but they don't result in being direct copies of one another. However, the downside to this approach is that you can easily wind up with one side's class being overpowered in relation to the other. Direct equivalencies leech some of the flavor, but they ensure that the game remains perfectly balanced for both factions. It's a question worth considering and keeping an eye on as the game moves through development -- after all, if a Jedi and a Sith Warrior can't face off in fair combat, it'll be a sad day for many players.

The balance of force in Star Wars: the Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The unbearable lightness of stat boosts

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion

There's nothing quite like spending two hours in a muck-filled dungeon, hacking and slashing your way through countless monsters and creatures best left to the realms of twisted imagination, to receive an ultimate reward: a sword which gives you an extra .25% chance to hit enemies in sunlight. Or an extra .2% damage to any monster you've killed more than four of in a given play session. Or you get an extra 1% health for five seconds every time you correctly spell "exalted." Ravious over on Kill Ten Rats recently posted his thoughts on precisely this phenomenon: the issue that you're looking at a lot of work for, ultimately, almost one percent of a reward.

While the post is specifically talking about Lord of the Rings Online, it can easily apply to many other games, and we can all think of rewards that were similarly important and yet less than overwhelming. Part of the reason behind this, of course, is that MMOs need to have a power curve ramp-up without granting everyone too much damage or health or what-have-you, as Ravious dutifully notes. However, there's a point where too much balance becomes too little meaningful impact -- it can be better, at times, to only have one bonus but make it a big one. It's ultimately up to the player which one they prefer, but most of us certainly do seem to prefer having each upgrade be a big one.

The unbearable lightness of stat boosts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 blending RTS with PvP

Kyle Horner — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, PvP, News items, Guild Wars 2

Kill Ten Rats recently picked up some interesting information regarding PvP in Guild Wars 2. Essentially, world PvP will be mimicking the RTS model. Resources such as stone mines can be conquered by players and will deliver stone to catapults by caravan. These deliveries can be intercepted by enemy players unless manned watchtowers are defending your roads and scouts are keeping track of enemy forces. Or, as ArenaNet put it, players can simply look for lost PvPers and smack them around a bit.

Complex is the operative word here, as making this system work with large numbers of players will be almost as difficult as making it work with very few. Plus, developers will be dealing with all the regular idiosyncrasies associated with grouping in an MMO such as PUGs, communication and unruly parents demanding for chores or homework to be completed. Even all that considered, we hope they can pull it off so we can reap the fun.

If you're looking for more information on Guild Wars 2, check out our recent interview with ArenaNet.

Guild Wars 2 blending RTS with PvP originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GW2 interview with Jeff Grubb goes deep into lore

Brooke Pilley — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Lore, Guild Wars 2

If you're a Guild Wars lore-junkie, we have found the perfect Guild Wars 2 interview for you. Ravious over at Kill Ten Rats claims he can talk GW lore for hours and after reading the deep questions he put forth to ArenaNet World Designer and Writer Jeff Grubb, we'll take his word for it.

If you're looking for information about instancing, world PvP, and progression rates, this isn't the interview for you. If, however, it makes you giddy that one of either the Bahltek, undeciphered Asuran banner, or giganticus lupicus will be further explained in GW2, then it might be right up your alley. Jeff also drops some hints about the origins of humans, the dragon prophet Glint, the complex relationship between the world of Tyria, the human gods, and dragons, and a number of other things. The anticipation for everything GW2 related is heating up, so stay tuned to Massively as our very own Shawn Schuster will be speaking with someone from ArenaNet soon.

GW2 interview with Jeff Grubb goes deep into lore originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ah yes, more sprinkles of Guild Wars 2 news

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, MMO industry, New titles, Guild Wars 2, Rumors

Our friend Ravious at Kill Ten Rats is at it again with some pretty impressive detective work on the current state of Guild Wars 2. To be fair, Ravious is simply gathering the info he finds on the various Guild Wars forums from others who are doing the actual detective work, but it still makes our jobs a whole lot easier. Some of this was already known, some of it is new, but it's all interesting.

