Look what Mythic is up to now.
The new server type will be called “Alternative Rules” and has two main features: no access to Trials of Atlantis and “ranged buffs”. Here are the details:
Trials of Atlantis: ToA zones will not be available, nor will Artifacts or Master Levels. You will be able to play ToA races, however.
Ranged Buffs: All concentration buffs will have a range limit of 5000 units, and will be available only to the buffer and his groupmates. Anyone outside of the group cannot receive concentration buffs.
So is Mythic finally coming full circle to admit that TOA was a bad expansion and relatively destroyed the game for many players. We're back at square one almost and I guarantee these servers will be hit hard. I will not be lured back... I hope... and I don't see many other people coming back.
Why you ask?
They still haven't balanced the stealthers, new frontiers is still worse than old frontiers, and most of all leveling sucks. The people that were looking for this type of server are already playing the free "get everything without any work" emulation DAoC servers being run outside of Mythics grasp.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
The Lost Art of Class Balancing.
Reading this article on Gamepro.com I was wondering if the author actually played MMO's or just whined about them on message boards.
His two "fixes" 1) Make every class equal in abilities and 2) Nerf the overpowered class... are the two major problems with balancing. Players think it is a cut and dry when it comes to balancing. It simply is not. Balance in a PvE or PvP game starts on day one of design. Every system needs to apply to balance.
The author further ignores the fact that these games are not rock, scissors, and papers balancing acts. It is hinted at that a certain game... Guild Wars... is a complex strategy game when that is anything but the truth. There is no need to break down Guild Wars at this moment though.
The article claims "At the heart of the issue is the devaluation of game testing." While I agree that game testing is somewhat to blame for the balance problems it can not be solely blamed. Development schedules, suits pushing games out the door, and overall bad business practices are to be blamed for the worse balancing acts.
At the heart of MMOG balance is the perception of the min/max gamer mentality. If Player A does 100 damage and Player B does only 72 because the random number generator didn't go his way... he is apt to believe that Player A needs a nerf.
Next in the article the author spews this garbage... "Balancing is especially critical in the subscription-based MMORPG market, where longevity is more crucial than initial sales for revenue." So now balance is the "crucial" factor in a MMOG's longevity? Yet in the same article he proclaims the downfalls of Star Wars Galaxies(SWG)... which to this date is by far one of the must unbalanced shambles ever released as an MMOG. SWG rebuilt its entire combat system two years after launch which is a big red DING DING DING that there was a balance issue, but it still manages to pull 350,000+ subscribers.
MMO's are built in the name they carry, their technical performance, and most of all on the communities that are built around them. This article is nothing more than blogger trash and its a shame Gamepro.com gave Funky Zealot a soap box for this. Balance is a dynamic issue that is perception more than anything else. I will follow this up with my thoughts on the "3 Biggest mistakes in MMOG PvP balance".
Initial Battlefield 2 impressions.
The game is expansive... and I've only seen one map. The detail in each and every area is astounding no matter what part of the map you are on. From the construction crane that towers over the center of the map to the massive battleship waiting off the shore the detail is evident.
The combat feels right on, but still prone to spawn camping. Air strikes, tanks, and armored vehicles are always present at the spawn points and on random servers it seems to be quite evident that spawn camping is all that happens. Its frustrating and it sucks. Good server ops will kick the campers and you can get to an enjoyable game. With organized teams the spawn camping will be kept to a minimum I hope.
The ground units seem well done and the equipment sets are fun. Grenades are a bit off, but may just be my perception of them. The ground combat is lacking though. In my little experience the vehicles and jets rule the map. Explosions go through walls and shooting out windows with anit-tank rockets results in the infamous killing yourself because the rocket hit the window ledge.
So it feels like a good game and has the graphics to support a good game. I am only worried that the vehicle balance on maps will not be controlled... but that is what custom servers with friends are for!
