To game or not to game... that is this the question.

So what is this blog going to be all about? Well mainly reviews of games that I am currently playing or beta testing. It will also house some ideas I have about the video game industry, and my views on where gaming is headed.

Author: kackilos

Let me first start this off by saying that I have the highest amount of respect for MLK Jr and his work. I just found that his famous speech would help land home what I have to say.

"Let us not wallow in the valley of end game content, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of the early level grind, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the gamers dream.

I have a dream that one day we gamers will rise up and live out the true meaning of content: "We hold these early levels to be self-evident, that all content is created equal."

I have a dream that one day in noob starting areas, the sons of hardcore raiders and the sons of casual gamers will be able to sit down together at the computer of immersing content.

I have a dream that my toon will one day live in a MMO where they will not be judged by the speed in which they level but by the content they have completed.

I have a dream today!"
 

As of late through I have noticed I have been committing content discrimination. I have been completely ignoring early level content. I normally don’t even bother to read low level quests or attempt early level dungeons/challenges.

I know many players are like this as they attempt to speed through the content so they can reach endgame. To these players I must ask, “why not slow down and enjoy the journey.” I have slowed down in my current game, Champions Online, so that I might enjoy the content that the developers worked so hard to create. To which  I must say I am pleased with this choice. Me and good friend log on for about 1-2 hours each night to finish some quests and beat some instances. We are enjoying the journey to end game and are in no real rush to get there.

I now read the quest lines to get the background story, to feel the excitement, and to feel like I actually accomplished something.

So in closing I ask both the gamer and developer to strive for that dream that finally lets us all scream out, "Fun at last Fun at last thank the lord almighty the content is Fun at last."

- oh btw SW:ToR beta sign up started today for those that didnt know

How does an MMO satisfy the needs of both the hardcore gamer and the casual one? This is both a question for the developers as well as the people assigned to marketing the game. Sure a game can have great graphics and an immense world, but if the content in that world is lacking the game is doomed from the start.

Both of these players crave essentially the same thing. They both desire content that is immersive and also challenging. While the hardcore gamer typically blows past lower level content to reach the challenges at endgame. The casual gamer on the other hand expects the early level content to be just as engrossing all while being able to log off after a solid 30-60 mins of play feeling that they have accomplished something.

I know personally that I exhibit some of both the casual and hardcore qualities. I typically blast past early level content so that my character gets stronger. The stronger my character gets the more likely I am to continue playing. I enjoy the challenges of testing out a character learning the ins-and-outs of the class and mastering the content. I also don’t have 3+ hours to sit at my computer and grind. Back in the day, which was like four months ago, I could log in some solid hours to gaming. Now I generally get about two solid hours of gaming each night. In the time that I get in I expect my game to provide me with some challenging quests and test my character and my skills.

It is all about entertainment, keeping the player involved in the game from character creation to end game content. Here are some other aspects that I find keep players entertained and informed about thier games.

Integrated character development web page : site that shows gear, stats, achievements, progress, skills. Over all just a site for players to look up their character and compare themselves to other players.

Guild web pages – mainly a forums so that guilds can communicate and organize offline.

Use social networking as other mediums: IE facebook twitter etc. keep the players updated and allow for feedback, even through it might just be flames and trolls.

Free content upgrades – I say boo to expansion packs. Anyone who ever played EverQuest knows the pain of having to pay for expansions that should just have been free content.

Friend/guild offline status - a tool that would allow you outside of the game to see if your friends/guild mates are on.

To accommodate both types of players devs must create content that from day one challenges the player. They also must make players feel powerful from day one. No more of the all too common slaying rats in the courtyard BS. Lets get out there and let the steel and spells fly from level one. Provide content that gives players a great experience at both the start of their career and their one year anniversary.

So it has been a little over a week since Champions Online launched. It has been a relatively smooth launch week. Sure the game had some issues with login server errors but what game doesn’t have those issues at launch. CO devs and customer service reps have done a very good job with bug fixes and account problems. Numerous bugged missions got fixed before launch which really makes the opening levels much smoother.
The overall play in CO is still up in the air for me. This is mainly because I don’t play MMOs to solo. I generally play these types of games to team up with other players and complete instances/missions. Almost all the missions in CO (at least up to lvl20) are solo open world missions. These can be annoying at times as people are constantly competing over spawns so they can finish their missions. Many fans of CoX were expecting CO to bring in a radio/door mission style that is extremely popular in CoX. To me personally this would be a great move by CO as it would bring the community together and force players to learn group play.
 

Missions-
Since most the missions are open world missions that are meant for a person to solo the balance of these missions can be a headache. At times you will run into a problem when you run out of missions that are in your characters ability to finish. I ran into this problem at around level 17 as all the missions in my log where 19s and 20s. It is during these times that the ability for a person to join some groups and do instanced missions to level would be greatly appreciated and needed.
One shining point of questing in CO is the already present “Quest Helper addon” in the game. As soon as you get a new quest a green circle is placed on your map to help guide you to the correct area.
 

Powers-
Like in any game that is still in its fledgling state there are bound to be balance issues. My favorite thing to see is people complaining about teleport in PvP. All I can think and say, sarcastically, is, “Wow balance issues in a game this old”. Although I do understand that some powersets are extremely strong and need Ye old nerf hammer, while others desperately need a boost. I have completely avoided PvP for this reason, that and I am mainly a PvE player.
 

To anyone that feels their class is lacking power or survivability there is a strong chance your powerset will be getting a boost. Then again if you are breezing through mobs 3-4 levels higher then you should expect the nerf hammer. The best thing I can tell potential new players is that you need to pick up defensive skills early. These skills are improved block (if your set has one) and a defensive ability that benefits your class. For classes that have a lot of Dex go lighting reflexes as the benefits directly impact the skill. These defensive skills generally are the difference between life and death.
 

CO is a tough game to learn as it has what can be at times a very steep learning curve. Figuring the ins-and-outs of your powerset can be confusing at times. Luckily CO offers a way to respect your toon completely, for a cost. They also offer the ability to test out your powers before they are set in stone. This is quite nice as it gives you time to test out a skill and get a feel of how it should be used in the field, or if you even want that power at all.
All and all CO is a fairly solid game with a lot of potential. If CO brings together its community and gives the people, like me, a chance to group up with other players I feel the game will get a larger following. Still the chance to create your own superhero with whatever powers you want is CO biggest selling point. For those of you sitting on the fence about this one make sure to pick up a trial version when ever cryptic releases one.