In his most recent GW2 post, we get word of a forum member named 4thVariety who has been following the trademark licensing and domain registration habits of ArenaNet's trademark lawyer, Mr. Peter J. Willsey. When GW2 was first announced, Mr. Willsey trademarked BlightedEmpires.com, and has since renewed the domain on March 12th of this year. Speculation, of course, centers around the fact that this may or may not be the name of the highly successful game's sequel.

Continue reading Ah yes, more sprinkles of Guild Wars 2 news

Ah yes, more sprinkles of Guild Wars 2 news originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Being a WoW fan doesn't mean you're an MMO fan

Brooke Pilley — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion

Syncaine posted an interesting article on his blog discussing why he thinks there hasn't been much uptake in the majority of MMOs released since World of Warcraft. Basically, he believes that just because you enjoy playing WoW, it doesn't mean you'll enjoy other MMOs.

The post goes on to say that there are many more non-MMO gamers than MMO gamers out there who simply can't fathom spending a monthly fee to repeatedly kill ten rats or grind out the perfect PvP character over several months time. They have much more accessible and engaging singleplayer RPGs or FPS games for that, right?

The main point he aims to make is that designers should stop chasing non-MMO gamers and focus on those who are already fans. On the other hand, hasn't our genre become a bit pigeon-holed as of late? Isn't the biggest and best part of an MMO the community aspect and not the DIKU-based über-grind? We hope so! Couldn't we maybe expand our acceptance of what MMOs are and challenge the boundaries of what they could be? Maybe that's a viable route toward making those who do not care actually care.

Being a WoW fan doesn't mean you're an MMO fan originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 concept art spotted

James Egan — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars has some fantastic concept art. We've mentioned this in the past, particularly in the context of the work of ArenaNet art director Daniel Dociu and concept art lead Kekai Kotaki as seen at Spectrum Fantastic Art. In fact, the last thing we asked was, "Does this give some hints as to what we'll be seeing in Guild Wars 2?" It turns out, it does.

In fact, Guild Wars 2 concept art is now appearing in other places as well. Ravious at Kill Ten Rats hunted down more GW2 art by Dociu and Kotaki, as confirmed by ArenaNet's Regina Buenaobra. Check out the post on GW2 concept art by Ravious over at Kill Ten Rats, which features some examples of what he's found along with some background on what they may show of the next game's setting, "250 years after the original Guild Wars."

Guild Wars 2 concept art spotted originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Has LotRO's next expansion been named?

Kyle Horner — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, News items, Rumors

Kill Ten Rats has uncovered a rather interesting website, called Riders of Rohan. Curiously, this website doesn't actually go to any place new -- it simply redirects to the official Lord of the Rings Online site. So this of course begs the question, will the next expansion (presumably this year's) be centered on Rohan and its lands? Will Lord of the Rings Online players be tromping around the Riddermark within the next twelve months?

It seems rather plausible given the Volume 2, Book 7 update's location, but of course there's no official word just yet. Still, that won't stop us from imagining up mounted combat as Horse Lords and massive armies marching onto the steps of Helm's Deep as we valiantly defend her gates from dark forces.

Has LotRO's next expansion been named? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel on implementing LotRO's lore

Kyle Horner — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online, Lore, News items

Lore is something that can engross a person anywhere from several minutes to several hours. In the case of Lord of the Rings fans, it probably leans towards hours and hours. The core books written by Tolkien alone are quite exhaustive in detail.

With Mines of Moria's release well behind us on the calendar, Kill Ten Rats interviewed Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel about how the expansion's team took Tolkien's lore and crafted it into what now exists within the game world. It's an enriching read for anybody interested in adapting lore into MMOs, or anything Lord of the Rings related in general.

