All Posts by Ataaka

Shouldn't you be out there gaming instead of reading random thoughts by perfect strangers?

Aside from MMORPG being one of the best resources for MMORPGs, I would rather have an environment to explore where the denizens don't care to play so friendly. Perhaps an open field with an African backdrop where a Lion or Rhino might attack me without cause is my perfect beginning.

I'd rather have a lake infested with croc's that must be traversed to reach the narrow opening to the cave,  which leads to the land of gold, on the other side. A place where survival tools are proportionate to the dangers involved, and the exact place where lady luck can deal you something rather uber for your efforts.

I could sit on the edge of a small waterfall. There would be a valley of prehistoric creatures to discover and conquer, if need be. A land where no paths lead to anything in particular, the rough, as they say... that would suit me fine.

I could run across an elite tribe or new civilization who could give me the missing tool for me to further my adventure. I would need to earn the respect from merchants and elders in order to do business with them.

Yes... I could even muster having criminal-like players whom I could refer to as PK'ers. They would only have the advantage of a surprise attack, if that at all.  After traversing that crude and lowly environment, I'd be able to travel to a more sophisticated part of the world where people are more civilized, if that is what I choose, or continue deeper into the abyss of un-civilization.

So... Why am I writing this random thing? Points? Boredom? Glutton for punishment?

Who knows... I think I'm ready to go back to PNP. Afterall, graphics don't mean much these days, nothing compares to the visions in our own mind.

<sigh> I love having nothing to do.

Great Discussion!

From what I've seen, there are a lot of 'old hats' here, which is fine by me 'cause I'm no exception.

1. Chess was my first RP Game (ROFLOL)

2. Dungeons, by Atari.

3. Spaceflight

4. Tradewars

5. A Bard's Tale

5b. Doom, Quake, CounterStrike

6. Asheron's Call

7. WoW

(Then the MMORPG World went to hell)

8. Long-Term Subscriptions with: Anarchy Online, CoH/CoV

9. Deleted after pre-order/launch: ACII, Lineage II, VanGuard, AoC 

10. Awaiting: DarkFall

* I'm skipping WarHammer Online 'cause they didn't invite me to the Beta (my sad excuse.)

I agree with the 'guy' who said that PvP is ruining the fun. In a game like Shadowbane, PvP has no rewards other than surviving the attack or winning the skirmish. In fact, it was there that I went on mid-night raids (what we called them) where a party of ten players went out and attacked other raiders or afk levellers. A raid wasn't some instance, bound with rules and expected play, back then, the word 'raid ' meant someone, somewhere was going to get a visit from a well-prepared party of adventurers.

Before Blizzard created 'PvP For Dummies', WoW was perfect in every way, in so far as Realm vs. Realm. Before people whined and complained about the Horde being able to attack Elven Cities, we could spend hours counter-attacking, and reinforcing the NPCs at the lower level training grounds. Sometimes we drove the Horde back and sometimes it wasn't so pretty.

My point is that PvP wasn't controlled, it wasn't rewarded, and nobody yelled, 'You got pawnzored!'  Any game that says, 'You can PvP Freely... but here are the rules!" may as well not PvP at all.

Blizzard created at least 2-3 million Faux-Killers (Fake-Killers or FKers). They are those people who farmed PvP Arenas. If you strip away all that gear, I would smash 1.8 million players who think they are uber, and I could do that on wit and dexterity alone. My hats off to so many of those pvp'ers who did the math, who honored the dead, and who taught valuable lessons to those watching on bent knees.

PvP is fine if it's truly free from rewards and arenas. A game full of FK'ers isn't so cool at all. 

Lastly, since I prefer to RP as a defender, rather than an offender, I have learned how to take an ass whipping. But even more important, I have taught many PK'ers that tickling the belly button of a carebear is hazardous to their health. One thing is certain, I look like crap but fight like all be damned... "come get some."

The traditional RPG waved goodbye when Blizzard incorporated a PvP System. This is not to say that Blizzard created RPGPVP, only that they had the subs to make it work better. Before that moment, other MMORPGs enjoyed having FullPvP and FullKvK. Blizzard managed to massage the FPS playerbase into the RPG playerbase. What we found is that a lot of carebears enjoyed the rewards far better than the idea itself.

Traditional PvP was led by the FPS community. Games like Quake, Doom, and CounterStrike ruled the FPS world. But two things were wrong with the FPS Gaming. The first problem being that no player could have a static account of their accomplishments. Secondly, there was little to no money being made by the hosts and devs of those FPS servers.

