All Posts by RedwoodSap

Well you will need to stick with a subscription based game that doesn't support any form of RMT or microtransaction if you don't want to spend a lot of money. Those supposedly F2P games all make their money on item shops and microtransactions so of course they design the game so you will need to spend more and more money to compete with other players who are buying stuff.

You will need to buy the 3 expansion packs, "Factions", "NightFall", "Eye of the North" and the bonus mission pack, which give you access to extra skills and items, as well as all of these extra packs for Guild Wars if you want to remain competitive. So that's like  11 extra expansions/packs you need to buy.

Core Skill Unlock Pack* Take your game to the next level by unlocking 241 core skills spanning all Guild Wars games. Details If you own any full Guild Wars campaign (the original Guild Wars, Factions, or Nightfall), you will receive: Immediate access to these unlocked skills for your Heroes and PvP characters. Ability to acquire these skills (except elite skills) for your Heroes and PvE characters through a Skill Trainer. If you own only the Guild Wars PvP Access Kit, you will receive: Access to all unlocked core skills for your PvP characters. * You must own either a full campaign (the original Guild Wars, Factions, or Nightfall) or the PvP Access Kit before you can purchase this kit.
Prophecies Skill Unlock Pack* Take your game to a new level by unlocking 214 skills introduced in the original Guild Wars campaign. Details If you own the original Guild Wars campaign (Prophecies), you will receive: Immediate access to these unlocked skills for your Heroes and PvP characters. Ability to acquire these skills (except elite skills) for your Heroes and PvE characters through a Skill Trainer. If you own only the Guild Wars PvP Access Kit, you will receive: Access to these unlocked skills for your PvP characters. * You must own either the original Guild Wars campaign (Prophecies) or the PvP Access Kit before you can purchase this kit.
Factions Skill Unlock Pack* Take your game to a new level by unlocking 330 skills introduced in the Guild Wars Factions campaign. Details If you own Guild Wars Factions, you will receive: Immediate access to these unlocked skills for your Heroes and PvP characters. Ability to acquire these skills (except elite skills) for your Heroes and PvE characters through a Skill Trainer. If you own only the Guild Wars PvP Access Kit, you will receive: Access to these unlocked skills for your PvP characters. * You must own either Factions or the PvP Access Kit before you can purchase this kit.
Nightfall Skill Unlock Pack* Take your game to a new level by unlocking 330 skills introduced in the Guild Wars Nightfall campaign. Details If you own Guild Wars Nightfall, you will receive: Immediate access to these unlocked skills for your Heroes and PvP characters. Ability to acquire these skills (except elite skills) for your Heroes and PvE characters through a Skill Trainer. If you own only the Guild Wars PvP Access Kit, you will receive: Access to these unlocked skills for your PvP characters. * You must own either Nightfall or the PvP Access Kit before you can purchase this kit.
Eye of the North Skill Unlock Pack* Take your game to a new level by unlocking 100 skills introduced in the Guild Wars: Eye of the North expansion. Details If you own Guild Wars: Eye of the North, you will receive: Immediate access to these unlocked skills for your Heroes and PvP characters. Ability to acquire these skills (except elite skills) for your Heroes and PvE characters through a Skill Trainer. If you own only the Guild Wars PvP Access Kit, you will receive: Access to these unlocked skills for your PvP characters. * You must own either Eye of the North or the PvP Access Kit before you can purchase this kit.
PvP Item Unlock Pack Unleash the full power of 318 item upgrade components (Runes, Insignias, Inscriptions, and more) for use in PvP. Always go into combat with exactly the gear you want.
PvP Access Kit* Gain instant access to the player-versus-player portion of Guild Wars with the PvP Access Kit. This package contains everything you need to jump right into the competitive world of Guild Wars PvP! No other Guild Wars purchase necessary. Create and play PvP-Only characters from any of ten Guild Wars professions across all three campaigns (Warning: Access to roleplaying characters requires purchase of a Guild Wars campaign.) The PvP Access Kit also includes 60 free unlocks (20 elite skills, 20 normal skills and 20 items) to help you power up your game instantly. Mix and match with Skill and Item Unlock Packs to further enhance your PvP characters.

Uh OH Chongo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-ywc503A_Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryUOZKV9nzI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8RfzkhqBLY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DF9nDJZrdA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKT_hWv_fbQ

And like this guy I miss the original, not the crap it is now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc-hcLBIewQ&feature=related

Originally posted by bobfish

Fail.

There is nothing low about CCG, micro transactions, item shops or non-subscription methods of supporting an online game.

Utter Fail.

Try earning your way in a virtual world. Real money isn't supposed to exist or hold influence in a virtual world. Maybe the concept of a virtual world is above your reasoning?
 

SWG now joins EQ1 and EQ2 as RMT sponsored MMOGs via online card game microtransactions. How low will Smedley go?

Celebrating the fifth anniversary of MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies, publishers Lucasarts and Sony Online Entertainment have announced the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game.

The first release for the online trading card game, Champions of the Force, is scheduled to debut late summer 2008. The game will be available exclusively to users with valid and active subscriptions to Star Wars Galaxies.

Subscribers will receive five free booster packs per month and will be able to purchase starter decks and additional booster packs through Sony Online Entertainment's Station Store.

The trading card game offers decks for both the light and dark sides of the Force, enabling players to fight virtual matches for the Rebel or Imperial factions. Players will also be able to collect cards within the MMORPG to add to their collection. In addition, “loot cards” can be redeemed for virtual items usable in the Star Wars Galaxies game.

Beginning July 22nd, Lucasarts and SOE will throw virtual “Empire Day” festivities which will include appearances by Princess Leia, regularly scheduled Imperial parades, in-game fireworks, performances by the Max Rebo Band, and the debut of two new statues for the Emperor and Yoda.

