I have always been of the opinion that the social aspect Warcraft is a microcosm of the real world, with it's good points and it's bad points. This last week, I have seen some of the worst points mirroring the apparent threats to our society.
Identity Theft - The Case of the Miscreant Brother
Our guild had a new member, called Gungajin, skillful level 60 Warrior, very knowledgeable about the game and apparently the reason for this was that his Alliance alt is Gromagrim. Who? Gromagrim is one of those 'active' realm members - a person who is in the battlegrounds a lot, on the boards a lot. I believe he is the off-tank of Inner Sanctum, the best guild on the server in terms of progression. A true 'star'. Gungajin was given props for this and we all felt a little touched by this and then someone questioned whether he was actually Gromogrim, or whether he was lying. This second guessing continued for some days until the inevitable happened - Gungajin was playing in an instance and our guild master downed a dwarf in WSG... and it was Gromagrim. The scam was up! The pretense was exposed! BUT... that was not the end of it.
When confronted, Gungajin span out that oldest and best of anonymous excuses - that wasn't me, it was my brother playing my account. And yes, indeed, the voice of Gungajin had never admitted that he was Gromagrim - only the words typed into the screen. The guild decided to offer Gungajin the benefit of the doubt and kept him as a member - and a damned good member he is.
However, now, I have noticed that a number of other players have began to react to this - my brother threatened to quit the guild, my brother was messing with my mic, lend me money because my g/f has changed my talents etc. It is a very pleasant excuse.
Another upshot is that certain players are watching other players and waiting for them to make a mistake. Any claim of previous guild activities are dealt with in a 'guilty until proven innocent' manner. Someone even said to Gungajin last night 'Last time you said that, it was Dementation not Praetorians...at least keep your lies coordinated'. It's a level of distrust that I find distasteful and also niaive. After all, we are all simply personalities hidden behind pixelated avatars on a screen. The anonimity of the internet provides the perfect facade for someone to create a new identity....or to steal another one!
Social Responsibility - the Patch 1.11 Drip Feed
Patch 1.11 has arrived to the starved masses of Silvermoon's level 60s. I think this was probably the most anticipated patch I can remember for a long time, even though the big inclusion, the necropolis of Naxxaramas is essentially about six months off for many of us....if at all. 1.11 has been on the cards for weeks now and the patch notes have been available for a month. A full MONTH. So we have all had some time to peruse them, disgest them and generally understand the way they work, right? WRONG!
Last night was a literal cacophony of people in chat, ventrillo and in /general simply bumbling around wondering what was happening! How could the game have changed so much? How could this new content not be BLINDINGLY obvious? Why did they have to search out the new questing targets? Couldn't someone just take time to explain everything to them and spoon feed them the answers?
My annoyance with this is two fold. Firstly, a number of the complaints about the game revolve around it not having enough new content and that the new content that is added is targetted at the very best players. Poppicock is what I say! How can someone who has never set foot in Blackwing Lair say that there is no new content? They have at least three entire instanced dungeons that they have never even entered! That smells like new to me?! Similarly, they devour any new content that is available like rabid animals - I wonder how many people have completed the Midsummer quests already? And yet on the flip side of that, we have the tactic that Blizzard uses to give these events a little longevity - they make them into extended 'grinds'. Now, the new attacks on the cities are quite exciting I think, and have a definite script, but they are essentially grinds in the same way that the elemental lords in Silithus are. For some people, starved of so-called new content, these quests do not deliver quickly enough, For others, they are zoomed through. You cannot have your cake and eat it I'm afraid.
And secondly, there are the people who never learn. The perennial spongers of information who rely on others to spoonfeed them their entertainment on one hand and the people for whom the expectations of great things that have never occured and thus disappoint, are so easily raised as to be annoying! Look, how obvious is it that dancing around a Maypole is NOT going to give you any sort of phat epix? It's a bit of fun. And yes, the rewards for visiting a load of bonfires will be 'chaff' - it's supposed to be a bit of fun, to add depth to the game. Of course, it doesn't help you with your plunge into Molten Core... but it might save your soul.
(News just in - dancing around the maypole gives you a +FR buff....so it will be mandatory for MC. *shakes head*)
ASBOs - The Horror of Global Barrens Chat
A while ago a number of players complained that the Looking For Group channel (LFG) was restricted to the area you were stood in. Therefore if you wanted to say, start the Battle of Darrowshire, you would be unable to because there were not enough people to help even though in Orgrimar there were dozens of happy recruits. Blizzard decided to solve this by introducing the Global LFG channel - a worldwide channel for seeking help with quests.
You can see what was coming, right?
There is no other global channel. Even /general is kept within your area. Thus every simple minded little fucktard in the game had an open channel to expose their specific brand of fucktardery to the masses. Why annoy maybe 100 people in the Barrens with your opinion that 'teh rouges r teh ghey!' when you can spam 5000 people?
However, the worse thing is that when people try to stop them, they realise that they are indeed, holding the channel to ransom! The only real avenue that players have to avoid these imbeciles is the /leave! And indeed, thats what people have done in their droves. In our guild after only a couple of hours of play, the default answer to anyone complaining about the channel was 'it's your own fault for not leaving already'.
So there we have it - a society where your identity can be stolen and the anonimity of the system creates a viable blame avoidance culture, a society where people want someone to always be helping them to greater, free-er rewards with minimal effort on their parts and a society where the slightest of freedoms for the masses are spoiled by the actions of a few idiots.
Familiar?
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Changing Infrastructure
Two days ago, the computer died. It was old, it was more patched parts than original, but it died. It is time to update into the 21st Century in the PC sense.
Originally, we planned on getting a nice new desktop - nothing fancy, no great indepth searching, just a Dimension 5150 from Dell (like I use at work). It's fast, it's fruity and most of all it's reasonably cheap! The spec' is perfect for the web and graphics work I do as well as running WoW.
However, in the interim period, I have been playing WoW on the laptop (owner: Mrs G.) and it has ran perfectly well. It has also illustrated some of the unseen stresses that furniture positioning puts on the household. For example, when I use the desktop, I have my back to the rest of the room, facing the corner. This is not seen as the most sociable of things and indeed, when I am mic'd up it generates quite a bit of tension and frustration. It can also be a tad claustrophobic.
So we discussed getting another laptop... and this lead to a number of other revelations. We could get rid of the PC table/shelf array in the corner and clear that corner as a toy-area for the kids. That would mean that the current pile of toys could be replaced by our new spangly 27" flatscreen HD TV thats coming tomorrow...which would mean that the TV area could be shelved and we would have more bookspace and DVD space. And that means that if we are both watching TV on different sofas, one of us will no longer have their back to the other, as it is at the moment.
Hey, and if I am working (or playing - lets be honest) on the laptop, our super-duper wireless system will allow me to sit in the kitchen or the conservatory and watch the kids play etc. whilst doing it - rather than being pinned in one hole.
Now there are downsides - laptops are a lot less adaptable than desktops and when they break, they BREAK! However, the prices of an Inspiron 6400 and the Dimension 5150 are not that different for very similar specs. And we do need to take into account the massive social implications that this could have. We are a computer-house, but being a social computer house would be even better.
Not something about hobbies really, but something I fancied putting down for perpetuity!
Neil
Originally, we planned on getting a nice new desktop - nothing fancy, no great indepth searching, just a Dimension 5150 from Dell (like I use at work). It's fast, it's fruity and most of all it's reasonably cheap! The spec' is perfect for the web and graphics work I do as well as running WoW.
However, in the interim period, I have been playing WoW on the laptop (owner: Mrs G.) and it has ran perfectly well. It has also illustrated some of the unseen stresses that furniture positioning puts on the household. For example, when I use the desktop, I have my back to the rest of the room, facing the corner. This is not seen as the most sociable of things and indeed, when I am mic'd up it generates quite a bit of tension and frustration. It can also be a tad claustrophobic.
So we discussed getting another laptop... and this lead to a number of other revelations. We could get rid of the PC table/shelf array in the corner and clear that corner as a toy-area for the kids. That would mean that the current pile of toys could be replaced by our new spangly 27" flatscreen HD TV thats coming tomorrow...which would mean that the TV area could be shelved and we would have more bookspace and DVD space. And that means that if we are both watching TV on different sofas, one of us will no longer have their back to the other, as it is at the moment.
Hey, and if I am working (or playing - lets be honest) on the laptop, our super-duper wireless system will allow me to sit in the kitchen or the conservatory and watch the kids play etc. whilst doing it - rather than being pinned in one hole.
Now there are downsides - laptops are a lot less adaptable than desktops and when they break, they BREAK! However, the prices of an Inspiron 6400 and the Dimension 5150 are not that different for very similar specs. And we do need to take into account the massive social implications that this could have. We are a computer-house, but being a social computer house would be even better.
Not something about hobbies really, but something I fancied putting down for perpetuity!
Neil
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Blockbuster Reviews Part One
Ah, the summer months - lots of films to be seen and chewed over. I love the summer blockbuster season because I am a sucker for popcorn action movie fun! Without further ado, here's my scores on the doors for the films I have seen so far...
Mission Impossible III - 6/10
Good film, worth the ticket price, but definitely signalling the end of the franchise for me as it seemed to have ran out of ideas. Nice sideways look at the way the MI thing works. Too much of a Tom Cruise Message film for me to like more.
The Da Vinci Code - 8/10
Liked the book and the film was essentially the book on the screen. Covered all of the aspects I wanted to see on screen well, and glossed over some of the slower bits. I think some people may have expected more action, but I just wanted the clever history bits cos I'm a geek for that stuff.
X-Men III: The Last Stand - tbc
Posiedon - tbc
Nacho Libre - tbc
Superman Returns - tbc
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - tbc
And there's bound to be more! I haven't even considered the Childrens Animated Quota yet
Mission Impossible III - 6/10
Good film, worth the ticket price, but definitely signalling the end of the franchise for me as it seemed to have ran out of ideas. Nice sideways look at the way the MI thing works. Too much of a Tom Cruise Message film for me to like more.
The Da Vinci Code - 8/10
Liked the book and the film was essentially the book on the screen. Covered all of the aspects I wanted to see on screen well, and glossed over some of the slower bits. I think some people may have expected more action, but I just wanted the clever history bits cos I'm a geek for that stuff.
X-Men III: The Last Stand - tbc
Posiedon - tbc
Nacho Libre - tbc
Superman Returns - tbc
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - tbc
And there's bound to be more! I haven't even considered the Childrens Animated Quota yet
News of my demise has been grossly exaggerated!
Welcome back. It's been a while.
Over a month since I last looked at the bottom of the glass and well, it's been a bitch. A week in hospital with a nasty internal abcess and infection, the family leaving me home alone in my convalenscence as they toddle off the France, work being on the verge of bankruptcy. All the fun of the fair. But we're not here to talk about life - we're here to talk about hobbies.
It's all change.
Goddamit, just when you thought the hobby rollercoaster was finished - WHAM - we're off again. Where to start?
I'm writing fan fiction again, as a direct result of my newly enthused view of comics brought around by DC's Infinity Crisis event and the massive reprecussions it has brought. I am buying comics again. I am reading comics again and I am writing again. Green Lantern, to be precise, at a site called DC Infinity (www.dcinfinity.ca) with some of my old buddies and some new ones. I wrote two 3.5k word issues in one weekend and it was wonderful. Oh to be creative again. I'll keep everyone up to date on how the feedback pans out (so far it has been good)
Raw Deal has gone - Glasgow would appear to have been my last hurrah with that particular CCG. Too much infighting, too much involvement to be part of but let go and really, the longer I remain attached, the longer Comic Images are going to retain me as their web-dude. I gave them a one month extension, but it might well last longer the way things are panning out. Hopefully not. A new CCG, Universal Fighting System, seems to have risen to the top of the pile as the prominent replacement (in waiting for the WOW CCG naturally). It's very very gentle in the play, no-one getting too hot under the collar about it, just another pastime (although I have already managed to score a box and a set of promos from the company for setting up a UK message board....hehehe)
Roleplaying is on standby at the moment - between hospital, recovery, holidays and marking we are all pretty much timed out. Mind you, I have asked the question on our little message board - are we too busy to roleplay. I'm not sure what my reaction would be if the answer comes back 'actually yes, lets leave it there.' I suspect I would be initially relieved for some sort of gap in my timetable, but then sad and remorseful and eventually I would either start something again or join another group. RPG Addicts Ahoy!
Which brings us to World of Warcraft?
So I was sat at home, with a massive gash in my groin, wondering what I was going to do for the next two weeks. I could barely move, although I could sit (just). I rearranged the room so I had my PC next to me and logged onto Scarshield Legion. Nothing. Nada. No-one in my tiny guild online. Infact, not a lot happening at all. I considered. I pondered. I weighed up the consequences and then.....I logged back onto Silvermoon.
And everything changed.
This wasn't quite a Blues Brothers-esque ray of light shining from the sky...but it was close. I have been like a spoiled little child whose parent has remarried and now has to share with his step-siblings. Instead of playing, I have just locked myself in the loft, talked to my imaginary friends and pretended it was better. Here's what's different.
1. I have been raiding Molten Core. I put the time aside for it on Fridays, like we used to. It has been exhilartings, exasperating, fun, horrific, embarrassing and adventurerous - all at the same time. It has redefined Gorthaal into a new role (as a healer again) but in a very different way. I'm gathered and refined equipment to suit the role. Hell, I've had to think very hard about the way I play and the options I have. It's made me a better player!
2. I talk to people on voice comms now. I have discovered that what I was told is true, the personalities of people written are totally different from those of people speaking. One of the guys I really had a problem with on the forums I have developed a real liking to on comms, and a great deal of respect. It's very strange.
3. I did some PvP. This was the biggest departure for me, as it was something that I have never done and never wanted to do....but the guild were going in en masse, thus reducing the embarassment factor if I got it wrong. Guess what? It was GREAT. I loved it. I stayed in Alterac Valley for nearly 5 hours having a whale of a time. I made Rank Two (Grunt) which gets me my little PvP trinket thing - something I have coveted for a long time. The howls of disbelief from the guild when they saw where I was were priceless.
In generally, I'm enjoying WoW more now than I have for ages. The Dungeoneers are now the biggest guild on the server, but it appears that they have overcame their identity crisis - they are a raiding guild, with a massive slice of fun attached. And thats cool.
And so...well, it appears that everything has changed. Will it change again? Probably. It's all a little mad in my life at the moment and shift priorities mean I look to strange places for entertainment and release. Who knows what will come up next!
Over a month since I last looked at the bottom of the glass and well, it's been a bitch. A week in hospital with a nasty internal abcess and infection, the family leaving me home alone in my convalenscence as they toddle off the France, work being on the verge of bankruptcy. All the fun of the fair. But we're not here to talk about life - we're here to talk about hobbies.
It's all change.
Goddamit, just when you thought the hobby rollercoaster was finished - WHAM - we're off again. Where to start?
