Tgmpttagi

Lego Matrix – Trinity Help

For Geeks and Gamers of all ages …

 

What's a Gamer to Do?

Game lethargy and over-stimulation … all at the same time.

I should start out with describing what type of a gamer I am … umm … okay it’s not that easy J  I’ve been described as a dedicated casual MMO player.  I started out in Everquest, got into the raiding scene a bit .. played every day for 4+ hours during the week and pretty much all weekend.  Time, jobs and priorities grew and my play time became less.  My other hobbies also grew into taking more time.  Now I spin, crochet, knit, weave, and game … and participate in a number of different forums (mostly crafting … gaming forums can get scary).  I have discovered that I can spin during downtime in MMOs, so there is some overlap in my crafting and gaming, but usually it’s one or the other.

Now I have a job with a 50 minute commute each way … I’m getting more reading done, but it’s hard to game without a connection.  Even a 3G connection won’t help as halfway through the trip I lose all connectivity on my iPhone for about 30 seconds.  No 3G, no E, no nothing.

So I play for a few hours on weekends, and occasionally a couple hours in the evening … maybe once or twice every couple of weeks.  It makes for slow progression, which leads to me getting bored with the characters.  I’ll occasionally pick up an “old” MMO and play through the first 10 or so levels just so I can have something different.

I still have EQII and WoW accounts … and I still play them occasionally, but I’m looking for more.

Aion just came out and the folks in the office seem to be enjoying it.  Star Wars: The Old Republic is coming out and looks fun.  Alganon just got reviewed in MMOZine #15 and is looking interesting.  But will they fill the void?  Will I ever find a game that captures me like Everquest did … or should I just realize that I’ll never regain that “first time” experience?

There’s so many options, but what to choose?   Maybe I’ll just stick to free-to-play stuff (DDO-Unlimited recently came out) and see how that goes ….

SOE FanFaire Costume Contest

This year was my second FanFaire ... and what a hoot!  It was great to hang out with the friends I made last year and to make new friends!

One of the highlights of the weekend is the costume contest .. check it out!  You get a "from the seats" view :)

Darth is Da Bomb!

SOE FanFaire 2009 - Smedley's Address online

I'm so happy to be going to FanFaire again.  I had a blast last year and the Community Address was really fun.

If you can't make it to FanFaire, you can still catch the Community Address.  Check out http://forums.station.sony.com/station/posts/list.m?topic_id=11500014043 for more information on how to view the address.

Jumpgate Evolution E3 Trailer

Okay ... wow ... now this is a trailer.

Ohhh .. I want to play!!!
Click the link to check it out!

Exclusive Jumpgate Evolution E3 Trailer in High Definition – G4tv.com

Housing in MMOs

Wizard 101 recently released housing for their players. Free users get a basic house, and then you can pay for bigger and better housing. Many MMOs provide housing: EQII, LOTRO, SWG, and now Wizards 101. Most interestingly, WoW does not.

The question always comes up … what does player housing give us? In SWG, the reasons are obvious … the only way that you can sell items is through a vendor in a player built and owned building. You can also use the housing as a place to gather, entertain and use the building for extra storage. But what about, for example, LOTRO? Game mechanics wise, storage is it. EQII is in the middle, the game allows you to craft and sell from your house (as well as from public areas), and you also get extra storage.

I’m sure there are more games that have, or don’t have, player housing, but those are the ones that I’m familiar with.

So, the game mechanics vary from game to game with a few consistent things … player housing adds more storage, and you can decorate it. In the games I’m familiar with, you can also invite other people into your house. It’s this last item that makes player housing such a huge thing in many games, for many people. If you like role-playing, there’s nothing quite like hosting a party in your own place, decorated with trophies from around the world .. crafted, purchased and looted. Just look at what people have done in EQ2, SWG and LOTRO.

Another interesting dynamic to housing is the fact that game companies can now use house items as rewards for quests, card games, and as micro transaction items.  These house items are not game breaking, but are enjoyed by many of the players ... and can often be sold on the market or broker for coin for those who don't enjoy them.  This gives the game company easy rewards. 

In addition, players can use crafts or tradeskills to create items for the houses as well, thereby assisting the in-game economy.

Without the human ego and desire to display what we have created or purchased, housing would be limited to a few role players and those who need extra storage .. but even this is valid in game as they provide a money sink and further stimulate the in-game economy.

Personally, I prefer housing in game and enjoy decorating it for myself. 

So let there be housing!