Traditional RPG'ers have been pushed to the back of the line when it comes to new and emerging MMORPGS. Now, it seems, games are built around the PvP'er and any consequential RPG Style play comes in the form of poorly designed quests mixed with flatlined content.

History has repeated itself in the form of the MMORPG. It is easier to make war than peace. If there is a single country or community without dispute, harsh environments, or lacking war please let me know. I despise having to choose from the real world, from which I intend to escape, to a pretend world where fustrations are just as equal.

 FPS Accomplishments:

 KewLBreeze - Number 1 out of 654k Players (1997-98) COUNTERSTRIKE

ThePizzaMan- Number 1 out of 350k Players (1995-96) QUAKE

RPG Accomplishments:

Taaka-                                              *** WARNING!!! OUT OF DISK SPACE ***

<bumo>

There was one game that came fairly close to Star Trek, I'm thinking... Spaceflight or StarFlight.

You created your main name then loaded your ship with a crew. The crew specialized in certain areas necessary for flight, battle and exploration (to name a few). You became responsible for the lives of all the crewmemebers created.

Then, you exited the stardock (federation holding) and began your journey. The galaxy was huge. I was able to explore solar systems, asteroids and distant space stations. I met and learned the language of several races. I was attacked by unfriendly races. So many real-to-Star Trek scenarios that you began to think as Kirk would while engaging the help from Hostile Klingons.

Ships were upgradable and travel was limited by the amount of fuel tanks a ship could hold. Space travel included worm holes and warps -though it still took you forever to explore the outer limits. I once got stranded in space, ran out of fuel, but luckily there was a nearby spacestation that charged me 250k credits to tow.

I enjoyed the space system in EVE, but the training was too outlandish. I always felt like I'd never have enough to just enjoy the exploration.

Good luck, whomever is allowed to make this game. I will certainly play it, at least once if nothing else.

Anarchy Online is a game where thinking will reward you more than carrying a big pretty stick.

It's a game of decision making, where you build that dream character with a limited amount of allocation points across a plethora of skills. It's not a game that requires a PhD, but most players will level a first character to Level 150 only to find that 75 levels ago, they made a huge training error. So planning is your best tool for avoiding mistakes made early on, while learning the game.

Don't worry too much though... This game has thousands if not millions of ways to skin the cat, or make things better with regard to items, skills, and perks. The playerbase is my best love of the game. People help -lol, yes. They actually asssist you in making your dream come true.

A free account holder can reach the 200 level, or can subscribe and see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

I have come to conclude that game has depth for mastering dungeons, performing missions (quests), and building (twinking) super-toons with ungodly stats. The playerbase is still Dummy Friendly. In fact, this was the one and only reason why I keep the game around....

O.K., I lied... The graphics are easy, you can dual client-log and there is no way you are going to do everything there is to do in a year's time. But toying around with some classes I'll list later is a great way to find your way to greatness... even if it's in your own mind.

What starts as a grind unravels into a world where you can go off into the wild and never see another player for 190 levels. Or, if you prefer, you can make tons of money (credits) helping other people fulfill their dreams, and even join organizations, build cities or just rake in the billions of credits out there.

Anarchy Online is a place, 30 thousand years into the future, where you choose a life form to exist on a harsh and unforgiving planet full of wonder, mystery, and excitement. You can level to 10, 24, 60 or whatever you like... levels come easy... survival is where the problems lies. Here are some main class types, and two special class types for paid subscribers, below:

 Fixer (my favorite)-Master of Speed and Memory

Adventurer -Master of Morphing and a great healer

Enforcer -Master of Tanking with great aggro tools

Nano Technician -Master of the Nuke with exceptional Kiting skills

Martial Artist -Master of the Fists and Bow with personal and team healing skills

Doctor -Master of Healing

Soldier -Damage Dealer with special ranged weapon buffs

Trader -Master of Debuffs with Special Weapon Buffs

Metaphysist -Master of Nano Buffs

Bureaucrat -Master of Androids with XP% Increase Buffs

Agent -Sniper Specialist

Engineer -Master of Robots with warping powers

Keeper -Master of Healing Auras

Shade -Master of Stealth Attacks and evasion

No matter what, you can use nano power (spells), ranged weapons, or melee to enjoy your stay on the planet. The only uber class is the one you spend the most thinking upon.