I'm writing fan fiction again, as a direct result of my newly enthused view of comics brought around by DC's Infinity Crisis event and the massive reprecussions it has brought. I am buying comics again. I am reading comics again and I am writing again. Green Lantern, to be precise, at a site called DC Infinity (www.dcinfinity.ca) with some of my old buddies and some new ones. I wrote two 3.5k word issues in one weekend and it was wonderful. Oh to be creative again. I'll keep everyone up to date on how the feedback pans out (so far it has been good)
Raw Deal has gone - Glasgow would appear to have been my last hurrah with that particular CCG. Too much infighting, too much involvement to be part of but let go and really, the longer I remain attached, the longer Comic Images are going to retain me as their web-dude. I gave them a one month extension, but it might well last longer the way things are panning out. Hopefully not. A new CCG, Universal Fighting System, seems to have risen to the top of the pile as the prominent replacement (in waiting for the WOW CCG naturally). It's very very gentle in the play, no-one getting too hot under the collar about it, just another pastime (although I have already managed to score a box and a set of promos from the company for setting up a UK message board....hehehe)
Roleplaying is on standby at the moment - between hospital, recovery, holidays and marking we are all pretty much timed out. Mind you, I have asked the question on our little message board - are we too busy to roleplay. I'm not sure what my reaction would be if the answer comes back 'actually yes, lets leave it there.' I suspect I would be initially relieved for some sort of gap in my timetable, but then sad and remorseful and eventually I would either start something again or join another group. RPG Addicts Ahoy!
Which brings us to World of Warcraft?
So I was sat at home, with a massive gash in my groin, wondering what I was going to do for the next two weeks. I could barely move, although I could sit (just). I rearranged the room so I had my PC next to me and logged onto Scarshield Legion. Nothing. Nada. No-one in my tiny guild online. Infact, not a lot happening at all. I considered. I pondered. I weighed up the consequences and then.....I logged back onto Silvermoon.
And everything changed.
This wasn't quite a Blues Brothers-esque ray of light shining from the sky...but it was close. I have been like a spoiled little child whose parent has remarried and now has to share with his step-siblings. Instead of playing, I have just locked myself in the loft, talked to my imaginary friends and pretended it was better. Here's what's different.
1. I have been raiding Molten Core. I put the time aside for it on Fridays, like we used to. It has been exhilartings, exasperating, fun, horrific, embarrassing and adventurerous - all at the same time. It has redefined Gorthaal into a new role (as a healer again) but in a very different way. I'm gathered and refined equipment to suit the role. Hell, I've had to think very hard about the way I play and the options I have. It's made me a better player!
2. I talk to people on voice comms now. I have discovered that what I was told is true, the personalities of people written are totally different from those of people speaking. One of the guys I really had a problem with on the forums I have developed a real liking to on comms, and a great deal of respect. It's very strange.
3. I did some PvP. This was the biggest departure for me, as it was something that I have never done and never wanted to do....but the guild were going in en masse, thus reducing the embarassment factor if I got it wrong. Guess what? It was GREAT. I loved it. I stayed in Alterac Valley for nearly 5 hours having a whale of a time. I made Rank Two (Grunt) which gets me my little PvP trinket thing - something I have coveted for a long time. The howls of disbelief from the guild when they saw where I was were priceless.
In generally, I'm enjoying WoW more now than I have for ages. The Dungeoneers are now the biggest guild on the server, but it appears that they have overcame their identity crisis - they are a raiding guild, with a massive slice of fun attached. And thats cool.
And so...well, it appears that everything has changed. Will it change again? Probably. It's all a little mad in my life at the moment and shift priorities mean I look to strange places for entertainment and release. Who knows what will come up next!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
There's Nowt as Funny as Folk
I realised something this weekend, that has really caused me to cast some of the decisions I have made in this little experiment in a different light. See, I was under the impression that my increasing despair with the state of some of my hobbies was to do with disenchantment, time management and clashes of priority. The one thing I missed was the madness that is 'other people'
I've been away playing Raw Deal this weekend in Glasgow. OK, the RD is really just an excuse to see some friends, have a drink and get out of the house when Mrs Gow and the kids are away with the in-laws. It was awesome to see the guys (and gals) again and even though I didn't perform too well in the tournament, I had a good laugh. However, in the background, a drama was unfolding...
The UK Nationals are approaching and the venue for the nationals is always controversial. Generally, it should be central and big. This year, Reading was earmarked. Not really central but the player base of the game is skewed somewhat to the south so it's not insane to do so - and the southern players deserve a PPV. Now the manager from that area has known this for months, but like anyone else, he left the organisation of the venue to the last minute and then found out that it wasn't suitable. Now, there are a lot of people who are wanting to know when the event is happening - holidays need booking etc. and a new card set is imminent, which causes complications as well. Also, it cannot be too late as it causes a 'log jam' of PPV dates which can cause chaos. So, my successor as Commissioner, after chatting to me, approached a different venue in Shrewsbury who organised themselves in under one day. Good yeah?
Nope. The Reading Manager tendered his resignation (which was refused, because he really was being a drama queen) because he had let down the Raw Deal community. And then the manager from Southampton resigned because he saw the emergency change as a slur upon the southern players. Why wasn't anyone consulted? Why wasn't it put in Southampton? The fact that the Teams event later in the year has been rescheduled to Reading/Southampton (hardly twinned cities..) and another one is in Cardiff (a similarly deemed 'southern' venue) is apparently null and void.
Whether he is right or not, the entire thing has embroiled a number of people in long and heated conversations. Entire plans and counter plans have been talked about. Conspiracy theories, claims, rebuttals - oh for fucks sake guys, it's just a bloody card game! Stop being so bloody damned melodramatic. Nobody actually gives a flying fuck whether you resign or not, where the venue for a tournament is, or whether a group of self-appointed organisers are, or are not, consulted.
And this is the sort of small minded shennanagins that I have been living with for the last four years. Everyone double guessing everyone else about their ways of doing things, what the real meaning is behind what they are saying - it's really quite pathetic. Hell, the new Commissioner was asking me what sort of things he should and should not say to the creator of the game in order to curry favour with him because said creator is notoriously ... difficult! Duplicity, double talk and drama. Hell, Vince McMahon should really just hire these guys to write Smackdown! and it would be better.
Now, this is rather similar to the situation I had with the Dungeoneers. A lot of people getting very hot under the collar about the stupidest of minor things in a computer game. The mind boggles, I know...but the atmosphere was such that I really just found it easier not to be there. So I posted up a note on our site saying that I would relieve myself of the bankers duties in the guild.
So what do I get? A mail from the guildmaster - a guy I have known for years - 'hoping that we can still be friends..'. I mean, what in the blue fucking hell of shite made him think that because I didn't want to be an active part of his guild, it meant that we wouldn't be able to be friends! The week beforehand he was suggesting that his son and my daughters should spend some time together during the holidays. It's madness - utter utter madness.
To be honest, I'm glad I'm out of it. It's hard - I still have a lot of attachment to these things - especially the Raw Deal 'scene' - and when things are nasty, they hurt. These people are my friends. However, there are so many more important things in life. Whether it is the care and upbringing of family and children, participating in other socially valuable activities or simply appreciating that there are people in this world that don't know if they will be alive tomorrow - and we argue about what voice comms server we use?
My shining light through this is my roleplaying group. We missed one player last week, so we sat around and chatted about...stuff. And the conversation became, at times, 'heated' - but in the way that people who are totally assured of their actions in the presence of their friends can be. No-one taking umbrage at disagreements, no-one leaving the gaming group because of a difference of opinion. All people, I believe, who have some degree of grasp on their life's priorities. Sanity, amidst the madness.
I think I shall steer towards the sanity
Neil
I've been away playing Raw Deal this weekend in Glasgow. OK, the RD is really just an excuse to see some friends, have a drink and get out of the house when Mrs Gow and the kids are away with the in-laws. It was awesome to see the guys (and gals) again and even though I didn't perform too well in the tournament, I had a good laugh. However, in the background, a drama was unfolding...
The UK Nationals are approaching and the venue for the nationals is always controversial. Generally, it should be central and big. This year, Reading was earmarked. Not really central but the player base of the game is skewed somewhat to the south so it's not insane to do so - and the southern players deserve a PPV. Now the manager from that area has known this for months, but like anyone else, he left the organisation of the venue to the last minute and then found out that it wasn't suitable. Now, there are a lot of people who are wanting to know when the event is happening - holidays need booking etc. and a new card set is imminent, which causes complications as well. Also, it cannot be too late as it causes a 'log jam' of PPV dates which can cause chaos. So, my successor as Commissioner, after chatting to me, approached a different venue in Shrewsbury who organised themselves in under one day. Good yeah?
Nope. The Reading Manager tendered his resignation (which was refused, because he really was being a drama queen) because he had let down the Raw Deal community. And then the manager from Southampton resigned because he saw the emergency change as a slur upon the southern players. Why wasn't anyone consulted? Why wasn't it put in Southampton? The fact that the Teams event later in the year has been rescheduled to Reading/Southampton (hardly twinned cities..) and another one is in Cardiff (a similarly deemed 'southern' venue) is apparently null and void.
Whether he is right or not, the entire thing has embroiled a number of people in long and heated conversations. Entire plans and counter plans have been talked about. Conspiracy theories, claims, rebuttals - oh for fucks sake guys, it's just a bloody card game! Stop being so bloody damned melodramatic. Nobody actually gives a flying fuck whether you resign or not, where the venue for a tournament is, or whether a group of self-appointed organisers are, or are not, consulted.
And this is the sort of small minded shennanagins that I have been living with for the last four years. Everyone double guessing everyone else about their ways of doing things, what the real meaning is behind what they are saying - it's really quite pathetic. Hell, the new Commissioner was asking me what sort of things he should and should not say to the creator of the game in order to curry favour with him because said creator is notoriously ... difficult! Duplicity, double talk and drama. Hell, Vince McMahon should really just hire these guys to write Smackdown! and it would be better.
Now, this is rather similar to the situation I had with the Dungeoneers. A lot of people getting very hot under the collar about the stupidest of minor things in a computer game. The mind boggles, I know...but the atmosphere was such that I really just found it easier not to be there. So I posted up a note on our site saying that I would relieve myself of the bankers duties in the guild.
So what do I get? A mail from the guildmaster - a guy I have known for years - 'hoping that we can still be friends..'. I mean, what in the blue fucking hell of shite made him think that because I didn't want to be an active part of his guild, it meant that we wouldn't be able to be friends! The week beforehand he was suggesting that his son and my daughters should spend some time together during the holidays. It's madness - utter utter madness.
To be honest, I'm glad I'm out of it. It's hard - I still have a lot of attachment to these things - especially the Raw Deal 'scene' - and when things are nasty, they hurt. These people are my friends. However, there are so many more important things in life. Whether it is the care and upbringing of family and children, participating in other socially valuable activities or simply appreciating that there are people in this world that don't know if they will be alive tomorrow - and we argue about what voice comms server we use?
My shining light through this is my roleplaying group. We missed one player last week, so we sat around and chatted about...stuff. And the conversation became, at times, 'heated' - but in the way that people who are totally assured of their actions in the presence of their friends can be. No-one taking umbrage at disagreements, no-one leaving the gaming group because of a difference of opinion. All people, I believe, who have some degree of grasp on their life's priorities. Sanity, amidst the madness.
I think I shall steer towards the sanity
Neil
Monday, April 17, 2006
Can You Serve Two Masters?
My Scarshield Legion oddessy continues and has taken a new and very welcome step. Branan has reached 31st level and I seem to have finally 'got' the way the server works.
First off, the PVP side of things is very ... different. There are two aspects of it. In the low level areas, you occassionally get some high level types coming down to harvest the younglings. Essentially, there are two options - stand and fight or run like hell. Generally, I choose to run like hell but on one or two occassions, stand and fight is a decent option. Thats quite fun. However, the absolute slap-in-the-face of PVP reality is when YOU are that higher level invader! At 30th level fighters get a quest that takes them to Fray Island, off Ratchet. There is no easy way to do it - boat to Theramore and then either a trip through the Barrens or overland through Dustwallow Marsh. Either way, you see more Horde in that trip than all of the previous 30 levels in the dwarf lands combined. It is .... tense. A wholly different set of rules and social interactions compared to the 'care bear' invisibility of a PvE realm.
Second, the RP side of things has some interesting implications. Items that are totally worthless in PvE suddenly take on a new light. Take a 'Disciples Stein' - a random Level 7 item of almost no use whatsoever. Valuable? Oh yes. Why? Because it's a big beer mug in your off-hand and that means that if you are RPing in a tavern, you have the item that fits the situation. Similarly a non-magical diamond ring goes for 25g+ because of it's use in in-game marriages...art imitating life, I suspect. So Branan has his fighting gear and his off-duty gear. Now, this isn't roleplaying - but it is an aspect of the immersion that can occur. Certainly, the level of in-game RP I have seen is minimal. People refrain from using l337 speak in the game and do talk to each other using /say but generally, theres not much to put between RP and PvE....
Until you join an RP guild. Now, I have refused a number of guild invites over these 30 levels because I didn't want to dive into something unsuitable. I wanted an RP guild, preferably a dwarf-only guild and I wanted it to be quite casual. No raiding...been there, done that. So, this morning, I spotted an annoucement in Ironforge /general about a guild called Gryphon Hammers. RP guild (Check!), Dwarf only (Check!), no 60s and no raiding (Check!). I was directed to their website and it was all about their story, their ongoing plotlines, their clan meetings and ... well, wow! I was SO in! They signed me up there and then, and I put in an application anyway. So here it is:
-- Sometimes, a dwarf comes along who isn't destined to wield the greatest axe in the world and slice off the head of Cthon. Sometimes, a dwarf comes along who isn't the final child of a murdered clan seeking revenge on a race of dragonkin. Sometimes .... sometimes a dwarf comes along who has just been trouble since he was born. Say hello to Branan Badrock.
Branan was born and raised in Ironforge by his uncle, the owner of one of the cities smaller importers of 'exotic culinary frippery' - the salesmans patter for piles of smelly tangy clam meat and gooey spiders legs shipped in fresh from the Wetlands. Branans formative years were spent cleaning various animal parts for his uncle. He longed to join his father in the mines in far off Baer Modan but no, he had to stay at home.
Of course, Branan got bored and discovered the wonders of beer, brawling and no-beards. On more than one occassion he fell foul of the Ironforge city watch, either drunk hanging above the lava trenches in the Great Forge, bruised after some shennanagins in Tinker Town or brokenhearted after a liaison with a comely no-beard ended in a swift mace smack around the head.
Eventually, his bad behaviour got the better of him and despite his budding aptitude with the hammer and anvil he got into one brawl too many and was sentenced by the Ironforge Magistrates to be sent away and have his troublemaking tendencies put to better use - in the battle with the Horde. Banished to Coldridge to learn his trade as a warrior, Branan was also given the temporary name Badrock - a monicker he will keep until he manages to reconcile his differences with Ironforge.