The combat feels right on, but still prone to spawn camping. Air strikes, tanks, and armored vehicles are always present at the spawn points and on random servers it seems to be quite evident that spawn camping is all that happens. Its frustrating and it sucks. Good server ops will kick the campers and you can get to an enjoyable game. With organized teams the spawn camping will be kept to a minimum I hope.
The ground units seem well done and the equipment sets are fun. Grenades are a bit off, but may just be my perception of them. The ground combat is lacking though. In my little experience the vehicles and jets rule the map. Explosions go through walls and shooting out windows with anit-tank rockets results in the infamous killing yourself because the rocket hit the window ledge.
So it feels like a good game and has the graphics to support a good game. I am only worried that the vehicle balance on maps will not be controlled... but that is what custom servers with friends are for!
Monday, June 13, 2005
Guild Wars Review - Part I is up
Click here to read it.
Feedback appreciated... and I will be gaming for the rest of the night now that my reviews are underway.
Thanks everyone for reading!
Feedback appreciated... and I will be gaming for the rest of the night now that my reviews are underway.
Thanks everyone for reading!
WoW Review Part II is up
Part I is here.
And you can read Part II here... I start to get into the meat and potatoes of WoW. This is a start and I will continue to analyze all the different areas of WoW.
As always feedback is appreciated.
And you can read Part II here... I start to get into the meat and potatoes of WoW. This is a start and I will continue to analyze all the different areas of WoW.
As always feedback is appreciated.
My weekend.. 0 gaming and lots of sun!
For anyone that doesn't know... my weekends are non-gaming days. I am either out of town visiting my girlfriend or my girlfriend is in town visiting me. Since it is a distance relationship these are the only times we get to see each other.
Now I did get a few minutes in to install the Battlefield 2 demo and she watched me play for a few minutes before stealing me back from my computer. It seems to be a good game, but I need to play with the settings some for optimal play.
This Monday marks my start on night shift for work. I now work the evening shift as of today... the reason for this post coming so late. So my gaming time has shifted into the day time hours or late night hours.
But onto my weekend!
It started with my girlfriend getting into town after I got off of work. When she parked in my driveway a small black kitten darted under her car. Being the cat lover I am I couldn't let the poor kitten stay outside. It was obviously a house cat, well behaved, and it hadn't eaten in a while.
Problem was my cat just wasn't going to allow a kitten into the apartment. So I had to take the kitten over to a friend’s house and his wife was more than happy to kitten sit. Full house > my small apartment. That took the whole night up and was fun to have the playful kitten around for a while. My cat just isn't playful anymore.
Saturday we headed to the beach... and proceeded to give me a whole bunch of reasons to stay out of the sun. I am burnt from head to toe. I used a large amount of sun screen, but still it wasn't enough. I should have applied more after getting out of the ocean, but thought nothing of it until after I was burnt. Oh well... the sun is still the enemy of the gamer!
So of course Sunday was going to be a long painful day of laying around getting lotion rubbed into my sunburn. Enjoyable for me... not so much the girlfriend. Also started planning our trip back to my home town many many many miles away... which will occur later this month.
And that leads us to today! Since I am starting the new shift this week my girlfriend got to stay and extra half a day since she isn't starting her new job until this Friday. It was spent in the same manner as Sunday... enjoyable lotion rubbing :)
So now I ponder the rest of the week and my new gaming hours... it shall be interesting being out of prime time gaming!
Now I did get a few minutes in to install the Battlefield 2 demo and she watched me play for a few minutes before stealing me back from my computer. It seems to be a good game, but I need to play with the settings some for optimal play.
This Monday marks my start on night shift for work. I now work the evening shift as of today... the reason for this post coming so late. So my gaming time has shifted into the day time hours or late night hours.
But onto my weekend!
It started with my girlfriend getting into town after I got off of work. When she parked in my driveway a small black kitten darted under her car. Being the cat lover I am I couldn't let the poor kitten stay outside. It was obviously a house cat, well behaved, and it hadn't eaten in a while.