The game has pioneered many of the tools you see in all the great and emerging MMORPGS. The game developer, FUNCOM is a great company to partner with while testing or buying into Anarchy Online. So, movement and GUI tools are easy to get right for you. There is a macro and scripting tool in-game as well as tons of /help.

Climb aboard and head to Rubi-Ka. Your life will change.

Ataaka

I've been roleplaying since Tradewars. I also have played and own every version of CounterStrike (CS), Quake, Doom, and Utlima. I have also played and tested many, many MMORPGs. (See www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cm)

I have been rated number one on the East Coast for my scores in CS, and have capped characters in too many RP games to list. I am a father, husband, and have worked continously since graduating college. Also, I have four current MMORPG subscriptions and have always tried to pre-order every hyped gamelaunch since Everquest, Asheron's Call and Anarchy Online.

I've been a fan of MMORPG.Com, since the first month they hit the net.

Now that we know a little about my computing history, let me get to the details of this thread.

It seems many players have dubbed themselves as hardcore gamers for one single reason... PvP. Being able to attack and dispatch other players is an option given by developers. This option has been overtly exploited and given too much attention to such a degree that millions of people who prefer not to PvP in an RPG are left floating amoungst the wind of cyberspace, it does not make one a hardcore gamer.

I am not a fan of PvP in RPG. But, I am a fan of PvP in FPS. Having said that, I am also a hardcore gamer for one main and distinct reason... I love to RP, even if it's FPS. A hardcore gamer will go where the action is, no matter if it's FPS or RPG. We logon everyday, once a week, or even once a month. Frequency is of no importance... it's how you play the games.

I am also a carebear, just like so many other players too. There are times when I care to interact with the character in front of me with wonderment, excitement, and even kindnesss. The term carebear has been over-used by people who have no clue what it means or how it originated.

Carebears were those people who enjoyed roleplaying so much, that they didn't care to interact in a deathmatch with other players. Some would even call themselves 'anti-pvp', even though the world they existed upon was fully PvP. 

A carebear can immediately identify with the dying medic in the movie, "Saving Pvt. Ryan". Using the same movie, every member of that squad were carebears to some degree, and yet... they came together to defend themselves and to survive the situation at hand. They were not hardcore, as related to let's say The Green Berets... The movie would have been much diffefent. 

Hardcore Gamers are players who play the game to such a degree, that they can not only perform most things as intended, but they can also do so by choice.. Playing a game every minute of your life doesnt make you a hardcore gamer, nor does PvPing... it's how you play when you play. Hardcore Gamers are relentless in thier pursuits, even if its nothing more then finding a treasure, conquering a realm, or dispatching monsters or players alike.

Pvp'ers are those who would like nothing better than to conquer other players. They might quest for specific advantages, but isn't the purpose of it all? To kill or be killed is the highlight of the day. A pvp'er takes no prisoner, if given that choice. It is a style of play that many enjoy and is central in FPS games.

Well... I drifted too far from my intent here. So, I'm closing with a small scenario below. I hope you enjoy this thread and my small scenario below. Have fun, enjoy life, and take care of yourself.

______________________________________________________________________________

Here's the visual difference between hardcore gamers, Pvp'ers and Carebears.

Hardcore gamers: I got the Necklace of Lost Souls. It took me two hours to get it. Then, some guy tried to gank me on my way back to town.

Pvp'er: Man! I almost ganked this dood at that Necklace place. You should have come with me.

Carebear: Okay guys... We need to cross that uncontested land after the Quest. Be ready for a fight with other players on the way back home.

Ataaka

You guys are relics!

<snicker>

You completely left out the D&D Games for the C64 <sigh>.

I got started with a novel called, "The Dangling Witness". It had nothing to do with D&D, Consoles, PC's or anything else. In fact, it dealt with the games that the mind plays on itself (wohlolololo)

Haha.

Back to the point...Uhmmm, hmmmm

I'd have to say the tale of Skara Brae. A powerful mage and I make it past the final room, after losing every key member of the party, and slaying our way through thousands in halls of the never-dead-undead...A Bard's Tale.

The Bard's Tale is googable. Nice story. The game was ok, too.

My favorite quest is The Focusing Stone Quest; Asheron's Call.

It's a mage specfic quest that cannot be completed solo (at level). First run through, people die within the maze. No one has lockpicking skills to open the door leading to the undergound. Certain rooms, the mob ignores you (if you attack, three rooms of baddies come down on you).

Please don't qoute me on the exact quest..this is being drawn from memory 5 years back.