Since that shameful day, Branan has found himself in a number of adventures - beating on Troggs and Orges in Loch Modan, aiding the humans in their battles with the Defias bandits - even gaining a token of gratitude from their boy-king and now he stands ready to breach the Thandol Span...
...which leads him to the borders of Aerie Peak and his true destiny, to drink alongside the Gryphon Hammers in the Hinterlands!
---
After I joined and was given a cacophony of IC greetings from my 'clannies' I suddenly got a pang of guilt. Yes, real proper guilt. About yes, the Dungeoneers. Lets get one thing clear - in no way, shape or form am I going to get anywhere near as involved with the Gryphon Hammers as I was with the Dungs. Not going to be an officer, not going to have any say it how they are run. Just another member. But it does mean that I have some ongoing responsibilities with their guild events. What if it clashes with the Dungs event?
What if it does? Which do I choose? Who takes precedence? At the moment, probably the Gryphon Hammers because the Dungs have really moved to a raiding guild status. In a really Dungs way. So they now raid an unspecified target four days a week. You turn up and depending on how many people turn up, thats what gets raided. Somehow, that just doesn't seem appealing to me anymore.
But the happiness that I feel at finding a suitable guild is a bittersweet feeling. I love the Dungs and I miss a lot of the people in it. Not the people I see every week but those like Havock, Volta, Gumbert etc. who are WoW-only acquaintences.
I'm not sure whether that is a sad thing (in the boo-hoo way) or a sad thing (in the geek way) but it has certainly been the unexpected upshot of having two masters...
Neil
First off, the PVP side of things is very ... different. There are two aspects of it. In the low level areas, you occassionally get some high level types coming down to harvest the younglings. Essentially, there are two options - stand and fight or run like hell. Generally, I choose to run like hell but on one or two occassions, stand and fight is a decent option. Thats quite fun. However, the absolute slap-in-the-face of PVP reality is when YOU are that higher level invader! At 30th level fighters get a quest that takes them to Fray Island, off Ratchet. There is no easy way to do it - boat to Theramore and then either a trip through the Barrens or overland through Dustwallow Marsh. Either way, you see more Horde in that trip than all of the previous 30 levels in the dwarf lands combined. It is .... tense. A wholly different set of rules and social interactions compared to the 'care bear' invisibility of a PvE realm.
Second, the RP side of things has some interesting implications. Items that are totally worthless in PvE suddenly take on a new light. Take a 'Disciples Stein' - a random Level 7 item of almost no use whatsoever. Valuable? Oh yes. Why? Because it's a big beer mug in your off-hand and that means that if you are RPing in a tavern, you have the item that fits the situation. Similarly a non-magical diamond ring goes for 25g+ because of it's use in in-game marriages...art imitating life, I suspect. So Branan has his fighting gear and his off-duty gear. Now, this isn't roleplaying - but it is an aspect of the immersion that can occur. Certainly, the level of in-game RP I have seen is minimal. People refrain from using l337 speak in the game and do talk to each other using /say but generally, theres not much to put between RP and PvE....
Until you join an RP guild. Now, I have refused a number of guild invites over these 30 levels because I didn't want to dive into something unsuitable. I wanted an RP guild, preferably a dwarf-only guild and I wanted it to be quite casual. No raiding...been there, done that. So, this morning, I spotted an annoucement in Ironforge /general about a guild called Gryphon Hammers. RP guild (Check!), Dwarf only (Check!), no 60s and no raiding (Check!). I was directed to their website and it was all about their story, their ongoing plotlines, their clan meetings and ... well, wow! I was SO in! They signed me up there and then, and I put in an application anyway. So here it is:
-- Sometimes, a dwarf comes along who isn't destined to wield the greatest axe in the world and slice off the head of Cthon. Sometimes, a dwarf comes along who isn't the final child of a murdered clan seeking revenge on a race of dragonkin. Sometimes .... sometimes a dwarf comes along who has just been trouble since he was born. Say hello to Branan Badrock.
Branan was born and raised in Ironforge by his uncle, the owner of one of the cities smaller importers of 'exotic culinary frippery' - the salesmans patter for piles of smelly tangy clam meat and gooey spiders legs shipped in fresh from the Wetlands. Branans formative years were spent cleaning various animal parts for his uncle. He longed to join his father in the mines in far off Baer Modan but no, he had to stay at home.
Of course, Branan got bored and discovered the wonders of beer, brawling and no-beards. On more than one occassion he fell foul of the Ironforge city watch, either drunk hanging above the lava trenches in the Great Forge, bruised after some shennanagins in Tinker Town or brokenhearted after a liaison with a comely no-beard ended in a swift mace smack around the head.
Eventually, his bad behaviour got the better of him and despite his budding aptitude with the hammer and anvil he got into one brawl too many and was sentenced by the Ironforge Magistrates to be sent away and have his troublemaking tendencies put to better use - in the battle with the Horde. Banished to Coldridge to learn his trade as a warrior, Branan was also given the temporary name Badrock - a monicker he will keep until he manages to reconcile his differences with Ironforge.
Since that shameful day, Branan has found himself in a number of adventures - beating on Troggs and Orges in Loch Modan, aiding the humans in their battles with the Defias bandits - even gaining a token of gratitude from their boy-king and now he stands ready to breach the Thandol Span...
...which leads him to the borders of Aerie Peak and his true destiny, to drink alongside the Gryphon Hammers in the Hinterlands!
---
After I joined and was given a cacophony of IC greetings from my 'clannies' I suddenly got a pang of guilt. Yes, real proper guilt. About yes, the Dungeoneers. Lets get one thing clear - in no way, shape or form am I going to get anywhere near as involved with the Gryphon Hammers as I was with the Dungs. Not going to be an officer, not going to have any say it how they are run. Just another member. But it does mean that I have some ongoing responsibilities with their guild events. What if it clashes with the Dungs event?
What if it does? Which do I choose? Who takes precedence? At the moment, probably the Gryphon Hammers because the Dungs have really moved to a raiding guild status. In a really Dungs way. So they now raid an unspecified target four days a week. You turn up and depending on how many people turn up, thats what gets raided. Somehow, that just doesn't seem appealing to me anymore.
But the happiness that I feel at finding a suitable guild is a bittersweet feeling. I love the Dungs and I miss a lot of the people in it. Not the people I see every week but those like Havock, Volta, Gumbert etc. who are WoW-only acquaintences.
I'm not sure whether that is a sad thing (in the boo-hoo way) or a sad thing (in the geek way) but it has certainly been the unexpected upshot of having two masters...
Neil
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Rarer than Rocking Horse Crap...
...a decent Alliance PUG?
Having a little sabbatical from the trials and travails of the Dungeoneers for a while, I have been concentrating on Branan, my dwarf warrior on Scarshield Legion, an RPPVP realm. It's been an experience, for sure. Not a lot of PvP and to be honest, not a whole lot of RP either, although it is 'in the air'. I've never seen Stormwind so bloody active!
I've reached level 22 through mostly soloing and a few 'knowing nods' impromptu groupings without actually forming a party. However, last night I reached the point where I knew I was headed to the Deadmines and that would need me to join a group *shudder*. Now my previous alliance character had some absolute NIGHTMARES in alliance PUGs and I have to say my expecations were pretty low.
At around 7pm, the LFG channel in Westfall was buzzing with DM PUGs, but after tea at 8pm is was silent. I trotted down to the entrance to DMs and sat there and started chatting to a 22 NE Warrior who was there as well. He was looking for a PUG too. Aha! Theres our frontline sorted. So, I decided to do a comedy LFG about wanting to 'Spank Van Cleefs arse!'. Comedy always gets a response and soon we had a Rogue and a Warlock. And then something amazing happened.
Obviously, we were in need of a healer. So I LFM'd for one healer and got back tumbleweed. Comedy LFM followed - still nothing. And then a /w from someone random saying they knew a healer that wanted to come? Bizarre...but 20s later I get a /w from a priest wanting to come and yes, it was the first guys mate! I was taken aback.
So the five of us trundled into Deadmines and well, to be blunt, crushed it like a bug. The entire run took under an hour and a half to complete and we trashed all of the bosses and even some rare spawn boss that dropped a nice shield for me. The NE warrior, Bolt, got the sword he wanted, the warlock got the Emberseer Staff and the priest got Cookies wand. Everything was done 'right', we had no poor pulls, the healing was exemplary, the tactics great, the banter amusing - all in all, an extremely entertaining nights ... entertainment.
And I will be honest, playing a warrior does seem to be a little more entertaining than a druid. It's just a little more gung-ho than the healing role, more relaxing. And it has a lot of button pressing and a lot of very quick value judgements on what to use rage on, and thats quite cool.
All I need now is to find a good RP guild and I am sorted!
Neil
Having a little sabbatical from the trials and travails of the Dungeoneers for a while, I have been concentrating on Branan, my dwarf warrior on Scarshield Legion, an RPPVP realm. It's been an experience, for sure. Not a lot of PvP and to be honest, not a whole lot of RP either, although it is 'in the air'. I've never seen Stormwind so bloody active!
I've reached level 22 through mostly soloing and a few 'knowing nods' impromptu groupings without actually forming a party. However, last night I reached the point where I knew I was headed to the Deadmines and that would need me to join a group *shudder*. Now my previous alliance character had some absolute NIGHTMARES in alliance PUGs and I have to say my expecations were pretty low.
At around 7pm, the LFG channel in Westfall was buzzing with DM PUGs, but after tea at 8pm is was silent. I trotted down to the entrance to DMs and sat there and started chatting to a 22 NE Warrior who was there as well. He was looking for a PUG too. Aha! Theres our frontline sorted. So, I decided to do a comedy LFG about wanting to 'Spank Van Cleefs arse!'. Comedy always gets a response and soon we had a Rogue and a Warlock. And then something amazing happened.
Obviously, we were in need of a healer. So I LFM'd for one healer and got back tumbleweed. Comedy LFM followed - still nothing. And then a /w from someone random saying they knew a healer that wanted to come? Bizarre...but 20s later I get a /w from a priest wanting to come and yes, it was the first guys mate! I was taken aback.
So the five of us trundled into Deadmines and well, to be blunt, crushed it like a bug. The entire run took under an hour and a half to complete and we trashed all of the bosses and even some rare spawn boss that dropped a nice shield for me. The NE warrior, Bolt, got the sword he wanted, the warlock got the Emberseer Staff and the priest got Cookies wand. Everything was done 'right', we had no poor pulls, the healing was exemplary, the tactics great, the banter amusing - all in all, an extremely entertaining nights ... entertainment.
And I will be honest, playing a warrior does seem to be a little more entertaining than a druid. It's just a little more gung-ho than the healing role, more relaxing. And it has a lot of button pressing and a lot of very quick value judgements on what to use rage on, and thats quite cool.
All I need now is to find a good RP guild and I am sorted!
Neil
Sunday, April 09, 2006
What a Strange Day?
Not often I use the blog as a diary, but today has sort of been a gaming mish mash of nonsense.
Started playing WoW on Scarshield Legion and lead the hardy dwarf Branan through to 20th level. He's a monster (not!) but he has a funny little run!
Then went to see Ice Age 2: The Meltdown....*yawn*....I have serious over-exposure issues with animated films at the moment. Same old same old sadly - and trailers for three or four more inevitable child-sponsored sorties over the summer to the exact same story again and again and again.
Checked into PC World and indeed, I can conclude that there are no other PC games I am even halfway interested in. Bugger. D&D Online just has too many people saying baaaaaad things for me to even show a spot of interest. Oh, and there are no books I want to read in Borders. Damnation!
Then returned home and *wham* - WoW exploded around me. Essentially two friends having a rather heated spat-ette (one of those 'full and frank' discussions that can only be had when one has lost all real attachment) and another making a suggestion that was ... less than sensitive.
Upshot? Well, the first two have left the guild, seperately, for their own reasons. I had a big long phone call with the other guy, we sorted stuff out and well, I came to a rather wonderful epihany.
Essentially, as I am not raiding, why ON EARTH should I care about how we raid? And if the main activity of the guild is going to be raiding, and I'm not going to be doing it, it makes no sense in me getting worked up about it. I've already reconciled myself to not being an officer - time to cut loose, ala Raw Deal and go wheres happiest.
So, despite the upshot being the result of a rather silly unnecessary (on all counts) snarl-fest, the upshot itself is rather pleasant. No worries for me, just plain sailing. And in fact I'm happier now than I have been in weeks. And thats a good thing.
So then, Dave comes over and we play some hands of Raw Deal. And we played some more and before you knew it, we had played for three hours and we enjoyed it. OK, he enjoyed it a little more than me because he was whipping my ass, but you get the idea. It was a good thing too. So it looks like I have my tournament buddy back and I can, casually - and I mean CASUALLY - begin to get back into the swing of the RD-thing as a civilian.
Raw Deal as a civilian
WoW as a civilian
Noticing a pattern here? I am....
And finally, The Idea Factory managed to find a wonderful little RP quiz which he linked to in his blog. It's one of those really ropey yet horrendously accurate psych quizes that identifies what 'type' of roleplayer you are - so lets see shall we?
You are a STORYTELLER
Started playing WoW on Scarshield Legion and lead the hardy dwarf Branan through to 20th level. He's a monster (not!) but he has a funny little run!
Then went to see Ice Age 2: The Meltdown....*yawn*....I have serious over-exposure issues with animated films at the moment. Same old same old sadly - and trailers for three or four more inevitable child-sponsored sorties over the summer to the exact same story again and again and again.
Checked into PC World and indeed, I can conclude that there are no other PC games I am even halfway interested in. Bugger. D&D Online just has too many people saying baaaaaad things for me to even show a spot of interest. Oh, and there are no books I want to read in Borders. Damnation!
Then returned home and *wham* - WoW exploded around me. Essentially two friends having a rather heated spat-ette (one of those 'full and frank' discussions that can only be had when one has lost all real attachment) and another making a suggestion that was ... less than sensitive.
Upshot? Well, the first two have left the guild, seperately, for their own reasons. I had a big long phone call with the other guy, we sorted stuff out and well, I came to a rather wonderful epihany.
Essentially, as I am not raiding, why ON EARTH should I care about how we raid? And if the main activity of the guild is going to be raiding, and I'm not going to be doing it, it makes no sense in me getting worked up about it. I've already reconciled myself to not being an officer - time to cut loose, ala Raw Deal and go wheres happiest.
So, despite the upshot being the result of a rather silly unnecessary (on all counts) snarl-fest, the upshot itself is rather pleasant. No worries for me, just plain sailing. And in fact I'm happier now than I have been in weeks. And thats a good thing.