Problem was my cat just wasn't going to allow a kitten into the apartment. So I had to take the kitten over to a friend’s house and his wife was more than happy to kitten sit. Full house > my small apartment. That took the whole night up and was fun to have the playful kitten around for a while. My cat just isn't playful anymore.
Saturday we headed to the beach... and proceeded to give me a whole bunch of reasons to stay out of the sun. I am burnt from head to toe. I used a large amount of sun screen, but still it wasn't enough. I should have applied more after getting out of the ocean, but thought nothing of it until after I was burnt. Oh well... the sun is still the enemy of the gamer!
So of course Sunday was going to be a long painful day of laying around getting lotion rubbed into my sunburn. Enjoyable for me... not so much the girlfriend. Also started planning our trip back to my home town many many many miles away... which will occur later this month.
And that leads us to today! Since I am starting the new shift this week my girlfriend got to stay and extra half a day since she isn't starting her new job until this Friday. It was spent in the same manner as Sunday... enjoyable lotion rubbing :)
So now I ponder the rest of the week and my new gaming hours... it shall be interesting being out of prime time gaming!
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Battlefield 2 Demo Released!
Yes, it has multiplayer! Yes, the full version is releasing later this month! Yes, it is going to kick ass and take names!
Update: 8 Jul, 2007 - Edited post, applied labels, and removed broken link.
Update: 8 Jul, 2007 - Edited post, applied labels, and removed broken link.
Friday, June 10, 2005
A rogue whining about hunters mark?
Now I have my fair share of rants and whines about rogues in WoW's PvP system... some of them quite childish. Regardless I always base it with facts and I am consistent on my complaints. However this fool has no leg to stand on...
"I was in a Raid the other night......2 minute timer for hunters mark????? holy cow.... that's an eternity in a raid..30 seconds is way long but that would be closer to what I think it should be since I'd likely die anyway....sigh.. ss" - Sasha_Soui
A few things to point out...
1. Stealth = invisiblity that lasts as long as a rogue can avoid a trap or detection. I'm sorry... if you get caught in plain sight you shouldn't be able to disapear into thin air. It's sad there is so few abilities to stop a rogue from disapearing.
2. Hunters are meant to be the anti-rogue trackers and stealth preventers. That gives them use in PvP. Without this ability they are a limited ranged damage dealer with a pet.
3. Hunters mark can still be dispeled rather easily with potions and many trinkets.
4. The two minute timer is there so you it actually is useful. Whats the point of using it if it is gone in 30 seconds?
Rogues need to step off their pedestal and come back to earth with the rest of the classes.
"I was in a Raid the other night......2 minute timer for hunters mark????? holy cow.... that's an eternity in a raid..30 seconds is way long but that would be closer to what I think it should be since I'd likely die anyway....sigh.. ss" - Sasha_Soui
A few things to point out...
1. Stealth = invisiblity that lasts as long as a rogue can avoid a trap or detection. I'm sorry... if you get caught in plain sight you shouldn't be able to disapear into thin air. It's sad there is so few abilities to stop a rogue from disapearing.
2. Hunters are meant to be the anti-rogue trackers and stealth preventers. That gives them use in PvP. Without this ability they are a limited ranged damage dealer with a pet.
3. Hunters mark can still be dispeled rather easily with potions and many trinkets.
4. The two minute timer is there so you it actually is useful. Whats the point of using it if it is gone in 30 seconds?
Rogues need to step off their pedestal and come back to earth with the rest of the classes.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
2 days of Battlegrounds!
Day One
Started it out by finding the first entrance to the Horde side in Northern Barrens.
I got into the que and it took about 30 minutes for me to get invited into the Battleground. I was excited and ready to kill!
My excitement was cut short as I realized my team was down two flags and the third flag was about 30 seconds away from being captured. By the time I got out the door the battleground closed. Thirty minute wait for nothing... I was no longer excited.