Well, it was a team-oriented quest that could be soloed by a highlevel player.

The quest takes place in a building that is heavily guarded. You must solve some door latch issues before heading to the dungeon area, that is plagued by the undead.

The focusing stone is guarded by a very bad looking Bone-Knight (skelly). Before that, you need to traverse some lava golems and lesser undead. The quest, when teamed is about 30-45 mins long. Since every player must pick up the spawning stone, things can get a bit fun with mob respawns. Occasionally, an AFk'er would come back to find a corpse with the focus stone in hand.

The final step is to touch the focusing stone to a power source, located in the last part of the quest. Many people had to run back through because they didnt charge the stone in the power source, or died trying.

I'm sure I butchered the true flow of the quest, but it's still my favorite for solo and partying.

Try looking into the Wizards of The Coast website for answers.

I'm sure they have a ton of resources. I know for sure they have blank Character Sheets, mapmakers, and a few monster generators.

That's how I was born -.-

Good luck!

OMG!!!

Whoever coined the phrase, "It's good for player interaction" is rich, but need meds.

People don't need built-in player/people interaction. They would interact over a well placed rock in the sand. Having thought about it, perhaps it's thinking along those lines that have ruined the fact that we are being led and not leading.

If I'm on a narrow passage, do I need arrows pointing me to the far end? Doesn't that take away the fact that I can think and reason on my own? I am 100% sure that a monkey could find it's way to the far end of a narrow passage without arrows (player interaction).

If I find the Sword of a Thousand Evils, please let me decide what to do with it. Don't place player interactions that almost force me to react a specific way. Who wants another boss in their life??? I don't. So, guess what?!? Let me decide what to do with the sword. If anyone cares that a priest is wielding a two-handed sword than they need to lighten up.

Loot systems are crazy like that...built-in reminders that whatever you find, great or small, is meant for someone else. So Sill

Sorry about that...Devs need to eat, and low playerbases don't pay the bills.

This is a big problem that gamers face, when choosing a place to spend thier time, money, and efforts. It's kind of spooky not knowing if the game you invested so much time into will disappear or live on forever.

Nothing is certain in the gaming industry. Servers shut-down and sometimes the game changes so drastically that you quit playing.

Go to the forums, or fansites of the game and find your friends. Maybe you can all join another game together. Afterall, Turfs wasn't exactly the Bee's Knees in gaming. <wink>

You'll bounce back to level 90 in another game, for sure. Keep your hope alive.

The first thing a typical Teen player asks is,  'How old are you?' (for example)

The first thing an Rper asks is, "Excuse me, Sir/Madame. Where might I find a Tavern."

It's not the verbage we are focusing on, it's the attempt to openly find those who are similar to ourselves. We try to flock near those who are like ourselves. Sometimes, it doesn't matter, and we PUG for the sake of finishing.

My theory about the internet and gaming remains constant, developed years ago, after studying the relationship between the web and it's primary users, people have an overwhelming need to communicate. Even more, they want to communicate in a specific way that is certain to cause a reaction in the audience available.

Gaming is nothing without the ability to communicate. Rping is nothing without flexibility. We just need to keep leading the way, no matter what environment we exist.

RP, afterall, is what you make it. There are so many variations of RP that one could get lost in the lingo or even worse, left out for not understanding.

The best way to get your RP fix is to create an RP Guild. You have control over the flow and implementation of the RPing. Otherwise, you will never stop complaining about how Devs are making MMOGs, when it's the players who need to make it MMORPG.

After reading hundreds of concerns over RP being dead/dying/lost, etc... I decided to focus inward. I found that there are not enough RP Leaders out there in the gaming world. We do not have the time it takes to build and maintain a solid RP Haven (Guild), therefore, we seek and cannot find in anquish.

We need a leader for this revolution. We need someone who isn't entirely nerdy or geeky. Perhaps, a  person who has great organizational skills, but not bossy. A person who is friendly, but not obsequious would be nice. I could go on...

It's hard to RP in any game where the distractions are too great. Afterall, games are nothing more than colorful chat lines...in essence. We RP because we want to communicate, not to reach a certain level.But, the devs have taught us that levels mean power. Who doesn't want the Finger of Death an arms length away?!? Lets be real about it all. Do I need to list the plethora of examples that equal poor gaming, poor diplomacy, and to say the least...distractions??? I'm sure you get the picture.