So then, Dave comes over and we play some hands of Raw Deal. And we played some more and before you knew it, we had played for three hours and we enjoyed it. OK, he enjoyed it a little more than me because he was whipping my ass, but you get the idea. It was a good thing too. So it looks like I have my tournament buddy back and I can, casually - and I mean CASUALLY - begin to get back into the swing of the RD-thing as a civilian.
Raw Deal as a civilian
WoW as a civilian
Noticing a pattern here? I am....
And finally, The Idea Factory managed to find a wonderful little RP quiz which he linked to in his blog. It's one of those really ropey yet horrendously accurate psych quizes that identifies what 'type' of roleplayer you are - so lets see shall we?
You are a STORYTELLER
Storyteller 100%
Method Actor 83%
Specialist 42%
Tactician 42%
Power Gamer 25%
Butt Kicker 17%
Casual Gamer 17%
Hmm, lets see? 100% Storyteller - hey, who'da thunk it? Mr 'Iron DM' gets the max points out of the storytelling stuff. Sarcasm aside, I think it underlines how my attitude to GMing has changed over the years, totally embracing the collective storytelling methodology (although I still struggle with the game vs storytelling medium aspect). Then Method Actor? Well, OK, I'll take your word for it but as I rarely play, I'm working from guesses and memories here. That said, I do like to 'play' the character rather than being a cardboard cutout of the same old stereotype, so maybe yes.
Next tactician and specialist tied? I'm not really sure what a 'specialist' is in this context, but I'm stunned at the tactician thing as I abhore tactical games and whatnot. Give me the sparkle of the unknown and the rampant disregard for logic that is swash and buckle any day of the week. Then we get into Powergamer and Butt Kicker. The last one is no shocker as I hate RPG combat and get absolutely zero real pleasure out of senseless encounters of that nature. Powergamer is another matter - when I need to, I can be a right little minimaxing swine. Rather than doing it to bend to rules to rule the game, I usually end up doing it to squeeze every last iota of gaming utility out of my characters concept. The meaning of the powergaming may be different but the upshot is the same: a character that is sometimes far more capable than he should be, simply due to a few bits of numeric jiggery pockery.
And I am not a casual gamer - well duh! Hence the gaming blog, one would think?
And so, to bed. But lets see what we have learned from today.
1. A change can be as good as a rest with WoW.
2. The animated animal film genre is stuck in Groundhog Day.
3. Whilst there are many other MMORPGs out there, I'm not sure any are for me.
4. Sometimes a moment of madness can bring about amazing clarity of thought.
5. Friend ALWAYS > Silly Computer Games
6. Sometimes it's nice to be an indian rather than a chief
7. Dave is still better than me at Raw Deal
8. Those quizzes are horrendously accurate
And I bid you all a goodnight, for tomorrow is a new day... one in which I fully intend to take my 100% Storytelling score and start using it on P&P!
Neil
Friday, April 07, 2006
Bored : Angry : Excited : Musing
(Special thanks to Gwen Stefani for the title inspiration...amongst other things..)
Bored: Oh God, am I bored with World of Warcraft. It's a bit more than that, but essentially I am bored to tears with the game and the gameplay. I'm not going to preach like I have had some road to Damascus style epihpany and try to persuade everyone else to be equally bored with it, but I am going to have a little rant. Before my latest sojourn to the USA, I started playing EVE-Online with the 14 day trial. It was good. But not good enough apparently. I got to the part where you really do have to team up with someone else and well...I just couldn't be bothered to even start thinking about it. The game sat on my laptop for a while, whilst I was away. I had plans of playing it for fun when in the states but never got around to it and then when I returned my 14 days had ran out and I had the choice - renew for cash or not. I chose not. Why? Because I realised that rather than being a great new game it was an average new game which was acting as an attention placebo in the run-up to Wrestlemania. So what to do? I know, I will download the WoW patch and see what I can do there? Patch downloaded and one scant session later I was resplendent in the three pieces of Feralheart armour I could get relatively easily and ... well, that was it. From thereonin it would be more runs at previous dungeons (not wholly unacceptable) and raiding (yawn) - if my feral druid can surpass the newly arisen Class Spec Nazi Syndrome. Essentially....not a lot to do, really. Bored. Of course, I could do stuff with my guildies ... which leads me nicely onto
Angry : Oh lets not beat around the bush here - fucking furious. As I have illustrated in these messages for the last few months, our guild, the Dungeoneers, has been growing at a considerable rate. The problem is that where once is was a slow and steady growth, we recently underwent a merger and to all intents and purposes I really feel it has been a failure - and that was hammered home yesterday when the guildmaster of the guild that we merged with said this:
"When we moved to Dung we moved with the sole purpose of being able to do bigger and better things ie ZG and MC etc(we also believed that was what Dung wanted to do). "
Nothing about sharing our ethos on the game then? Nothing about being laid back gamers? Apparently not because ever since Day One of the merger we (being the old Dungs) have been put under intense pressure by these newcomers to change almost every single aspect of the way that we play. DKP systems, raid management systems, class quotas, mandatory voice comms and an absolute emphasis on raiding over having fun. Indeed, one of the more vocal ex-members said this...
"anyway as soon i can relog ill left the guild... today i've killed: Hakkar, Razorgore, Vaelastrasz and Onyxia...but yea..you can call me moaner, whiner or whatever you want but still at least im doing something else than sunken temple..."
And this really hit home - the guy is measuring some sort of success by hitting the correct buttons in the correct order to get the correct response from a series of pixels on a computer screen. Somehow there is a degree of increased self-worth in this? Somehow you become a better person by having different coloured markings on the 'equipment' your 'character' has on a screen? That's fun? I remember when fun was jumping into lava pools, making last stands against what felt like dozens of gorillas, hunting down elite giants when we really shouldn't have been able to and fighting a dragon for the first time - and then laughing about it all down the pub.
And then it hit home to me - the difference between now and then is that when I started playing it was great because I could chat to my mates and play with them in a non-roleplaying, non-pub situation. Now, I barely know who I am talking to, which country they come from or even their real names. Sure, there are some of the guys that are friends, but many of them are just ciphers on a screen. The intimacy has been lost and thus, much of the charm of the game has passed. And that annoys me because of the niaivete of us all in thinking that we could grow like that and continue, that we could buck the system for too long. Ah bollocks.
Excited : Of course, with every cloud comes a silver lining. I have been released from the shackles of the Raw Deal World (by and large) and it feels great. The World Championships were a personal highlight for me and I had an amazing time. I also regained a lot of my love for Raw Deal. So, I hear you ask, what? Well, this has coincided with my friends showing interest in the game again and a local guy becoming a manager in Middlesborough. Thats all very very cool indeed. It means that I can play casually with my mates and still have a possible competitive outlet if needed. Hell, even my interactions with the online playing community have been better mannered as well. Its good - it's reminded me about my love for the CCG 'scene' and how it is about meeting friends and having fun. c.f. my comments regarding WoW....
Musing : P&P has hit the terrible wall of cancellations. Happens every so often with our games - a prolonged period of missed games due to any number of obscure reasons. It better survive, as I have many many plans that I jotted down on the train to London. An entire rebellion backstory to unleash and the secret behind the Confed gene harvesting as well. Damned players and their damned lives...
One other thing that has happened is that I have had a serious yearning to write again. Oh strange and bizarre muses, how you fuck with my head!
Neil
Bored: Oh God, am I bored with World of Warcraft. It's a bit more than that, but essentially I am bored to tears with the game and the gameplay. I'm not going to preach like I have had some road to Damascus style epihpany and try to persuade everyone else to be equally bored with it, but I am going to have a little rant. Before my latest sojourn to the USA, I started playing EVE-Online with the 14 day trial. It was good. But not good enough apparently. I got to the part where you really do have to team up with someone else and well...I just couldn't be bothered to even start thinking about it. The game sat on my laptop for a while, whilst I was away. I had plans of playing it for fun when in the states but never got around to it and then when I returned my 14 days had ran out and I had the choice - renew for cash or not. I chose not. Why? Because I realised that rather than being a great new game it was an average new game which was acting as an attention placebo in the run-up to Wrestlemania. So what to do? I know, I will download the WoW patch and see what I can do there? Patch downloaded and one scant session later I was resplendent in the three pieces of Feralheart armour I could get relatively easily and ... well, that was it. From thereonin it would be more runs at previous dungeons (not wholly unacceptable) and raiding (yawn) - if my feral druid can surpass the newly arisen Class Spec Nazi Syndrome. Essentially....not a lot to do, really. Bored. Of course, I could do stuff with my guildies ... which leads me nicely onto
Angry : Oh lets not beat around the bush here - fucking furious. As I have illustrated in these messages for the last few months, our guild, the Dungeoneers, has been growing at a considerable rate. The problem is that where once is was a slow and steady growth, we recently underwent a merger and to all intents and purposes I really feel it has been a failure - and that was hammered home yesterday when the guildmaster of the guild that we merged with said this:
"When we moved to Dung we moved with the sole purpose of being able to do bigger and better things ie ZG and MC etc(we also believed that was what Dung wanted to do). "
Nothing about sharing our ethos on the game then? Nothing about being laid back gamers? Apparently not because ever since Day One of the merger we (being the old Dungs) have been put under intense pressure by these newcomers to change almost every single aspect of the way that we play. DKP systems, raid management systems, class quotas, mandatory voice comms and an absolute emphasis on raiding over having fun. Indeed, one of the more vocal ex-members said this...
"anyway as soon i can relog ill left the guild... today i've killed: Hakkar, Razorgore, Vaelastrasz and Onyxia...but yea..you can call me moaner, whiner or whatever you want but still at least im doing something else than sunken temple..."
And this really hit home - the guy is measuring some sort of success by hitting the correct buttons in the correct order to get the correct response from a series of pixels on a computer screen. Somehow there is a degree of increased self-worth in this? Somehow you become a better person by having different coloured markings on the 'equipment' your 'character' has on a screen? That's fun? I remember when fun was jumping into lava pools, making last stands against what felt like dozens of gorillas, hunting down elite giants when we really shouldn't have been able to and fighting a dragon for the first time - and then laughing about it all down the pub.
And then it hit home to me - the difference between now and then is that when I started playing it was great because I could chat to my mates and play with them in a non-roleplaying, non-pub situation. Now, I barely know who I am talking to, which country they come from or even their real names. Sure, there are some of the guys that are friends, but many of them are just ciphers on a screen. The intimacy has been lost and thus, much of the charm of the game has passed. And that annoys me because of the niaivete of us all in thinking that we could grow like that and continue, that we could buck the system for too long. Ah bollocks.
Excited : Of course, with every cloud comes a silver lining. I have been released from the shackles of the Raw Deal World (by and large) and it feels great. The World Championships were a personal highlight for me and I had an amazing time. I also regained a lot of my love for Raw Deal. So, I hear you ask, what? Well, this has coincided with my friends showing interest in the game again and a local guy becoming a manager in Middlesborough. Thats all very very cool indeed. It means that I can play casually with my mates and still have a possible competitive outlet if needed. Hell, even my interactions with the online playing community have been better mannered as well. Its good - it's reminded me about my love for the CCG 'scene' and how it is about meeting friends and having fun. c.f. my comments regarding WoW....
Musing : P&P has hit the terrible wall of cancellations. Happens every so often with our games - a prolonged period of missed games due to any number of obscure reasons. It better survive, as I have many many plans that I jotted down on the train to London. An entire rebellion backstory to unleash and the secret behind the Confed gene harvesting as well. Damned players and their damned lives...
One other thing that has happened is that I have had a serious yearning to write again. Oh strange and bizarre muses, how you fuck with my head!
Neil
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Taking P&P to the Next Level?
So, as I said a couple of posts ago, how do I take P&P to the next level?
Lets be more specific - how do I create a truly memorable, ongoing roleplaying experience for myself and the players.
The kneejerk reaction that I have is simple - its a professional one - ask the players what they want, deliver it to them. The art of managing exchange - marketing. However, thats something that I want to avoid as I want to be running a roleplaying game rather than a session in wish fulfilment. Part of the joy of roleplaying, in my opinion, is when the Gamesmaster springs the shock on the players and gives them something that they never guessed would happen. Thats not to say that I don't want to give the guys what they want, but I would like to believe that after four-five years playing with them I have a reasonable grasp on what makes them tick.
So, how do I do it?
1. Drama, multiple levels thereof - this has to be the primary contribution to the game. Ongoing, character centred, high drama. Now within this, I have to stop myself from blowing my load too soon. A number of the players have commented that this game could run and run and run and indeed, it is one of the few modern games I have gone into without putting a set number of sessions on the campaign. So, I need to pace my drama a little and resist going for the jugular on each different characters schtick, all at once.
2. Enrich the Universe - I have to make the surroundings of the game come to life with diversity and wonder, and that means that I am going to have to do two things. (1) I am going to have to make each set for each session explicit in my mind and (2) I am going to have to overcome decades of roleplaying laziness and get my head around actual exposition when it comes to describing the surroundings. Generally, I tend to use generic terms for settings and then left the players minds-eye fill in the gaps of the surroundings. However, I think I am going to have to be more verbose in what I do.
3. Not lose sight of the hook of the campaign - Pulsars and PRIVATEERS - thats the emphasis that the game was sold on and in the first instance that should really be the area that I am focusing on. The rest of the game can be being played out around these scenarios. This is akin to the Buffy 'Monster of the Week' motif and indeed, the first season of Babylon 5. Legs. Do Not Cut Them Away.
4. Enrich the environment. We have the airwolf theme tune for the shows intro and exit, but the use of music in the game could be crucial. I have never been too poncy about games and props and such, but I think it could work here. One thing that EVE-online does give me is a plethora of sound clips including LENGTHY space-orientated backing tracks. Methinks I should be using these.
5. An Archive? Those that know me will note that my first reaction to anything tends to be 'make a website!'. I love the online medium and it's ability to blend graphics and information in a globally accessible format, for free. However, the question is, if I was to do one, what purpose would it serve? I think that as the campaign grows, a readily accessible archive of the information that the players have gathered will be a good idea (for them and for me!). Also, a way to transmit ideas and news from around the different parts of the universe would be cool.
Anyway, lots of good things to be done and a campaign to groom to greatness.
Neil
Lets be more specific - how do I create a truly memorable, ongoing roleplaying experience for myself and the players.
The kneejerk reaction that I have is simple - its a professional one - ask the players what they want, deliver it to them. The art of managing exchange - marketing. However, thats something that I want to avoid as I want to be running a roleplaying game rather than a session in wish fulfilment. Part of the joy of roleplaying, in my opinion, is when the Gamesmaster springs the shock on the players and gives them something that they never guessed would happen. Thats not to say that I don't want to give the guys what they want, but I would like to believe that after four-five years playing with them I have a reasonable grasp on what makes them tick.
So, how do I do it?
1. Drama, multiple levels thereof - this has to be the primary contribution to the game. Ongoing, character centred, high drama. Now within this, I have to stop myself from blowing my load too soon. A number of the players have commented that this game could run and run and run and indeed, it is one of the few modern games I have gone into without putting a set number of sessions on the campaign. So, I need to pace my drama a little and resist going for the jugular on each different characters schtick, all at once.