I waited another 20 minutes or so for the next BG. I got in and immediately went to work. I was quickly up on the top of the killing blows and honorable kill list. I wanted to explore the ins and outs of the BG so I wasn't a team player at all. I spent the entire game just killing anything red. In the end I had 20 killing blows and 28 honorable kills. However our team was mostly under level 60 and the Alliance team was just steam rolling and carrying the flag away. We lost rather quickly.
The next BG only took about 15 minutes to get into. It lasted about an hour before the Alliance finally beat us. I started to learn the ins and outs of flag carrying. Druids make great solo flag carriers and the Priest/Warrior combo is rather tough to beat.
Day Two
My first BG took less than a minute to load into. It was an easy win for us. I was still learning the flag carrying routine and only managed to grab it once... losing it in the middle of the BG to a group of rogues. I was disconnected originally and it took me about five minutes to log back in. We were up one when I got back in and the second flag was on the way.
My second BG of the day was my time to shine. I had my flag routine down now that I knew the map. I was in first and fast and had the flag out within minutes. I lost it though when I ran into the alliance attacking force.
My second run was much better and I played hide and seek the whole way back for any easy start. The next flag fell into our hands when we basically caught all the Alliance waiting to resurrect.
The last one proved more difficult because they had taken our flag right after I had taken their flag. They camped out in their flag room and I just hid. Our team sent everyone to get our flag back and it was just proving difficult with almost all their team defending. We finally got our flag back and right when I went to place ours... an Alliance rogue took ours.
Some bug caused me to drop the flag when I chased after the rogue to get our flag. So it defaulted back to their base. We stopped the rogue but had to get their flag again.
45 minutes later our warrior had their flag and it was an all out fight to get it back. Their entire team and our entire team met in the middle of the BG and it was a battle royale all the way back into our flag room. I saved all my mana to heal the warrior and was empty right as he placed it to win.
A great end to a great two days!
Started it out by finding the first entrance to the Horde side in Northern Barrens.
I got into the que and it took about 30 minutes for me to get invited into the Battleground. I was excited and ready to kill!
My excitement was cut short as I realized my team was down two flags and the third flag was about 30 seconds away from being captured. By the time I got out the door the battleground closed. Thirty minute wait for nothing... I was no longer excited.
I waited another 20 minutes or so for the next BG. I got in and immediately went to work. I was quickly up on the top of the killing blows and honorable kill list. I wanted to explore the ins and outs of the BG so I wasn't a team player at all. I spent the entire game just killing anything red. In the end I had 20 killing blows and 28 honorable kills. However our team was mostly under level 60 and the Alliance team was just steam rolling and carrying the flag away. We lost rather quickly.
The next BG only took about 15 minutes to get into. It lasted about an hour before the Alliance finally beat us. I started to learn the ins and outs of flag carrying. Druids make great solo flag carriers and the Priest/Warrior combo is rather tough to beat.
Day Two
My first BG took less than a minute to load into. It was an easy win for us. I was still learning the flag carrying routine and only managed to grab it once... losing it in the middle of the BG to a group of rogues. I was disconnected originally and it took me about five minutes to log back in. We were up one when I got back in and the second flag was on the way.
My second BG of the day was my time to shine. I had my flag routine down now that I knew the map. I was in first and fast and had the flag out within minutes. I lost it though when I ran into the alliance attacking force.
My second run was much better and I played hide and seek the whole way back for any easy start. The next flag fell into our hands when we basically caught all the Alliance waiting to resurrect.
The last one proved more difficult because they had taken our flag right after I had taken their flag. They camped out in their flag room and I just hid. Our team sent everyone to get our flag back and it was just proving difficult with almost all their team defending. We finally got our flag back and right when I went to place ours... an Alliance rogue took ours.
Some bug caused me to drop the flag when I chased after the rogue to get our flag. So it defaulted back to their base. We stopped the rogue but had to get their flag again.
45 minutes later our warrior had their flag and it was an all out fight to get it back. Their entire team and our entire team met in the middle of the BG and it was a battle royale all the way back into our flag room. I saved all my mana to heal the warrior and was empty right as he placed it to win.
A great end to a great two days!
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