I read the MMORPG Gamers Guide (Review) and it reads like we have succombed to "1994". I am not flaming the book or it's author, perhaps, I am just irrate that we need to explain customs and courtesies. The best way to teach is by example, or not. I believe that RPing doesn't need a GM (GameMaster) unless of course you are doing PnP. RP'ing needs examples, led by selfless people who always remain focused on the BIG PICTURE...the livelyhood of RP and it's denizens.

You want RP? Let's get a leader, co-leaders, commanders, etc...Build it and they will come, I'm told.

I dare anyone of you to create something, send a hail to the lost and weary, and pull this thing off. One thing is certain...you have nothing to lose. 

CITY of HEROES/VILLAINS:

Woot!

Yes...this game is fun. You need some graphic power to enjoy it fully, but it's worth the time of day.

This is one of my favorite RPG's that has a twist that you'll come to love...Creating SuperHeroes and ArchVillians. The game has a mixture of land mass with instancing. The quests are fun with a group and the loot is very interesting.

Again, this is a build-type game. You start with a great looking, highly configurable template and build it into a force. There is no room for boredom at the lower levels, but the last few levels upward are tedious because you've mastered the game...Time to build another Hero/Villian!!!

Get your ram in gear and tack on a fan to the video card.

Did I mention fame? Oh yea...you can fame in the fashion of badges. You can get a badge to unlock special powers, flying over buildings, and much more. Never a dull moment.

ArchLord:

Modern graphics, great music, and tons of grinding.

I've played every class and I guess mages are my favorite. The loot is decent and interesting. The game is kind of small, which means you'll be fighting for XP. The GM's are always popping in for perks and simple chit-chat, which I found to be a plus.

Leveling is fun until you reach that wall of no return where XP is slow and grinding is high.

Well organized game, very guild oriented, fun to play on rainy nights.

AGE OF CONAN:

You land on a beach with nothing but determination.

The game starts with a deep element of RP, a rags to riches kind of theme. After taking about ten steps, you realize that your FPS is sweet or you need a good excuse to buy a better video card and or ram.

The graphics are breathtaking. But, you soon find that pretty pictures don't mean squat when an OP Archer is killing every low level on the server (PvP Jive). It will take a minute for Funcom and friends to put the fun into the game. It is a quest lovers dream or a grinders nightmare, at this point.

My free level 40 Rhino is the slowest mount in the game (rofl) but heck it was free, right? Things are expensive and coinage is slow, but steady.

Some love the game, I Cancelled my subscription for now.

Ever wanted a review about a game without all the hype included? Tired of downloading games with hope and finding them less than what others hyped it to be? Good! You deserve the truth now. 

If you are LFG, and have a Title that you'd prefer to have some inside information on, then post a reply.

I will respond to your request to create a thread of your own. Then you can come back and flame me or not. I promise you will be surprised.

One thing that I've learned about gaming is that we are all seeking a place for ourselves, our family, friends, or anything leading to a decent social event. Forget about the graphics, quests, and other mechanics...we want loot and people to show it to. Thats the bottom line with MMORPG.

So...tell me what you want in a game or tell me a title that appeals to you. I'll give you the truth.

Nice listing.

I may take your work and write some reviews. I've played most of them (quick scan), if not all of them. Your list is mainly that of the 'lesser kind' RPGs. They hit the market from our Asian friends a while back. The only drawback to F2P is the playerbase is very young/immature/unruly...If thats what you like, DL and P.

Keeping the Hype Real,

Ataaka

Vanguard was another hyped MMORPG that left many with eyes rolling in their heads. I wasn't invited to the Beta (an ongoing story of my life) but I purchased the preorder and launched. The first thing that started to make my mouth dry was the gaming resources (video, ram, cpu). While my PC was ready, my friends lacked the ram to make things smooth on his end. Having such a low tolerance for half-baked releases, he moved on to Dungeons and Dragons Online (DDO).

The game unfolds with quests, right out of the box. They are meant to familiarize you with the mainstay of the game, looting the dead. The loot system, which we all love to hate in most games, well...it's pretty hot in Vanguard. You won't lack the tools to dispatch creeps, mobs, or monsters.

The graphics are breathtaking, but you need a nice video setup to fully enjoy what the Devs had in mind. (If you scale the graphics down, you can dismiss 99.9% of your lag.)

One unmentioned thing about Vanguard that I found interesting is that you (your character) can find a place in the storyline, per se, by doing things that no other character has done. To simplify this...You can get notariety for discovering a mou