2. Enrich the Universe - I have to make the surroundings of the game come to life with diversity and wonder, and that means that I am going to have to do two things. (1) I am going to have to make each set for each session explicit in my mind and (2) I am going to have to overcome decades of roleplaying laziness and get my head around actual exposition when it comes to describing the surroundings. Generally, I tend to use generic terms for settings and then left the players minds-eye fill in the gaps of the surroundings. However, I think I am going to have to be more verbose in what I do.
3. Not lose sight of the hook of the campaign - Pulsars and PRIVATEERS - thats the emphasis that the game was sold on and in the first instance that should really be the area that I am focusing on. The rest of the game can be being played out around these scenarios. This is akin to the Buffy 'Monster of the Week' motif and indeed, the first season of Babylon 5. Legs. Do Not Cut Them Away.
4. Enrich the environment. We have the airwolf theme tune for the shows intro and exit, but the use of music in the game could be crucial. I have never been too poncy about games and props and such, but I think it could work here. One thing that EVE-online does give me is a plethora of sound clips including LENGTHY space-orientated backing tracks. Methinks I should be using these.
5. An Archive? Those that know me will note that my first reaction to anything tends to be 'make a website!'. I love the online medium and it's ability to blend graphics and information in a globally accessible format, for free. However, the question is, if I was to do one, what purpose would it serve? I think that as the campaign grows, a readily accessible archive of the information that the players have gathered will be a good idea (for them and for me!). Also, a way to transmit ideas and news from around the different parts of the universe would be cool.
Anyway, lots of good things to be done and a campaign to groom to greatness.
Neil
My name is Neil...and I'm a Switcher
Multiple news on multiple fronts today. It seems like my mighty state of flux is well, fluxing.
Bad news on the roleplaying front with another session cancelled due to an unforseen boating trip (?!) by Captain Amarr. I did consider the prospect of doing a 3-on-1 fill in session (A Day in the Life of Tanner) but in the end I decided not. This would be the third rewrite of the 'second act' of the game and in every rewrite it drifts further away from the dramatic intensity that I planned in the missing session. Sometimes better not to game than to game badly. Still, it means I get to go and see 'V for Vendetta' which has to be a good thing. I had a great idea regarding the 'beings from the void' big bads for PnP and then realised that (a) they were the same big bads that have been in my Crescent Sea and Buffy campaigns (ouch) and (b) it is almost the exact same concept as in Peter Hamiltons 'The Neutrino Alchemist' or whatever it is called. Back to the drawing board.
A few days till I head off to Chicago. Signs coming from Comic Images seem to indicate that they have finally realised that I am actually going at the end of April and they seem to be tying matters up at their end. Good. However, my own urges to build decks has strangely kicked into being. Which is strange because I haven't done it for so long. It's almost as if, because the pressure is off to be anything other than a player, it's suddenly easier. Now, this could be a sense of being demob happy. It could be a general heightening of my CCG senses in preperation for Chicago and attending the World Championships, or it could be genuine. Whatever, I will be throwing together a fun old-fashioned Billy Gunn deck for laughs to take with me. And maybe a Shelton Benjamin....and maybe RTC
Another hobby dividend that has raised it's ugly head is an urge to write some fanfic....I'm trying to ignore it to see whether it will go away.
Which leads me to my switching!
I downloaded the free copy of EVE-Online and took up the no-strings attached 14-day free trial. Its a bizarre game and a very disorientating experience. Take WoW - I know just about everything that I need to know about WoW. EVE? I know JACK SHIT. I am discovering different aspects of the game more through trial and error rather than any great plan. It's intriguing. The game itself seems rather mundane at the moment and is a great example of my 'time is MMORPGs greatest currency' theory. However, I assume that like in WoW the better stuff comes later on. I did my first 'mini-instance' yesterday - clearing out a hollowed asteroid inhabited by a disgruntled employee and his two drones. I discovered that my wee little mining frigate didn't have enough firepower to bash through their shields so I went back to the fitting yard, dropped the mining laser into the hold and fitted another carbine. Ahhh much better! Now I have a specified mining ship (2 mining lasers, shield regen, mining scanner and two extended holds) and a dedicated hunting ship, in development.
Is EVE the game for me? Jury is still amassing evidence. Currently compared to my WoW experience it is far less stressful. However it can be a little ... dull, and I suspect that the Corporations make it a little like work. I shall see how my 14-days pan out.
And speaking of WoW...well, I floated the idea of not being an officer anymore with the rest of the founders and they didn't seem to surprised...which is a good thing. To be brutally honest, the guild is almost unrecognisable from the entity that it was before - so many new faces, so little camraderie within the ranks, so many new relationships to be forged. The entire aspect of the content that is open to me now is endgame raiding and dungeon grinding which, whilst not unappealing, does not sit well with my ability to commit time. Patch 1.10 ftw, it would appear.
And there we have it. Lots of flip-flopping on the hobby front. Oh, and on a great note, Exalted V2 came out this week and I resisted buying it.
Neil
Bad news on the roleplaying front with another session cancelled due to an unforseen boating trip (?!) by Captain Amarr. I did consider the prospect of doing a 3-on-1 fill in session (A Day in the Life of Tanner) but in the end I decided not. This would be the third rewrite of the 'second act' of the game and in every rewrite it drifts further away from the dramatic intensity that I planned in the missing session. Sometimes better not to game than to game badly. Still, it means I get to go and see 'V for Vendetta' which has to be a good thing. I had a great idea regarding the 'beings from the void' big bads for PnP and then realised that (a) they were the same big bads that have been in my Crescent Sea and Buffy campaigns (ouch) and (b) it is almost the exact same concept as in Peter Hamiltons 'The Neutrino Alchemist' or whatever it is called. Back to the drawing board.
A few days till I head off to Chicago. Signs coming from Comic Images seem to indicate that they have finally realised that I am actually going at the end of April and they seem to be tying matters up at their end. Good. However, my own urges to build decks has strangely kicked into being. Which is strange because I haven't done it for so long. It's almost as if, because the pressure is off to be anything other than a player, it's suddenly easier. Now, this could be a sense of being demob happy. It could be a general heightening of my CCG senses in preperation for Chicago and attending the World Championships, or it could be genuine. Whatever, I will be throwing together a fun old-fashioned Billy Gunn deck for laughs to take with me. And maybe a Shelton Benjamin....and maybe RTC
Another hobby dividend that has raised it's ugly head is an urge to write some fanfic....I'm trying to ignore it to see whether it will go away.
Which leads me to my switching!
I downloaded the free copy of EVE-Online and took up the no-strings attached 14-day free trial. Its a bizarre game and a very disorientating experience. Take WoW - I know just about everything that I need to know about WoW. EVE? I know JACK SHIT. I am discovering different aspects of the game more through trial and error rather than any great plan. It's intriguing. The game itself seems rather mundane at the moment and is a great example of my 'time is MMORPGs greatest currency' theory. However, I assume that like in WoW the better stuff comes later on. I did my first 'mini-instance' yesterday - clearing out a hollowed asteroid inhabited by a disgruntled employee and his two drones. I discovered that my wee little mining frigate didn't have enough firepower to bash through their shields so I went back to the fitting yard, dropped the mining laser into the hold and fitted another carbine. Ahhh much better! Now I have a specified mining ship (2 mining lasers, shield regen, mining scanner and two extended holds) and a dedicated hunting ship, in development.
Is EVE the game for me? Jury is still amassing evidence. Currently compared to my WoW experience it is far less stressful. However it can be a little ... dull, and I suspect that the Corporations make it a little like work. I shall see how my 14-days pan out.
And speaking of WoW...well, I floated the idea of not being an officer anymore with the rest of the founders and they didn't seem to surprised...which is a good thing. To be brutally honest, the guild is almost unrecognisable from the entity that it was before - so many new faces, so little camraderie within the ranks, so many new relationships to be forged. The entire aspect of the content that is open to me now is endgame raiding and dungeon grinding which, whilst not unappealing, does not sit well with my ability to commit time. Patch 1.10 ftw, it would appear.
And there we have it. Lots of flip-flopping on the hobby front. Oh, and on a great note, Exalted V2 came out this week and I resisted buying it.
Neil
Monday, March 20, 2006
End of Phase One: The New Attitude
Well, avid readers of Bottom of the Glass. Phase One is complete.
When I started this blog, the mission was to clear off some of the deadwood from my life and establish a new routine that helped me enjoy the hobbies that were left rather than be smothered under a never-ending burden.
Roleplaying has emerged as the winner in this little pseudo-life laundry. What was the old nostalgic favourite has developed into the one success story and is likely to for some time. Pulsars and Privateers has successfully been bedded in and now the challenge is to fulfil the potential for the game and make it 'My Best Ever Roleplaying Campaign'.
Collectible Card games have been the Sunderland AFC of the event, relegated to 'former hobby' status. And with them goes a lot of admin and posting and website work. Indeed, now having my nights free is totally viable come the end of April.
Fanfiction remains a low priority possibility. Thats all that can be said.
Comics, Wresting, Cooking - all cool
Now Warcraft? Thats another question all together. I am increasingly becoming tired with the continuing hearts and minds battle with our guild regarding raiding and raid culture. I want to stick with the guild, and I want to play the game but ... and this has taken me a while to understand - I don't actually CARE whether we use a DKP system or a GEM events system or which sort of voice chat we use or who goes on what raid or blah blah blah. Why should I care? Why ME?
And indeed, this is increasingly becoming my attitude. The best time of my day is the ten minutes I have in the morning when the kids jump onto the bed and we have our little family hug. No-one is arguing, no-one is debating, no-one is threatening to leave anyone. All that happens is that me and my girls have a cuddle and a chat about the day to come. Its so pleasant it's almost addictive!
For the last God only knows how many years I have acted as a co-ordinator/ community leader/ focus point for a number of ventures and adventures. My question now - the real Phase Two of this little voyage of discovery is this:
If I can divest myself of all of my CCG commitments and my holdiays to the USA (and this year, probably GenCon as well) because it was making me feel ill, stressed and claustrophic, is it possible for me to do the same to Warcraft? Could Gorthaal be in the Dungeoneers and not be an officer? Would I be able to have that much detachment?
Similarly, can I take the bones of the P&P campaign and make them rise into something that is truly special. I can feel it's there but it just needs to be taken that little bit further. I'm not sure how, but I'm looking forward to finding out!
Now that? Thats going to make for a very very interesting Phase Two.
When I started this blog, the mission was to clear off some of the deadwood from my life and establish a new routine that helped me enjoy the hobbies that were left rather than be smothered under a never-ending burden.
Roleplaying has emerged as the winner in this little pseudo-life laundry. What was the old nostalgic favourite has developed into the one success story and is likely to for some time. Pulsars and Privateers has successfully been bedded in and now the challenge is to fulfil the potential for the game and make it 'My Best Ever Roleplaying Campaign'.
Collectible Card games have been the Sunderland AFC of the event, relegated to 'former hobby' status. And with them goes a lot of admin and posting and website work. Indeed, now having my nights free is totally viable come the end of April.
Fanfiction remains a low priority possibility. Thats all that can be said.
Comics, Wresting, Cooking - all cool
Now Warcraft? Thats another question all together. I am increasingly becoming tired with the continuing hearts and minds battle with our guild regarding raiding and raid culture. I want to stick with the guild, and I want to play the game but ... and this has taken me a while to understand - I don't actually CARE whether we use a DKP system or a GEM events system or which sort of voice chat we use or who goes on what raid or blah blah blah. Why should I care? Why ME?
And indeed, this is increasingly becoming my attitude. The best time of my day is the ten minutes I have in the morning when the kids jump onto the bed and we have our little family hug. No-one is arguing, no-one is debating, no-one is threatening to leave anyone. All that happens is that me and my girls have a cuddle and a chat about the day to come. Its so pleasant it's almost addictive!
For the last God only knows how many years I have acted as a co-ordinator/ community leader/ focus point for a number of ventures and adventures. My question now - the real Phase Two of this little voyage of discovery is this:
If I can divest myself of all of my CCG commitments and my holdiays to the USA (and this year, probably GenCon as well) because it was making me feel ill, stressed and claustrophic, is it possible for me to do the same to Warcraft? Could Gorthaal be in the Dungeoneers and not be an officer? Would I be able to have that much detachment?
Similarly, can I take the bones of the P&P campaign and make them rise into something that is truly special. I can feel it's there but it just needs to be taken that little bit further. I'm not sure how, but I'm looking forward to finding out!
Now that? Thats going to make for a very very interesting Phase Two.
The Last Train has left for TransCentral
And so, my tenure as Raw Deal UK Commissioner comes to an end. Not with a flash or a bang but with a big group hug with the guys and a small lump in my throat. It's rare that I leave something and it's even rarer that I abandon a hobby completely. However, it would appear that the competitive collectible card scene has seen the last of 'vodkashok'
It's a hard decision though - and one that I might well address again later. I played for the first time in ages on Sunday and it took me a while to get back into the swing of it...and then I remembered that I really REALLY enjoy playing that game. It was mesmerising - I played a game against the UK#1 Rob Maslen in the style of some of our older clashes - two defensive, recursive decks, probing for an opening. It was a lot of fun and it reminded me of the skills needed to play the game. Hell, once again Rob and I drew quite a crowd as 'the masters of recursion' plied their trade. He won, but I didn't care.
So why stop playing? Well, no matter how much I enjoy it, I still have the time issue. And now that the free-card gravy train is drying up, a money issue raises it's head as well. Added to that, I have always been a little skeptical of the people who retire from this game, only to make a short-lived 'comeback'. Not only does it seem like a rather cynical way of getting some free beers from good friends, but it also makes a mockery of the heartfelt thanks and gifts that were given on your retirement.
Whilst I have settled myself on my retirement, there is a glimmer of a possibility that I might flop cards again yet.
There is a Warcraft CCG coming after all.
N.
It's a hard decision though - and one that I might well address again later. I played for the first time in ages on Sunday and it took me a while to get back into the swing of it...and then I remembered that I really REALLY enjoy playing that game. It was mesmerising - I played a game against the UK#1 Rob Maslen in the style of some of our older clashes - two defensive, recursive decks, probing for an opening. It was a lot of fun and it reminded me of the skills needed to play the game. Hell, once again Rob and I drew quite a crowd as 'the masters of recursion' plied their trade. He won, but I didn't care.
So why stop playing? Well, no matter how much I enjoy it, I still have the time issue. And now that the free-card gravy train is drying up, a money issue raises it's head as well. Added to that, I have always been a little skeptical of the people who retire from this game, only to make a short-lived 'comeback'. Not only does it seem like a rather cynical way of getting some free beers from good friends, but it also makes a mockery of the heartfelt thanks and gifts that were given on your retirement.