Of course, KTR and Steefel aren't the only Lord of the Rings Online fans addicted to extensive storytelling. We've got our own regular column dedicated to the very subject of all things lore related, with a huge focus on the virtual Middle-earth and its backstory.

Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel on implementing LotRO's lore originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten days with Mines of Moria

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Hands-on

Last week, Zubon at Kill Ten Rats had taken a comprehensive look at Lord of the Rings Online's Mines of Moria as more and more people are rediscovering the Turbine fantasy MMO. This 10-day exploration touches on many aspects of the game beyond simple back-of-the-box facts and features. It's an experienced and opinionated journal that points out the good and bad, which may be quite helpful to those looking to spend the extra cash for that expansion.

Not only does Zubon touch on the experiences with Book quests, his impressions of the Rune-keeper and the mines themselves, but there's also a helpful "Seven Favorites" post which gives a no-nonsense look at what he enjoys most from the game. Check back through the entire series of posts, and take heed to his closing thought: "I have not nearly seen it all."

Ten days with Mines of Moria originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Economic shifts, new business models bring more options for MMO gamers

James Egan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion

Tough economic times generally lead to shifts in perspective, and that's exactly the case with the MMO industry given much of the commentary we're seeing lately. In response to these changes in the economy, more companies -- and gamers -- are starting to rethink the alternative business models that have thrived in Asia, and which are increasingly making their way into the western MMO industry. And is that so surprising? Many gamers would like to be able to play more than one or two titles in a given month, but simply aren't able to due to the monthly subscription price (time concerns aside, of course).

Ravious from Kill Ten Rats observes that while MMOs typically demand more of players than standard PC games (at least in terms of time), the wide variety of gaming options that Steam users have come to appreciate could certainly be applicable to MMOs, if other business models beyond monthly subscriptions become viable in the West. Ravious writes, "Whether it is from a Steam-driven library of games, an aging MMO population, an economic recession, or plenty of different business models coming in to the MMO world, I believe that the subscription model of today is nearly done being 'the way'."

Continue reading Economic shifts, new business models bring more options for MMO gamers

Economic shifts, new business models bring more options for MMO gamers originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grinding: The world's newest hobby?

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion

Kill Ten Rats just put up an interesting, if not verging on controversial, take on some of the more repetitive and mundane parts of our MMO experiences. The main point of the article looks at MMOs not from the standpoint of a game, but rather that of a hobby.

Ravious, the article's author, defines a hobby element of an MMO as something we may do in our gameplay that's not fun, but aids you having fun in future gameplay. Things like grinding to get that awesome new sword, all the looting you do to make potions for that next big raid, or perhaps just sitting in battlegrounds and getting all the honor points you can take.

Ravious makes one important part at the end of the article -- too much "hobby element" in your game just makes for a sour game. He uses salt for his metaphor in this context. Salt makes food taste better, but too much salt or salting the wrong thing leads to ghastly consequences.

Grinding: The world's newest hobby? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lame scams still profitable in Guild Wars, over 1000 bans every week

James Egan — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Exploits, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion

Would you fall for this? (Please say 'no'...): A complete stranger approaches you on the sidewalk outside of your bank and shows you a rare coin he says is worth twenty thousand dollars. "I want to just give this coin to you," he says, "but I don't want anyone to know we did this... tax issues, you see." The stranger suggests putting it in your safe deposit box, but because he's so concerned about privacy, he wants access to your safe deposit box to be sure the rare coin gets there, with no one the wiser. The problem is that he can only get in there with your express permission...

We're guessing 99.99% of you would never get suckered by something asinine like this, but why then do people fall for the exact same thing in the virtual realm? Specifically, it seems that Guild Wars players regularly turn over their login info to account thieves in hopes of getting something for nothing, as mentioned by Ravious over at Kill Ten Rats. This ultimately leads to a continuous deluge of stolen accounts, tears, and rage.