Furthermore, Star Wars Galaxies subscribers will also be rewarded with in-game items, such as a Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back virtual poster and wearable goggles inscribed with a “V.”

Originally posted by Tatum

Because, instances are (in most cases) just a pathetic attempt at reacreating the single player RPG experience.  Sorry, but single player RPGs are much, much, MUCH better at scripted encounters than any MMO will ever be.

The other issue is that, yes, instances divide the game world and the community.  It's not really very massive if you're constantly pushing players into little, secluded worlds.  What you end up with (at the extreme end) is an empty game world, where nearly all of the players are off in some instance.

Also, I can't agree with the idea that you need instances to solve all of the old problems.  Spawn camping?  Don't design your game around killing some stupid named mob that just respawns when ever it's killed.  Thats just weak. 

Exactly. The notion that instancing is required to solve camping or killstilling is retarded. There are many mechanics and designs that would eliminate those issues without instancing.
 

I have been playing MMOGs for 10 years and have never multiboxed for the simple reason that it removes challenge and I enjoy challenge.

Multiboxers are lamers who multibox for the sole purpose of artificially making themselves more powerful and making the game easier than the game designers intended. In a class based system you are either supposed to rely on your individual skills and abilities or group with others to reap the benefits of multiple classes, but the trade off is that you have to share the loot, share the experience, and deal with other real life personalities.  A skill based system is similar, since quality skill based systems have an opportunity cost where grouping again would offer more variety and depth of skills and of course the power of numbers. Multiboxers want all the benefits of grouping without the trade offs, so they circumvent game design by having multiple accounts running at the same time.

I won't have anything to do with multiboxers and ostracize them at every opportunity.

Instances ruin immersion and defy the very purpose of playing in a MMOG, that of interaction with other players.

Instances allow farmers to farm non stop, undetected, without competition and interference from other players, and therefore flood the market with items and coin beyond what a single copy of an open geographic zone would normally allow.

Instancing provides a predictable linear form of gameplay, because of it's pristine environment, which equates to boring non challenging gameplay.

If they offer a fresh server, a new start, then it should draw in a lot of people, but if they offer an existing 4 year old server, then I am not interested.

Amazingly with so many choices, most are crap.

So depressing to see multiboxers, it just ruins immersion. Try having a conversation with some boxed lifeless soulless character.

I always remember the day I saw a wizard towing 3 boxed magicians and their pets single file in follow command across S Karana. I just stood there and thought ,"How completely lame".

Too much instancing. Every freakin mission is instanced. I played the trial and quit after a couple days. It felt like a single box game with some hubs where people hung out and chatted. Not what I am looking for in a MMOG at all.

Originally posted by MarleVVLL

I like the longer battles. EQ1 ftw.

Blessings,

Classic EQ had it right, longer battles, little bit of experience, slow leveling, and if you died you would lose 6 hours of experience grinding. Those were the days. I wish I could get em back.

Talk about a system that reeks of favoritism. How is the supposedly random name decided?

Reminds me of corrupt server GMs in classic EQ who would favor their pet guild and always rule on their behalf.

If it happens I will be there.

Originally posted by Flyte27

Originally posted by Samuraisword

Originally posted by Flyte27

Faction was one of my favorite things about orginal Everquest.  Generally you didn't start out neutral though unless you were human and the right class.  Everything about your character had an impact on your faction, but could be changed through faction grinding.  This was great for roleplaying an evil race that did a lot of good deeds to prove they were not evil.

 

You are spot on.

Classic EQ, which unfortunately no longer exists and has been replaced by SOE's bastardized version, had the best faction system. I wish a new game would be developed where every NPC belonged to a certain faction and every action a player made wether it was killing a mob, completing a quest, choosing a religion, joining a trade guild, patronizing a vendor, would increase certain factions while decreasing opposing factions. It certainly made things a lot more interesting for balancing ones deeds and strategic planning in classic EQ.

Aye and it was neat in other ways.  For instance one of the defining attributes of the enchanter class was they could use illusions to change their race which allowed them to enter many different cities and take quests that others could not due to race or faction.  This was also the case with Bards to an extent. 

Certainly original EQ offered a lot of roleplaying possabilities even though it used the D&D level system.  I would like to note that even though EQ used the level system you still had to raise the skills you wanted to use after you leveled up.  For instance you would have to raise evocation to not fizzle your damage spells.
 

True. Classic EQ was a hybrid system. You had classes with predetermined skills but you had to use the skills in order to max them out. Besides the chanter and bard illusions there were a couple dropped racial masks if I recall correctly.

It makes sense.

Consules initial attraction was their lower cost compared to a PC, but PC's are less expensive these days for the technology you get, while consules increase in cost in order to handle the more demanding games on the market. As consules and PCs become closer in cost, why would any sane person buy a consule?

Originally posted by Raztor

Nope, refuse to give SOE a single cent.

Exactly. Why would a sane person trust SOE after they lied and deceived us multiple times.

Let someone else create a new real Star Wars MMOG and I will play it.

/sigh

currently the Morgan interview is on the front page

http://www.g4tv.com/

So they say they are removing the boring parts of a MMO like significant death penalties( great another sissy zerg game where there is no accountability for playing poorly), and they are bringing new desirable things to the forefront, guilds and raiding, to draw players away from WoW.

New? Focusing on guilds means focusing on raiding, and everyone is producing a quest driven MMOG these days. Raiding and quests are hardly innovative, that's what WoW is also about ultimately. It's the same boring crap.

It's already a done deal.

I hate multiboxers aka botters and I wish more game developers and communities would at least take a moral stance against this practice and ostracize those who wan't to ruin the MMOG experience by playing multiple toons at once.