Whilst I have settled myself on my retirement, there is a glimmer of a possibility that I might flop cards again yet.
There is a Warcraft CCG coming after all.
N.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
In Search of ... The Next Big Thing?
So my hobby life appears to be lying fallow. Roleplaying is stable, challenging and fun. CCGs have, in the short and medium term have been knocked on the head. Fanfic writing is indeed a dodo. So all thats left really is WoW.
And thats being a bit of a pain in the arse, to be honest. The recent merger between the Dungeoneers and the Hex Spammers has been problematic. A mixture of differing expectations, clashing personalities, radically diverse communication methods and just a whole load of 'change is bad' rubbish. The result has been what T.I.F. calls 'Golf Club Politics' and too many hours pondering and angsting and posturing, when we should be plundering, attacking and pillaging.
My recent tactic for avoiding socially-related stress has been to hide and ignore, taking solace in the last vestiges of my Comic Images work and increasingly my family life. (Hey, you laugh, but for the first time in maybe five years, my wife and I snuggled on the sofa and watched a film! It's just something that we never do...!). My adventures on Scarshield Legion, the RP-PVP server have continued although I am now Level 15 and my companion Dave, is still Level 10, so I can't really rush on too far from him.
So I found myself yesterday looking at the prospect of an alternative MMO - something to have when my muse for WoW wanes a little. It was not an easy process. I've never been a great consumer of computer games and thus whilst I see a £25 roleplaying book as a sound investment, a £30 computer game still seems like an extravagance - which is sheer folly when you consider the 1000+ hours of gametime I have logged with Gorthaal compared to the 0.0 hours gametime I have logged with my Changeling: The Dreaming collection! I want to get something thats great value for money and a cool play experience.
So, I thought, I would shop around online and see what reviews I could pick up? Oh boy....
Apparently, all games are bad. All high ratings are the result of voting by [insert company] fanbois and they haven't been enlightened to the One True Game...which doesn't appear to exist. Every single game seems to have a massive array of detractors and a massive array of proponents. I have discovered the concept of the 'Korean' game - one that was apparently designed for a different species and is in no way, shape or form suitable for western tastes. I have discovered that apparently there are many different forms of MMORPG, all variants on the mystical 'true' MMORPG - highlighted in phrases such as 'This is not a true MMO, it is more a [insert three mysterious letters]RPG'. All games are apparently a grind WHILST simultaneously being fun WHILST being repetitive WHILST being great WHILST being shite.
IN essence, thanks www.mmorpg.com, you have indeed perpetuated my rather acidic view of reviewers to the extreme.
At the moment, the jury is out. I had a copy of Dungeons and Dragons Online in my hand yesterday but put it back...unsure of making the commitment. I have looked time and again at EVE Online, space trading sounding oh so cool....but never quite wanted to take the plunge as a n00b into something so established and complicated. The warm and friendly comfort zone of Warcraft is alluring. I have mastered the game, I have crested the learning curve, it is all there before me - do I really want to start again elsewhere?
Hmmmm....pondering
Neil
And thats being a bit of a pain in the arse, to be honest. The recent merger between the Dungeoneers and the Hex Spammers has been problematic. A mixture of differing expectations, clashing personalities, radically diverse communication methods and just a whole load of 'change is bad' rubbish. The result has been what T.I.F. calls 'Golf Club Politics' and too many hours pondering and angsting and posturing, when we should be plundering, attacking and pillaging.
My recent tactic for avoiding socially-related stress has been to hide and ignore, taking solace in the last vestiges of my Comic Images work and increasingly my family life. (Hey, you laugh, but for the first time in maybe five years, my wife and I snuggled on the sofa and watched a film! It's just something that we never do...!). My adventures on Scarshield Legion, the RP-PVP server have continued although I am now Level 15 and my companion Dave, is still Level 10, so I can't really rush on too far from him.
So I found myself yesterday looking at the prospect of an alternative MMO - something to have when my muse for WoW wanes a little. It was not an easy process. I've never been a great consumer of computer games and thus whilst I see a £25 roleplaying book as a sound investment, a £30 computer game still seems like an extravagance - which is sheer folly when you consider the 1000+ hours of gametime I have logged with Gorthaal compared to the 0.0 hours gametime I have logged with my Changeling: The Dreaming collection! I want to get something thats great value for money and a cool play experience.
So, I thought, I would shop around online and see what reviews I could pick up? Oh boy....
Apparently, all games are bad. All high ratings are the result of voting by [insert company] fanbois and they haven't been enlightened to the One True Game...which doesn't appear to exist. Every single game seems to have a massive array of detractors and a massive array of proponents. I have discovered the concept of the 'Korean' game - one that was apparently designed for a different species and is in no way, shape or form suitable for western tastes. I have discovered that apparently there are many different forms of MMORPG, all variants on the mystical 'true' MMORPG - highlighted in phrases such as 'This is not a true MMO, it is more a [insert three mysterious letters]RPG'. All games are apparently a grind WHILST simultaneously being fun WHILST being repetitive WHILST being great WHILST being shite.
IN essence, thanks www.mmorpg.com, you have indeed perpetuated my rather acidic view of reviewers to the extreme.
At the moment, the jury is out. I had a copy of Dungeons and Dragons Online in my hand yesterday but put it back...unsure of making the commitment. I have looked time and again at EVE Online, space trading sounding oh so cool....but never quite wanted to take the plunge as a n00b into something so established and complicated. The warm and friendly comfort zone of Warcraft is alluring. I have mastered the game, I have crested the learning curve, it is all there before me - do I really want to start again elsewhere?
Hmmmm....pondering
Neil
Monday, March 13, 2006
P&P#4: The End of the Beginning
The reconvened fourth session of Pulsars and Privateers has happened and it was .... OK. It ran a little short and it started a little jittery but it pressed all of the developmental buttons that I had mapped out for the start of the campaign - basically that by the fourth 'episode' we would have turned the blank templates of 'the captain','the mysterious monk','the engineer' and 'the pilot' into actual characters with backgrounds.
So now we have Captain Agha Amarr Salee, ever-so-slightly estranged from the Caliphate Royal Family and a coerced associate of a peaceful rebellion on his homeworld. Marcus D'Silver, a former Imperial Officer with connections to the Imperial espionage whose status is questionable. Talia Decados - a mysterious lethal mystic with a past wrapped in the perversity of the Decados Guild House. Zeb Thaddeus, experimental cyberpilot living with the electronic imprint of his girlfriend Alisse.
Slowly, character relationships are growing - specifically between Talia and the other members of the crew. And story seeds are being sown for future endeavours - the deceit of the Decados, the military expansion of the Confed, the rebellion on Caliphate Homeworld. All nicely coming together.
So why was the session just ... 'ok'
1. I think I am coming to the conclusion that the PTA method of scene setting is good, but it's an all or nothing deal. It so completely envelopes the process that there is a stark and sometimes unpleasant jarring when you switch from one type to another. Maybe thats not it - maybe it's because the scenes HAVE to be player authored and not GM spawned? Where does the line between the players being protaganists and the dictates of the storyline lie? It all revolves around that age old roleplaying question 'what do you do?'
In this game we had two such instances. The first was with Amarr, who was left alone, seeking within his own skills to somehow help Marcus. 'What do you do?' - you go and see your rather important mother and try (fail) to persuade her that Marcus is innocent. Personally, I thought this scene worked really well in that it juxtaposed nicely with some of the later scenes. In the wide world of the Caliphate, the Agha is a figure of authority and grandeur, but in the palace he is still just that annoying yet loveable young lad who will one day grow up.
The second scene was less successful and gels nicely with the other two problems of the session. Marcus is condemned to (almost certain) death - what do you do? You rescue him. How do you do it? Ahhh...now here's the problem. Normally we have the cringe worthy, toe curler of middle aged white men trying to think like spies or knights - I considered that middle aged white men trying to emulate a SF rescue would have been a little easier. After all you have the Morpheus rescue from The Matrix and virtually every scene in any Star Wars film as inspiration. And yet... it just wasn't so. It stuttered and spluttered and generally didn't seem to be going anywhere until Amarr used his influence to acquire the Grand MacGuffin (the stealth belts) and do an ingenious rescue that way.
In a game where virtually everything is scripted, how do the players retain ownership of their game? An interesting challenge...
2. A phobia of action: Do we, hell, do I have a phobia of action? In the perfect minds eye of the GM I would have loved to have seen an armed assault on the Caliphate Secret Service base, Talia and El-Hassan back to back storming the front door and emulating some great gun-fight scenes from cinema. That never happened and what we were moments away from was the sort of convoluted rescue scene that would have put the 'poisoned tuna' scene in Shadowrun to shame. When the imperative is Action! Action! Action! sometimes the game can slip away into Caution! Caution! Caution! Maybe I need to have a badge on saying 'I am not a vindictive GM' to remind them that I am not going to cut their characters down in a rain of plasma fire and that the SF world 'reality' is firmly in place. Mooks never hit anyone and always go down with one hit/punch. Sometimes direct assault works. Of course shooting the force field generator destroys the field...etc etc. I think we got this in the final scene when the Khanjar was the only ship with power in orbit and it destroyed the rebellion fighter platform - the action came in the statements from the players and the way that Zeb used the narrative (he provided) from his past to mirror the actions in the present.
3. NPCs ... with learner wheels still on: I have never been a great advocate of NPCs as party members. They are such obvious GM-voices and fallbacks that I have always looked elsewhere. However in P&P I needed at least one NPC to be the 'crew on the ship' rather than having a PC stay up with it when they landed. Tanner, that NPC, is fine and as a rather reliable yet background player he does the job well. No doubt Tanner's story will come out as well, but now he is just the man that screens the Captain and shouts 'Missles Locked!' when it is dramatically appropriate.
I added a second NPC because ... well, because it felt right, as a sign of Amarr's increased importance - and because the role of the bodyguard is one that works oh so well in the HH books. So we have El-Hassan, a female (yet seemingly asexual) professional warrior who has pledged her life to the command and safety of the Agha. In terms of roles within the ship this puts her on a collision course with Talia - but as Talia's player has stated that he wanted to get away from the straight 'fighter' archetype, this should work? What I need to watch out is that the NPC does not become more heroic than the PCs, that El-Hassan is not the protaganist in every situation. She has to add to the game, rather than detract from it. She must never EVER become a super-uber-safety net of doom for them.
Now, in that I have been dubbed The Iron GM by one of my players who lives at http://www.fandomlife.net/ ( a great place for a players eye view of the game), I shall henceforth dub him.... The Ideas Factory. And I would like to address here something that T.I.F. suggested in his post on the game - that some of the concepts were not fully fleshed out.
Yet
Thats the operative word and I think it is what seperates the game as a game from the game as a TV Series. The game is now in a state of flux. The Agha has had his eyes opened to the world beneath his very safe and luxurious state of being. He has seen the depravity that his lifestyle creates in it's backwash. He has met, fleetingly, a man who claims to want a peaceful resolution. He has seen even more fleetingly the face of the man who would kill him and his family. He has seen what they can do (fighters, computer viruses, contraband equipment) and he has seen the consequences. Every single detail of that could have been laid out before the group there and then - or it could be one of the mysteries of the game forthcoming. So far, the game is rammed with these 'unanswered questions' - absolutely teeming with them actually and the more there are, the better as far as I am concerned.
Rather than a nicely paced session where the rebellion was introduced and given empathic characters and detailed reasons for what they are doing and then a baddie other faction introduced and then some grand plot of rescue hatched, I wanted it to be far more chaotic - things happening around the characters that impact on them without them having any direct input into the process. Carried along somewhat in the chaos. The rebellion wanted to show the Agha that it existed and why, but others wanted him dead and they were all set to do it...and then the chaos in space and the swift retreat of the Khanjar. All very chaotic.
Which brings me back nicely to the end of the beginning. One of the ways that I wanted the first 'session' of the campaign to end was in a feeling of chaos...that somehow the edges of society are fraying slightly and any idea of a cosy existence has been put on hold. Between the issues with the Confed, House Decados, The Caliphate and One-Eyed Elijah this will have got across. Only time will tell.
N.
So now we have Captain Agha Amarr Salee, ever-so-slightly estranged from the Caliphate Royal Family and a coerced associate of a peaceful rebellion on his homeworld. Marcus D'Silver, a former Imperial Officer with connections to the Imperial espionage whose status is questionable. Talia Decados - a mysterious lethal mystic with a past wrapped in the perversity of the Decados Guild House. Zeb Thaddeus, experimental cyberpilot living with the electronic imprint of his girlfriend Alisse.
Slowly, character relationships are growing - specifically between Talia and the other members of the crew. And story seeds are being sown for future endeavours - the deceit of the Decados, the military expansion of the Confed, the rebellion on Caliphate Homeworld. All nicely coming together.
So why was the session just ... 'ok'
1. I think I am coming to the conclusion that the PTA method of scene setting is good, but it's an all or nothing deal. It so completely envelopes the process that there is a stark and sometimes unpleasant jarring when you switch from one type to another. Maybe thats not it - maybe it's because the scenes HAVE to be player authored and not GM spawned? Where does the line between the players being protaganists and the dictates of the storyline lie? It all revolves around that age old roleplaying question 'what do you do?'
In this game we had two such instances. The first was with Amarr, who was left alone, seeking within his own skills to somehow help Marcus. 'What do you do?' - you go and see your rather important mother and try (fail) to persuade her that Marcus is innocent. Personally, I thought this scene worked really well in that it juxtaposed nicely with some of the later scenes. In the wide world of the Caliphate, the Agha is a figure of authority and grandeur, but in the palace he is still just that annoying yet loveable young lad who will one day grow up.
The second scene was less successful and gels nicely with the other two problems of the session. Marcus is condemned to (almost certain) death - what do you do? You rescue him. How do you do it? Ahhh...now here's the problem. Normally we have the cringe worthy, toe curler of middle aged white men trying to think like spies or knights - I considered that middle aged white men trying to emulate a SF rescue would have been a little easier. After all you have the Morpheus rescue from The Matrix and virtually every scene in any Star Wars film as inspiration. And yet... it just wasn't so. It stuttered and spluttered and generally didn't seem to be going anywhere until Amarr used his influence to acquire the Grand MacGuffin (the stealth belts) and do an ingenious rescue that way.
In a game where virtually everything is scripted, how do the players retain ownership of their game? An interesting challenge...
2. A phobia of action: Do we, hell, do I have a phobia of action? In the perfect minds eye of the GM I would have loved to have seen an armed assault on the Caliphate Secret Service base, Talia and El-Hassan back to back storming the front door and emulating some great gun-fight scenes from cinema. That never happened and what we were moments away from was the sort of convoluted rescue scene that would have put the 'poisoned tuna' scene in Shadowrun to shame. When the imperative is Action! Action! Action! sometimes the game can slip away into Caution! Caution! Caution! Maybe I need to have a badge on saying 'I am not a vindictive GM' to remind them that I am not going to cut their characters down in a rain of plasma fire and that the SF world 'reality' is firmly in place. Mooks never hit anyone and always go down with one hit/punch. Sometimes direct assault works. Of course shooting the force field generator destroys the field...etc etc. I think we got this in the final scene when the Khanjar was the only ship with power in orbit and it destroyed the rebellion fighter platform - the action came in the statements from the players and the way that Zeb used the narrative (he provided) from his past to mirror the actions in the present.