Continue reading Lame scams still profitable in Guild Wars, over 1000 bans every week

Lame scams still profitable in Guild Wars, over 1000 bans every week originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet in complete control of Guild Wars 2 marketing

Kyle Horner — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Rumors

Earlier this month we made a post speculating -- via Kill Ten Rats -- on how the marketing may be handled for Guild Wars 2. As it turns out, some of those rumors turned out to be untrue. Specifically, the rumor about how the game would be marketed when it eventually comes out. Regina Buenaobra, an ArenaNet community manager, has made it clear that NCsoft allows developers to decide their own marketing strategies for their games in the way that makes sense for them. We're very glad to hear that, as one size certainly does not fit all.

Another nice aside here is that it would appear that NCsoft is allowing ArenaNet to do their own thing, which should assuage any worries or fears some may have after the events surrounding Tabula Rasa and Auto Assault. As for that release date? Well, that's still subject for speculation as per usual.

ArenaNet in complete control of Guild Wars 2 marketing originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 marketing and release date speculated

Kyle Horner — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Rumors

When it comes to Guild Wars 2, you could say the folks at Massively are a bit excited about the game. You could also say we're a bit of a MMORPG news and features site, as well. The problem is that there just hasn't been much information to discuss about the sequel. Well, as it turns out, Kill Ten Rats has a little bit of meat for us to chew on -- but only a little.

In a conference call held in early November, it turns out there was some discussion about Aion. How is this pertinent to Guild Wars 2? Well, it seems that NCsoft is quite pleased with the marketed generated through buzz and online viral videos for the game. As of right now, the game is having an enormously popular Korean beta. So, the reasoning goes then that they'd like to see this approach taken with Guild Wars 2, as it saves NCsoft money -- something they apparently need a lot of right now -- and created plenty of awareness.

As for a release date, after being pestered by an uninhibited analyst about said date, NCsoft was willing to admit their interest in a holiday 2009 launch. The intriguing part of this whole shebang is that there appear to be "options" for the game's release, and the analysts aren't too pleased with the inevitable decline in Guild Wars' business. So, could we see the game earlier than next winter? Maybe next summer? Possibly, just possibly.

Guild Wars 2 marketing and release date speculated originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet's Linsey Murdock speaks out on recent Guild Wars update

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Academic

The large, now-infamous balance update for Guild Wars two weeks ago is still causing a buzz among players, so Ravious at Kill Ten Rats took this opportunity to interview ArenaNet's Linsey Murdock to discuss the process and effect that these changes have had so far.

Murdock explains the importance of this update and some of her favorite or most-anticipated aspects. Of special note is the mention of the Luxon and Kurzick Challenge Mission reward changes, and how she hopes that it will actually get players back into those areas introduced with Guild Wars' first chapter, Factions. Check out the entire interview for a walkthrough of the update process and more from one of ArenaNet's most important Live Team game designers.

ArenaNet's Linsey Murdock speaks out on recent Guild Wars update originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The anatomy of a cut scene

Shawn Schuster — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, Machinima, Humor

When you watch a cut scene (assuming you didn't skip it, when possible), do you ever think about what goes into making that cinematic? Why did they choose this angle, and this part of the storyline? In games like Guild Wars, the cut scenes are game-engine-based, so your characters are standing there engaged in deep, dramatic story-driven dialogue with an important NPC, all the while a Jagged Horror decides he wants to stand directly on top of the camera.

Ravious over at Kill Ten Rats discusses the issue we sometimes can have with the different types of cut scenes out there. For example, in Lord of the Rings Online, there are the ones where you can't do anything, and you're forced to sit and listen to the big bad boss talk about how he could have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids. Then there's the type where you can, as Ravious puts it, "hop over Samwell(wise) Gamgee's hobbit head to your heart's content while Elrond bids the Fellowship farewell."

So what's your favorite kind of cut scene? Do you feel they need to be giant cinematic productions, or do the brief game-engine scenes do well enough?

The anatomy of a cut scene originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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