All Posts by saydur

Video games are artificially underpriced.  The NES back in the late 1980s was released at $200, but games ran $50-60.  During the SNES era, games ran anywhere from $50-90 new, with battery backup RPGs running the highest of those.   Fast forward to the Playstation 2 era under Gamestop/EB Games, and we've come to expect $40-50 new releases.  Then, when the Xbox 360 and PS3 started pushing games back to the $50-60 range, there was a bit of outcry, but we've started to accept it.

In 1987, a $60 video game would run $112 today.  The $40 releases we see would have been $22 in those days.  Much of this can be attributed to cheaper production costs, but not the entirety by any means.  Mass production and a much larger game industry means we fully expect more for less, filtering a lot of junk, and successful games are rewarded with huge fanbases, or at least loyal fanbases which provide enough for dedicated game makers to continue work they enjoy for a modest profit.

So, to view things from this angle, gaming has become consistently cheaper, the recent $10 price hike in new releases really only offsets the past few years from the start of the PS2 era.  Games shouldn't cost $112 apiece, but it's no stretch to say that if not for greater popularity and certain forced control, the price of games would easily be more like $60-80 for new releases and perhaps rightfully so.

Generally, those who buy lots of video games are prone to doing so regardless of gas prices, those who buy a few casually are not exceptionally prone to buy more due to gas prices or any other prices in the cost of living.  Entertainment budgets are slashed, which means gas-related entertainment goes down first.  This doesn't mean video game related entertainment goes up so much, as perceived value is a tricky thing.  Those who play lots of games may see them as high value in comparison, but casual gamers have a limit to their intake, whereas hardcore gamers typically spend what they can anyway.

What I'm getting at here is that the situation leaves the video game market appearing fairly resilient in the face of economic downturns, but it has little room to benefit on an absolute scale.  At best, one could hope for the sustained strength to bode well with an economic upswing, permitting for strong growth without the pruning of a recession.  Of course, with the mainstream nature of gaming these days, the question is really how much territory there is left to expand.

All accusations of manliness or lack thereof aside, this game is amongst the elite few that managed to convince me to delete within the first 10 minutes of play.

First, forced full screen.  Hate that.  Then it refuses to full screen properly on a dual monitor setup.  Hate that, usually fixable with resolution tweaks, but this has no option.  Okay, it's early beta, I'll give it a pass this far.  Then, the character creation.  Graphics are underwhelming.  It's not the style, it's just that they do a poor enough job of it.  Then I start to play.

The control system is a worse failure than point-and-click with no click-and-hold.  That can't be excused.  It's just too obviously a Maple Story clone that didn't even try hard enough.  I don't mean just action MMO.  I mean, this freaking game looks like it took the overly-Korean aspects of early MMOs, threw them into Maple Story, and came up with a huge failure in the end.

I'm just going to go back and hope LaTale is translated.

Well, from what I've seen in LOTRO, I'd just rather give in to WoW.  FFXI probably would have been great for me, but I tried it and never really got into it.  Not sure what STO is, and I'll give DOMO a shot.  I almost went into that beta, but then it seemed to have a bunch of the Scions of Fate crowd, and while good people, the game just disappointed to tear-inducing levels.

Not bad ideas so far though, thanks for the suggestions as it stands.   Still looking for stuff to recapture some of the fun of Ragnarok, ROSE, or Trickster.  Friends are waving WoW free trials under my nose like crack vials, and I'm not sure how long I'll hold out...

Alright, I'd like a few suggestions here.  I want an idle time-waster MMO.  Nothing I plan on playing hardcore, but perhaps a decent bit casually.  So, I'm not as picky on it being the next big awesome game.

I want something with varying stat/skill builds.  Ragnarok Online was the best at this, individual classes usually had at least two or three ways to play, if not more.  There were also plenty of classes to choose from, although I can satisfy myself on less.

I prefer something that looks decent.  Anime style usually works well due to the simple nature being hard to screw up.  3d has higher expectations.  What I'm trying to avoid is the half-assed effort from some 3d MMOs that would have looked good in 2000.

Preferably, the player base will be interesting enough to talk to.  College age range is good, but just so long as I don't get thrown into a prepubescent hellish Runescape-like world, I can usually survive.  Preferrably English-speaking playerbase.  Singaporean/Malaysian is workable for a really good game.