3. NPCs ... with learner wheels still on: I have never been a great advocate of NPCs as party members. They are such obvious GM-voices and fallbacks that I have always looked elsewhere. However in P&P I needed at least one NPC to be the 'crew on the ship' rather than having a PC stay up with it when they landed. Tanner, that NPC, is fine and as a rather reliable yet background player he does the job well. No doubt Tanner's story will come out as well, but now he is just the man that screens the Captain and shouts 'Missles Locked!' when it is dramatically appropriate.
I added a second NPC because ... well, because it felt right, as a sign of Amarr's increased importance - and because the role of the bodyguard is one that works oh so well in the HH books. So we have El-Hassan, a female (yet seemingly asexual) professional warrior who has pledged her life to the command and safety of the Agha. In terms of roles within the ship this puts her on a collision course with Talia - but as Talia's player has stated that he wanted to get away from the straight 'fighter' archetype, this should work? What I need to watch out is that the NPC does not become more heroic than the PCs, that El-Hassan is not the protaganist in every situation. She has to add to the game, rather than detract from it. She must never EVER become a super-uber-safety net of doom for them.
Now, in that I have been dubbed The Iron GM by one of my players who lives at http://www.fandomlife.net/ ( a great place for a players eye view of the game), I shall henceforth dub him.... The Ideas Factory. And I would like to address here something that T.I.F. suggested in his post on the game - that some of the concepts were not fully fleshed out.
Yet
Thats the operative word and I think it is what seperates the game as a game from the game as a TV Series. The game is now in a state of flux. The Agha has had his eyes opened to the world beneath his very safe and luxurious state of being. He has seen the depravity that his lifestyle creates in it's backwash. He has met, fleetingly, a man who claims to want a peaceful resolution. He has seen even more fleetingly the face of the man who would kill him and his family. He has seen what they can do (fighters, computer viruses, contraband equipment) and he has seen the consequences. Every single detail of that could have been laid out before the group there and then - or it could be one of the mysteries of the game forthcoming. So far, the game is rammed with these 'unanswered questions' - absolutely teeming with them actually and the more there are, the better as far as I am concerned.
Rather than a nicely paced session where the rebellion was introduced and given empathic characters and detailed reasons for what they are doing and then a baddie other faction introduced and then some grand plot of rescue hatched, I wanted it to be far more chaotic - things happening around the characters that impact on them without them having any direct input into the process. Carried along somewhat in the chaos. The rebellion wanted to show the Agha that it existed and why, but others wanted him dead and they were all set to do it...and then the chaos in space and the swift retreat of the Khanjar. All very chaotic.
Which brings me back nicely to the end of the beginning. One of the ways that I wanted the first 'session' of the campaign to end was in a feeling of chaos...that somehow the edges of society are fraying slightly and any idea of a cosy existence has been put on hold. Between the issues with the Confed, House Decados, The Caliphate and One-Eyed Elijah this will have got across. Only time will tell.
N.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
WoW Revisited: RP-PVP
Wanting to investigate a different aspect of World of Warcraft, I persuaded Dave to try out Scarshield Legion, one of the new RP-PVP realms that was opened recently. It is proving to be a very interesting experience.
I tried out a RP server before - Moonglade, just as it opened. It was a satisfactory experience, but the over-riding atmosphere was one of RP veterans from Argent Dawn and Earthen Ring seeking to police a new, unsullied virgin realm in their own manner. In my first few days playing there, I saw people being reported for virtually anything - including the hilarity of not having a name that conformed to WoW Racial patterns! All a bit too full-on for my liking.
My hatred for PvP is well known. I have never really seen the point and most of the time my mind is in a PvE mindset and unable (or indeed, most of the time, unwilling) to adjust into a PvP mode. One of my Dungeoneer guildmates said of me once that I didn't just not do PvP, I had no clue whatsoever what to do if I did want to fight someone! Well, thats pretty much the case, but the Dungeoneer Birthday Duelling fest did whet my appetite a little so I thought - hey, whats the worst that can happen? I can get ganked to within an inch of my life - but at least I'll learn.
Considering my mediocre experience of RP and my aversion to PVP, why choose Scarshield Legion? Well, in my opinion, RP-PVP should be the nearest you can get to 'proper' World of WARcraft as you can get. Not only are you roleplaying within the setting, creating some sort of internal logic around the quests etc. but you also the ability to execute the war between the Horde and the Alliance as it was meant to be. PVE realms are awesome for the questing and exploration part of the game, but when you have members of warring races stood side by side with each other it seems a little strange.
So into this strange world were born Branan the Warrior and Equity the Paladin. Branan is the older, but less brilliant brother, questing for The One True Axe. He likes beer, battles and 'no-beards'... and he feels the need to call all gnomes 'wee man'. Equity is the cleverer of the two and has (in Branan's eyes) and unhealthy obsession with His Holy Lady of Light. He shouts about it enough. They are both miners and both blacksmiths - the family professions.
Technically, the way we have changed our gameplay is simple. Virtually everything we do is done in /say rather than /p which allows other people to hear what we do. Equity has some of his spells macro'd so he shouts a call to His Holy Lady of Light when he casts. I'm going to be doing the same with my battle shouts etc.
Once we had that sorted, the rest came easy. The shock and horror at one of our companions dying to a troll - and my subsequent beserk attack on said troll! The mystery of the strange green gnomes around the base of Gnomeregan being unfurled as blighted Leper Gnomes. Sheer awe and wonder at the grandeur of Ironforge. Bricking ourselves when we saw our first Epic Frostsaber and /kneeling at the massive dwarf statue as we enter the city. Oh, and mistaking the golden explosion for a level as a fart....Branan did one in front of the Dwarven King!!
It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning and something that I look forward to doing again soon.
Oh, and one more thing - the pain doesn't come in the character or the RP - it comes from not having 4x14 slot bags and 5g in the bank from your main. Having to grind to get my training was a dubious pleasure I had long since forgotten!
Neil
I tried out a RP server before - Moonglade, just as it opened. It was a satisfactory experience, but the over-riding atmosphere was one of RP veterans from Argent Dawn and Earthen Ring seeking to police a new, unsullied virgin realm in their own manner. In my first few days playing there, I saw people being reported for virtually anything - including the hilarity of not having a name that conformed to WoW Racial patterns! All a bit too full-on for my liking.
My hatred for PvP is well known. I have never really seen the point and most of the time my mind is in a PvE mindset and unable (or indeed, most of the time, unwilling) to adjust into a PvP mode. One of my Dungeoneer guildmates said of me once that I didn't just not do PvP, I had no clue whatsoever what to do if I did want to fight someone! Well, thats pretty much the case, but the Dungeoneer Birthday Duelling fest did whet my appetite a little so I thought - hey, whats the worst that can happen? I can get ganked to within an inch of my life - but at least I'll learn.
Considering my mediocre experience of RP and my aversion to PVP, why choose Scarshield Legion? Well, in my opinion, RP-PVP should be the nearest you can get to 'proper' World of WARcraft as you can get. Not only are you roleplaying within the setting, creating some sort of internal logic around the quests etc. but you also the ability to execute the war between the Horde and the Alliance as it was meant to be. PVE realms are awesome for the questing and exploration part of the game, but when you have members of warring races stood side by side with each other it seems a little strange.
So into this strange world were born Branan the Warrior and Equity the Paladin. Branan is the older, but less brilliant brother, questing for The One True Axe. He likes beer, battles and 'no-beards'... and he feels the need to call all gnomes 'wee man'. Equity is the cleverer of the two and has (in Branan's eyes) and unhealthy obsession with His Holy Lady of Light. He shouts about it enough. They are both miners and both blacksmiths - the family professions.
Technically, the way we have changed our gameplay is simple. Virtually everything we do is done in /say rather than /p which allows other people to hear what we do. Equity has some of his spells macro'd so he shouts a call to His Holy Lady of Light when he casts. I'm going to be doing the same with my battle shouts etc.
Once we had that sorted, the rest came easy. The shock and horror at one of our companions dying to a troll - and my subsequent beserk attack on said troll! The mystery of the strange green gnomes around the base of Gnomeregan being unfurled as blighted Leper Gnomes. Sheer awe and wonder at the grandeur of Ironforge. Bricking ourselves when we saw our first Epic Frostsaber and /kneeling at the massive dwarf statue as we enter the city. Oh, and mistaking the golden explosion for a level as a fart....Branan did one in front of the Dwarven King!!
It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning and something that I look forward to doing again soon.
Oh, and one more thing - the pain doesn't come in the character or the RP - it comes from not having 4x14 slot bags and 5g in the bank from your main. Having to grind to get my training was a dubious pleasure I had long since forgotten!
Neil
Monday, March 06, 2006
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
Well, I have done it - I have gone public with the knowledge that I have handed in my notice with Comic Images.
It's a strange feeling. No-one will care two hoots about me no longer being a playtester and neither will I. I was never a great playtester - more there for the sense-checking of the product and the names and the package as a whole than for the minutae of the cards themselves. It was a privilege, a lucrative privilege.
Being UK Commissioner was the honour. Being the 'leader' of a tight community like the UK RD community is always going to be fulfilling but it is also draining. There is a load of stuff that needs to be done in the background - rankings to be compiled, tournament packs to be sent out, payments to be tracked and made, emails to be responded to and questions to be answered. Your year becomes measured by PPV tournaments and their planning. Even when you have them planned a full year ahead, they still always seemed to be last minute affairs. Will I miss being UK Commish? To be honest, no, I don't think I will. It has been fantastic fun, but terribly time consuming and enveloping. In two weeks time I hand it all over to another player and it ends...what a relief.
The role of being webmaster? Well, that was the power. It placed me as near to the centre of the game as possible, without being an actual employee of the company. I got to know a load of things well in advance of anyone else and indeed, the dessemination of information about the game was pretty much molded around my timetable. Even if I say so myself it felt like being a bit of a celebrity.
However, in the end, even that becomes a bind. Updates become a chore sandwiched between other more pleasurable activities. The will to do any form of clean-up or redesign becomes less and less - and thats not a good thing. I like to think of myself as a pretty conscientious person but when that happens you have to start thinking about cutting both your losses and the companies.
Inevitably, it is not that easy - CI want me to do one final redesign before I go and to radically prune the site. The redesign is done and I am pretty pleased. Tonight I will start the task of populating the new site with old information, culled from the 850+ pages on the current site. It's an eerie task. I know for a fact that if *I* was the incoming new webmaster, the first thing I would do is redesign the site to my own liking and skills. I would not want someone elses artwork and design being attributed to me. Similarly, site design and content management can be quite idiosyncratic and some people might suggest that my methods are incorrect (they are certainly old fashioned). It seems like a wasted last hurrah.
I have the suspicion, somehow, that I will have a number of these 'one last job' requests and that the powers that be at CI might not be taking my departure with the seriousness that it deserves. Or maybe I am just being guilty of unreasonable arrogance.
Either way, I will be seeing some of them in Chicago in a couple of weeks time, which should be a very interesting conversation.
Neil
It's a strange feeling. No-one will care two hoots about me no longer being a playtester and neither will I. I was never a great playtester - more there for the sense-checking of the product and the names and the package as a whole than for the minutae of the cards themselves. It was a privilege, a lucrative privilege.
Being UK Commissioner was the honour. Being the 'leader' of a tight community like the UK RD community is always going to be fulfilling but it is also draining. There is a load of stuff that needs to be done in the background - rankings to be compiled, tournament packs to be sent out, payments to be tracked and made, emails to be responded to and questions to be answered. Your year becomes measured by PPV tournaments and their planning. Even when you have them planned a full year ahead, they still always seemed to be last minute affairs. Will I miss being UK Commish? To be honest, no, I don't think I will. It has been fantastic fun, but terribly time consuming and enveloping. In two weeks time I hand it all over to another player and it ends...what a relief.
The role of being webmaster? Well, that was the power. It placed me as near to the centre of the game as possible, without being an actual employee of the company. I got to know a load of things well in advance of anyone else and indeed, the dessemination of information about the game was pretty much molded around my timetable. Even if I say so myself it felt like being a bit of a celebrity.
However, in the end, even that becomes a bind. Updates become a chore sandwiched between other more pleasurable activities. The will to do any form of clean-up or redesign becomes less and less - and thats not a good thing. I like to think of myself as a pretty conscientious person but when that happens you have to start thinking about cutting both your losses and the companies.
Inevitably, it is not that easy - CI want me to do one final redesign before I go and to radically prune the site. The redesign is done and I am pretty pleased. Tonight I will start the task of populating the new site with old information, culled from the 850+ pages on the current site. It's an eerie task. I know for a fact that if *I* was the incoming new webmaster, the first thing I would do is redesign the site to my own liking and skills. I would not want someone elses artwork and design being attributed to me. Similarly, site design and content management can be quite idiosyncratic and some people might suggest that my methods are incorrect (they are certainly old fashioned). It seems like a wasted last hurrah.
I have the suspicion, somehow, that I will have a number of these 'one last job' requests and that the powers that be at CI might not be taking my departure with the seriousness that it deserves. Or maybe I am just being guilty of unreasonable arrogance.
Either way, I will be seeing some of them in Chicago in a couple of weeks time, which should be a very interesting conversation.
Neil
Roads Never Travelled
Roleplay was cancelled this week. Damn it!
The set-up for the cancellation was interesting though and worthy of some comment. Firstly Zeb's player was unable to attend because he was off planning his wedding. He did, however, leave us a very useful out. His character was unconscious, having fainted in the assassination attempt and it was very easy to convert this into a coma. So he was written out. However, that allowed me to spring a surprise episode on him and them for the next episode and then flip flop back into the game after that. As a structure it was, in my mind, dramatically perfect. It would have hightlighted Zeb and Talia, whilst still involving the other players and it would have had that wonderful 'ST:TNG' style feel to the pacing.
And then Captain Amarr was ill and we had to cancel.
Of course, this is fine and I would never expect anyone to play through illness. Indeed, that exact self-imposed expectation was something that has caused sub-optimal play experiences in the past. It does mean, however, that during our next session Zeb will be back and the drama that I had concocted will be different.
The story elements will still be there - but the conclusion will be radically changed. Thats a good thing really, as it shows that the players have a real impact on the direction of the game (as should be the case) Maybe one day, the 'lost episode' may be unearthed, in all it's glory!