The music should be good.  Good music makes the game more interesting.  It shouldn't be a huge factor, but sometimes it just really is.

Preferably something easy to pick up.  I've had plenty of MMO experience, but I don't have much tolerance for a high learning curve unless the game is positively engrossing.

I also tend to prefer fantasy over sci-fi.  Martial arts is interesting story-wise, but the skill set is always lacking.

I'd also take my own advice on Mabinogi, but it just feels a bit too time-intensive right now.  If nothing else pops up, I'll probably go back to it anyway.  Still, any suggestions would be appreciated.  I'd be willing to try anything, even if it's not an exceptional game, just so long as it's got something fun.  Like Trickster, which had a card game that I was positively addicted to and did particularly well at.  That one would be fun, but the leveling was a bit pathetic, drilling was only amusing for so long, and the player base deteriorated pretty bad.

Well, I know it's a tall order.  Anything even remotely resembling these ideas would be nice.  Even if it just winds up being something I play for two weeks and bail on like Dofus, that'd work.  Mining, item creation, it's all good, but not required.  Any sort of depth whether in character stats/skills, item creation, or ad-hoc instances (Fiesta was good at that) would be appreciated.

That's a tough one.  First, "free" games will have item shops, and item shops generally mean people who pay get an advantage.  Up until recently, Maple Story was an exception in that paying money meant you had fashion options, then player stores which added convenience, and now 2x exp coupons which change the game entirely.

Random level-ups are all but impossible.  That creates innate disparity between characters, which would lead to continuous re-creation of characters to get perfect stats.  Not likely to happen.  Most go for "customizable" stats where you pump one or two stats only as necessary to hit enemies or use gear, then load all points into a primary stat for attacking power.  Pre-done stats usually lead to characters following one of a few builds in terms of skills.  The single best game I've seen with regards to stats is the old classic Ragnarok Online, where stats are player-distributed, but have several viable paths available to use certain classes for certain tasks.

High customization- If it has an item shop with fashion gear, that's where you get customization.  Otherwise, the options are usually limited except for some p2p games.

What you want sounds closest to Ragnarok Online.  Customization is surprisingly high with various hats, clothes dying, and a decent spread of character classes including stat/skill builds.  The official server isn't free though.

What you describe fits Runescape very well.  Loads of crafting, training is stat based, item creation is vital to the game, there's very limited PVP, and a broad variety of quests.  However, Runescape also has a fairly horrible reputation, between simplistic control schematic and a user base that leaves WoW night-elf fanboys looking positively erudite.

Mabinogi is particularly good at most of that, although it's level based.  It's f2p as well, so if that's a particular turn-off, you're mostly out of luck.  p2p NA-based games are more in the Everquest tradition, not the Ultima Online tradition.  Who would have thought that open PVP would have been such a turn-off?  Oh, right.  Everyone except devs and hardcore PVPers.

Anyhow, what I'm saying is that you've got a pretty slim choice considering what you want, although Mabinogi would be your best bet so long as you're willing to give f2p a chance.

The only thing that comes to mind that even begins to fit your criteria without going wildly off base seems to be A Tale in the Desert.  Plenty of crafting and community, but not so in the killing.  It's quite different.

The biggest problem with what you say is "repetitive", which most MMOs are by nature.  There's only so much to do.  I mean, I could name console games that would do quite well for many of your demands, aside from being multiplayer.  The Star Ocean series is set in a sci-fi universe with some sword and sorcery thrown in, a lot of item crafting, various missions, endgame content, etc.  On the other hand, it's a single player console game, and nobody's made an MMO based on it yet.

I think the closest thing to what you'd want would be either EVE without full-world PVP and more PVE options, or pre-CU SWG.  Wouldn't that be nice though?

So...  Yeah, I hate to admit, there's really not much that fits what you want, and the closest matches are already on the "already done it" list.  I mean, you could try RF Online, but you better prepare yourself for grind.

Well, the question is, how far are you willing to reach?  Ultima Online was known for its skill system.  SWG would have been a great choice some time ago, but not so much these days.