One thing that this illustrated for me is that the game definitely has legs. The fact that I could, legitimately, plan the fourth, fifth and sixth sessions ahead of time and STILL not have really disclosed the over-arcing story that covers the first 'season' would tend to suggest these characters have a vast depth of story to them and certainly we are going to be taking this at a slower pace than Buffy and probably Crescent Sea.
Woot!
The set-up for the cancellation was interesting though and worthy of some comment. Firstly Zeb's player was unable to attend because he was off planning his wedding. He did, however, leave us a very useful out. His character was unconscious, having fainted in the assassination attempt and it was very easy to convert this into a coma. So he was written out. However, that allowed me to spring a surprise episode on him and them for the next episode and then flip flop back into the game after that. As a structure it was, in my mind, dramatically perfect. It would have hightlighted Zeb and Talia, whilst still involving the other players and it would have had that wonderful 'ST:TNG' style feel to the pacing.
And then Captain Amarr was ill and we had to cancel.
Of course, this is fine and I would never expect anyone to play through illness. Indeed, that exact self-imposed expectation was something that has caused sub-optimal play experiences in the past. It does mean, however, that during our next session Zeb will be back and the drama that I had concocted will be different.
The story elements will still be there - but the conclusion will be radically changed. Thats a good thing really, as it shows that the players have a real impact on the direction of the game (as should be the case) Maybe one day, the 'lost episode' may be unearthed, in all it's glory!
One thing that this illustrated for me is that the game definitely has legs. The fact that I could, legitimately, plan the fourth, fifth and sixth sessions ahead of time and STILL not have really disclosed the over-arcing story that covers the first 'season' would tend to suggest these characters have a vast depth of story to them and certainly we are going to be taking this at a slower pace than Buffy and probably Crescent Sea.
Woot!
Thursday, February 23, 2006
WOW - A tale of two characters
World of Warcraft is at an interesting stage at the moment. The guild is growing steadily and we have moved house to a new website which has allowed a greater degree of control and coordination of matters. The main quandry in my mind at the moment is what to do with my characters - Gorthaal (Tauren Druid 60) and Gortessa (Tauren Shaman 60)
Now cynics would suggest that there is little between these two hybrid classes - but they could not be further from the truth! Playing them is a truly diverse experience - and it is that diversity that is causing me to ponder.
Gorth is a feral/resto spec'd Druid and finally has two 90% complete sets of kit for him to tank and heal. Thats great - except the guild has a multitude of L60 Warriors who can take that off-tank position. I never really bonded with the druidic cat form and never seem to be able to pull off the ground based quick moving attack business that it requires. Now in solo ventures, this is not a problem. Gorth is nigh-on indestructible one-on-one with most mobs - I simply outlast them. In a 5-man dungeon run, Gorth is the ultimate team-player, off-tanking or healing or both as required - even kicking into rogue mode sometimes. Tribute Runs in Dire Maul North are easily my favourite dungeon as I get to do everything in my playbook! However, when the numbers increase it appears that Gorth's usefulness decreases. In our Zul Gurub raids I am sometimes FIFTH place healer behind two priests and two full-resto druids. Thats fine - but surely I would be more use doing something else? Well the raid rarely needs another tank, my dps skills are shoddy (and my cat form is ... fragile) and my ranged dps is almost non-existant. So what to do? Stand around and sort of heal? Surely that place in the raid could have been taken up by a mage or a warlock or a shaman...
..which brings us onto Gortessa. TOTALLY DIFFERENT BEAST! Gortessa is like a little pocket nuke that can heal when needed. She has two formats - a max'd mana casting engine of doom armour set and a two-handed splatting machine set. Either way she is hurling massive shocks and lightning bolts left, right and centre which Windfury proc'ing her Fist of Omekk in people's faces for over 1000 damage each proc. It is a bit silly but SO MUCH FUN! I can see now why people get so carried away regarding the Shaman and their set of abilities. An immense amount of DPS packed into an armoured shell, that can heal. And yes, she does heal when needed. Indeed, last night in LBRS it was a really strange feeling to mid-combat (after a scrappy pull) literally sit back from DPS-mode and assume the almost zen-like state of a healer again, if only for a few minutes! The two operations produce a totally different body reaction.
I have been told that when I am healing, I sit back in my chair and for want of a better phrase 'enter a trance' of quick eye flicks and key/mouse strokes. You do 'get into the zone' as you watch the health bars of your charges and the mana bars of your fellow healers rise and fall. You are constantly planning your next heal and making mental triage lists and judgement calls - ie. whilst the rogue is on more health NOW than the warrior, the warrior takes damage slower, so I should heal the rogue next BUT can I afford to slap an instant HoT on the warrior 'just in case' and when should I heal the mage who isn't engaged but might draw aggro....' Mostly it becomes instinct but sometimes you have to make uncertain split second calls.
I was told last night that when I was playing I was a different beast. Heavy breathing, constant toe-tapping and shuffling, little gasps and puffs of breath (I'm assuming when a nice run of criticals came together) and generally far more animated. Playing Gortessa is a much wilder ride. I am there, on the tanks shoulder like a pitbull straining at the leash (and can I say from the bolt-shock-hammer combos I was throwing out yesterday, how good must our tanks be to hold that aggro!) ready to unleash my mana bar in a rain of almight hell on each and every mob that I can see. I did 250k damage in one 11-man LBRS raid and finished third. THIRD. I doubt Gorthaal has done that much damage in his entire raiding career! And I finished third in the healing table as well (although that was sort of by default). It just feels far more dynamic as a character.
So whats the point of this massive missive? Well, I'm coming to the conclusion that maybe Gorthaal is my small dungeon character and Gortessa is my raid character. Thats a bit of a change from what I initially thought about the characters and I'm not sure I like it because the Big G is definitely still my main man!
Hmmmm
Now cynics would suggest that there is little between these two hybrid classes - but they could not be further from the truth! Playing them is a truly diverse experience - and it is that diversity that is causing me to ponder.
Gorth is a feral/resto spec'd Druid and finally has two 90% complete sets of kit for him to tank and heal. Thats great - except the guild has a multitude of L60 Warriors who can take that off-tank position. I never really bonded with the druidic cat form and never seem to be able to pull off the ground based quick moving attack business that it requires. Now in solo ventures, this is not a problem. Gorth is nigh-on indestructible one-on-one with most mobs - I simply outlast them. In a 5-man dungeon run, Gorth is the ultimate team-player, off-tanking or healing or both as required - even kicking into rogue mode sometimes. Tribute Runs in Dire Maul North are easily my favourite dungeon as I get to do everything in my playbook! However, when the numbers increase it appears that Gorth's usefulness decreases. In our Zul Gurub raids I am sometimes FIFTH place healer behind two priests and two full-resto druids. Thats fine - but surely I would be more use doing something else? Well the raid rarely needs another tank, my dps skills are shoddy (and my cat form is ... fragile) and my ranged dps is almost non-existant. So what to do? Stand around and sort of heal? Surely that place in the raid could have been taken up by a mage or a warlock or a shaman...
..which brings us onto Gortessa. TOTALLY DIFFERENT BEAST! Gortessa is like a little pocket nuke that can heal when needed. She has two formats - a max'd mana casting engine of doom armour set and a two-handed splatting machine set. Either way she is hurling massive shocks and lightning bolts left, right and centre which Windfury proc'ing her Fist of Omekk in people's faces for over 1000 damage each proc. It is a bit silly but SO MUCH FUN! I can see now why people get so carried away regarding the Shaman and their set of abilities. An immense amount of DPS packed into an armoured shell, that can heal. And yes, she does heal when needed. Indeed, last night in LBRS it was a really strange feeling to mid-combat (after a scrappy pull) literally sit back from DPS-mode and assume the almost zen-like state of a healer again, if only for a few minutes! The two operations produce a totally different body reaction.
I have been told that when I am healing, I sit back in my chair and for want of a better phrase 'enter a trance' of quick eye flicks and key/mouse strokes. You do 'get into the zone' as you watch the health bars of your charges and the mana bars of your fellow healers rise and fall. You are constantly planning your next heal and making mental triage lists and judgement calls - ie. whilst the rogue is on more health NOW than the warrior, the warrior takes damage slower, so I should heal the rogue next BUT can I afford to slap an instant HoT on the warrior 'just in case' and when should I heal the mage who isn't engaged but might draw aggro....' Mostly it becomes instinct but sometimes you have to make uncertain split second calls.
I was told last night that when I was playing I was a different beast. Heavy breathing, constant toe-tapping and shuffling, little gasps and puffs of breath (I'm assuming when a nice run of criticals came together) and generally far more animated. Playing Gortessa is a much wilder ride. I am there, on the tanks shoulder like a pitbull straining at the leash (and can I say from the bolt-shock-hammer combos I was throwing out yesterday, how good must our tanks be to hold that aggro!) ready to unleash my mana bar in a rain of almight hell on each and every mob that I can see. I did 250k damage in one 11-man LBRS raid and finished third. THIRD. I doubt Gorthaal has done that much damage in his entire raiding career! And I finished third in the healing table as well (although that was sort of by default). It just feels far more dynamic as a character.
So whats the point of this massive missive? Well, I'm coming to the conclusion that maybe Gorthaal is my small dungeon character and Gortessa is my raid character. Thats a bit of a change from what I initially thought about the characters and I'm not sure I like it because the Big G is definitely still my main man!
Hmmmm
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Pulsars and Privateers: Session Three
That was much better.
After the difficult second session, my ass was well and truly on the line for session three. I've already documented some of the pressures that are associated with this particular campaign and the reasons why I have a vested interest in making it work.
I decided beforehand to throw the doors open to fate a little. The crew of the Khanjar were in transit from the Fringe worlds to the Core and I knew that I wanted to somehow simulate that this wasn't a *blink* transition - so I wanted to do the first half of the session as 'character time'. To give the players ownership of this, I let them state their own scenes via the medium developed in Primetime Adventures (remember, one of the games that we 'couldn't handle'). Well, one player added some in mid-week and another added them on the day, so I had something to work with.
I also planned the rest of the session out using the same method of scene-conflict-actors etc. This allowed me to play around beforehand (and indeed, during) with the sequences of the game and alter the flow of the session when needed. It was good. I also took one of the players advice about pacing and pushing the game on - and not getting bogged down in the minutae of the setting or the technology.
The result?
The crew went through a number of scenes whilst in transit and arrived at Caliphate Prime where Amarr is greeted like a hero. Everyone settles in, Amarr is told to take his responsibilities more seriously, the ship is upgraded, Marcus reports to his spy masters, Amarr gains a Mamluk bodyguard and then at a banquet, said bodyguard, Marcus and Talia stop an assassin who is massacring the royalty. However the assassin is found with Imperial equipment and Marcus is arrested.
That sounds easy? It was - very very very easy. It flowed, it wasn't forced, the characters were all in situations where they could speak and interact and moreover I hit GMing GOLD
I got one of the players to physically double-take when the assassin struck.
To me, having a player so engrossed in what is happening that they physically react to a shock change of pace means that I really REALLY have their attention and their minds. Thats GMing GOLD in my book.
As a result, I think my new trimmed lifestyle will allow me to lavish prep time like this on every game and that will be a good thing. The old seat-of-the-pants style of GMing is all well and good, but eventually it all comes stuck and you do get those pregnant pauses when your mind is racing as you try to weave a plot and it all goes tits up. This way, that was never an issue. Even the odd bit that I was having to improvise was just setting flavour and verbalising the Vision Thing about the architecture of the palace etc. The actual plot was pretty much there in front of me, ready to be referenced. Colour me converted.
And this can only be a good thing for the players, as the model that I introduced from PTA has been shown to work - and that means that they have a structured way of introducing their own drama to the game and harking back to that combined ownership that was such a part of our earlier efforts.
My next decision of course, will be when to pull the trigger on one of the big 'story arc' plots over and above the current settling in stuff. Indeed - working out which of the plots to do first seems to be a bigger problem, especially as my initial idea (aliens in hyperspace) isn't exactly original (Babylon 5 and indeed the entire 'Hope' series of books). That said, at the minute it is quite ambiguous so I have space and time (no pun intended)
Oh, and the players are talking about the game to me as well - thats a really good sign!
After the difficult second session, my ass was well and truly on the line for session three. I've already documented some of the pressures that are associated with this particular campaign and the reasons why I have a vested interest in making it work.
I decided beforehand to throw the doors open to fate a little. The crew of the Khanjar were in transit from the Fringe worlds to the Core and I knew that I wanted to somehow simulate that this wasn't a *blink* transition - so I wanted to do the first half of the session as 'character time'. To give the players ownership of this, I let them state their own scenes via the medium developed in Primetime Adventures (remember, one of the games that we 'couldn't handle'). Well, one player added some in mid-week and another added them on the day, so I had something to work with.
I also planned the rest of the session out using the same method of scene-conflict-actors etc. This allowed me to play around beforehand (and indeed, during) with the sequences of the game and alter the flow of the session when needed. It was good. I also took one of the players advice about pacing and pushing the game on - and not getting bogged down in the minutae of the setting or the technology.
The result?
The crew went through a number of scenes whilst in transit and arrived at Caliphate Prime where Amarr is greeted like a hero. Everyone settles in, Amarr is told to take his responsibilities more seriously, the ship is upgraded, Marcus reports to his spy masters, Amarr gains a Mamluk bodyguard and then at a banquet, said bodyguard, Marcus and Talia stop an assassin who is massacring the royalty. However the assassin is found with Imperial equipment and Marcus is arrested.
That sounds easy? It was - very very very easy. It flowed, it wasn't forced, the characters were all in situations where they could speak and interact and moreover I hit GMing GOLD
I got one of the players to physically double-take when the assassin struck.
To me, having a player so engrossed in what is happening that they physically react to a shock change of pace means that I really REALLY have their attention and their minds. Thats GMing GOLD in my book.
As a result, I think my new trimmed lifestyle will allow me to lavish prep time like this on every game and that will be a good thing. The old seat-of-the-pants style of GMing is all well and good, but eventually it all comes stuck and you do get those pregnant pauses when your mind is racing as you try to weave a plot and it all goes tits up. This way, that was never an issue. Even the odd bit that I was having to improvise was just setting flavour and verbalising the Vision Thing about the architecture of the palace etc. The actual plot was pretty much there in front of me, ready to be referenced. Colour me converted.
And this can only be a good thing for the players, as the model that I introduced from PTA has been shown to work - and that means that they have a structured way of introducing their own drama to the game and harking back to that combined ownership that was such a part of our earlier efforts.
My next decision of course, will be when to pull the trigger on one of the big 'story arc' plots over and above the current settling in stuff. Indeed - working out which of the plots to do first seems to be a bigger problem, especially as my initial idea (aliens in hyperspace) isn't exactly original (Babylon 5 and indeed the entire 'Hope' series of books). That said, at the minute it is quite ambiguous so I have space and time (no pun intended)
Oh, and the players are talking about the game to me as well - thats a really good sign!
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