Mabinogi is actually quite good with various skills.  It's not just mindless grind, more grinding in various ways and thinking about it a little bit in order to improve.  The combat system is also on the opposite end of Runescape.  Which is to say, while Runescape's combat was legendary in its badness, Mabinogi's combat is definitely one of the best I've seen in a free MMO.

I have to admit, I enjoyed Runescape's diverse skill set, even if the point and click got tiring long before I got anywhere.   I'd probably be playing Mabinogi if I had more time, but it can be quite an intensive game if you let it.

I already said that I would not consider EVE these days.  I don't mind if it's space, if it's not level-based, if it's not a grinder, if it's p2p, or any of the like.  Just specifically not EVE.  If you want the reasons, I'll give them to you in private, but I don't want some pro/anti-EVE war in this thread, just some suggestions for MMOs.

So, having played MMOs since the dawn of time, or at least the era where MMO meant Ultima Online or Everquest, with a handful of kiddies playing these upstarts of Runescape and Ragnarok Online, I've been seeking a few things from the past.

What I want in an MMO consists of a number of things, so I'll rattle off a few in general terms of priority.

-Community.  A good community can make an average MMO enjoyable, just because messing around with friends makes things more fun.  It was a bit easier years ago, being pickier now makes it harder.  Average age is a difficult concept though, older MMO players often have the bad habit of taking things way too seriously, but pre-teens are insufferable.  Fluent English with minimal butchery of the language is at least a good starting point.

- Involved character system.  Characters should not be stuck in a single stat growth pattern, and there should be at least a couple of different viable specs for any given character.  This was probably Ragnarok's best feature.

- Involved noncombat system.  UO.  Need I say more?

- Combat and Landscape.  Basically, I don't want a system where I have to run around to find monsters more than I do actually hunting them (ROSE Online, anyone?), and with combat that's fluid.  If I feel like I can fight more efficiently with proper timing, but not so much that perfect timing is required for simple fights, it's more enjoyable.  Example- Pirate King Online felt a bit bulky, but really good timing still made a difference in a fight.  Pity it wasn't any smoother.

- Graphics.  Anime style is okay, realistic style is okay, but bad 3d is not okay.  To put in example- Trickster's simple 2d graphics are less distracting than Hero Online's clunky 3d, 9Dragons looks better than either, but only Hero suffers because it's distracting.

- Recent MMOs I've tried, and the turnoffs involved

Nostale- Needed a much stronger community to be fun.  Pity, lots of potential.  Okay, not so much, it was a bit too fluffy and felt like depth could have been there, but wasn't.
Hero Online- Graphics awkward, the game wanted inhuman amounts of system resources, grind felt more overwhelming than it actually was due to the visual turnoffs.
9Dragons- Didn't have much time for it after beta ended, felt a bit spread out.  Not sure how it is now.
Maple Story- Grind was designed for people who play the game like a full time job for years on end, community consists much of the same, interaction with other players imparted a concern for the future of humanity.  Might have given me cancer.
LaTale- A little bit awkward in controls, insufficient mastery of Japanese both by computer and player.
Trickster Online- Combat system slightly more advanced than that of Runescape.  Addictive card game though.
Pirate King Online- Community was SE Asia based.  Generally likable enough in most cases, but simply too much cultural difference to get along with beyond pickup parties.  Grind seemed to incline sharply by lv 35, even the Singaporean contingent complained that it got ridiculous around lv 60.

I know I ask for a lot.  I don't honestly expect to find everything I want in a game, or even close.  I'd like to try, still.  Right now, I'm giving Fiesta a shot.  I'd be open to p2p MMOs, but not EVE.

I've been looking for such a game myself, but it's a difficult genre, particularly since the English-speaking world appeal is limited, and more likely aimed at an English SE Asia server for gameplay.

I can tell you the following.  From what you tried, Silkroad would probably be more viable if you lived in Asia and could handle a non-English server.  Hero wasn't bad for a while, and the GMs were quite nice, but the world-shout feature was a bit of a detraction over time, and the combat/stat system was simply horrible.  Fung Wan had some serious upsides for its day (Keyboard movement, large social groups), but it's really dated by now, that's true.

Try 9 Dragons.  Stick with it for a week.  If you like grind games, it's a pretty decent game with a solid company backing it, so it should hold out fairly well.  I honestly liked a lot of it in beta, but I just didn't have the time to enjoy a grind, even if it is a nice and structured grind.  I thought it was quite a sharp looking game too.

I can also tell you there's TS Online, based on the Three Kingdoms story.  I think it was a Malaysian server.  Don't even bother looking it up, it was horrendously bad.  Like, Fairyland bad.

Best of luck to you.  You'll need it.

It's sad.  I've noticed that Korean companies are the worst about this.  While I could go off on a rant about the state of English education in Korea, the end problem is that quality bilingual translators are in relatively short supply in Korea.  Combine this with a general lack of budget, attempts at cutting initial operating costs due to f2p model taking a bit of time to start earning money, and an exceptionally bad example of how to do things in the granddaddy of KMMOS, Ragnarok Online, and suddenly the lack of proper communication starts to become clear.

Still, volunteer translators, particularly on the player side, are just not feasible for a host of reasons.  That, and the differing markets (Look at how Yulgang fared...) leads to some comically bad setups that befuddle me with continued survival.

Nothing against their attempts, it's a noble goal to try to learn a language as difficult and fluid as English.  It's simply that professional, or even semiprofessional use of English is a particularly imposing task.  There's some charm and appeal to a small operation MMO like that, but only when the rest of the interface is extremely easy to work with and fun to play.  I think we'd all be a bit more forgiving of awkward English if the games themselves were easier to get into.

Huh, an alpha?  I want a shot at that, reminders of old bad translated games.  Could be fun! 

I wanted to like this game, I really did.  Chinese mythology, forced PVP, community that talked beyond simple "how does i finished quest", and involved GMs.

The controls though, oh the controls.  Click-to-move combined with no hold-click to continue moving, and screen positioning done by right-click-drag, leaving the arrow keys seemingly pointless, it's too much!  I hate to say it, but sometimes, one factor is enough to turn an enjoyable game into something virtually unplayable.  Reminds me of Hero, which I suffered through the controls of for a while, but just couldn't continue with after so long.

Please, please, for the love of all gaming, MMOdevs, use WASD/arrow key movement, or at least hold-click movement, and easy perspective change.  If this game had better controls, I'd be playing it right now...

It's a pity, looks like registry edit doesn't work, due to use of *.NRI files for things like resolution.

Honestly, I'd love to just set the res to 1280x1024 without going fullscreen.

Governments desire power, and unless the people can prevent the government from having that power, they will obtain it.  Without a strong central government, we trended toward feudalism in the past.  Today, we are more prone to corporatism.  By controlling goods and resources, corporations will in turn flex the muscle of regulation as they see fit.

Which is to say, people grasp for power.  There is always someone who is not satisfied with how much power they have.  Surely, authoritarianism is no good.  At the same time, all we can do is fight against encroachments on any front, and that includes the will of corporatist structures.  Eminent domain, anyone?

35 million?  WoW brags about 7.5 million...  Wikipedia says you're right, but that's still tough to swallow.  Korea did recognize it as their best MMO of 2005, and they do love their MMOs...

As for CB, do you mean like the Hero Online "Closed Beta", which involves no real closure, no NDAs, and generally just means Open Beta?  Or are you breaking an NDA?

"Manual", "Downloads", and "Credits" sections return errors.  There's no detail in description, and no screenshots, leading me to believe this is text only, and much like the old BBS door game, Trade Wars.

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Originally posted by Draenor

THe problem is, most science doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny...and to those heckling me for my use of the word "theory"  you know what I meant, stop harping on semantics instead of getting to the heart of the matter, thanks.

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Originally posted by outfctrl

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Originally posted by reavo
I'm against the Patriot Act.

And I do have something to hide.  Everything I consider my own damn business. 
So what's it to ya?

And I'm not going to be torrorized by any government of religious whacko group to change my mind.

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Then one day, while you are flying, the plane is hijacked by a terrorist that lived down the road from you.  You cry"How could this happen?"

Your friend is in a building that gets blown up.   You cry"How could this happen?"

Well sir, we didnt want to violate their rights to privacy.  Its his damn business...RIGHT???

Give me a break

I would rather be searched, probed and held, if it means my future and MY KIDS future is safe. Its a small sacrafice to make if needs be.

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