Of course, those of us that have fond memories of UO, EQ, and AC also know something else:  Back then we didn't have a choice if we wanted a mmorpg.  Sure, you could jump between the those 3 or some old MUD (or maybe Lineage if we knew about it), but really if you wanted to be surrounded by 100's or 1000's of other players, you needed to be playing one of the 3.  But now, how many are there?  You could play a different game every week for a year and still not get beyond the tip of the iceberg.  So back then you found one of three that you liked and played it.  The friends you made there did the same thing, and everyone was always there if you were away for a while.  Unlike now, when your guild or friend list is continually churning over names. 

As to innovating something new.  I just don't think it is going to ever happen as long as WoW continues to exist in the manner it does to this day.  Sure, there will be a standout that succeeds on a "small" scale like EVE, but those are going to be few and far between.  But even WoW has effected how we look at the scale of EVE.  Compared to what existed in 99 and early 2000's, it would have been a major contender.

Yeah, if we didn't have lobbyists, our elected officials would actually have to do their jobs and find out how their constituents feel about legislation by asking them...

Time magazine is a business.  The business of negativity is good now days.  It's as simple as that.  Tell everyone they lived through one of  "the worst decades."  They buy in and say, "yeah, I have suffered."  When the people who are actually buying TIME don't even know what suffering means on a 200+ year scale taken at 10 year chunks.

It's idiotic to think the past ten years have even been close to the "worst" even when taken in the context of TIME's limits in regards to the US.

Originally posted by Gishgeron

Originally posted by Goronian

 Achievments. In MMOs. That is all.

 

I actually like achievements...just not in the way we normally see them.  I think they should be tied INTO the lore.  Like, killing 5 mega zombies alone unlocks an achievement associated with the local league of paladins, impressing them into opening their storehouses to sell you some of their holy-themed weapons.

Attacking a town guard and surviving the ensuing clash that comes afterward for 10 minutes opens an achievement that allows you to gain faction with enemies.

Killing 100 players while on a boat unlocks an achievement that opens a hidden cove deep in the sea granting you access to a small band of pirates that sell you ships and equipment.

There are also other ways to bring achievements into the game in a neat way.  Perhaps after falling a total of 10K meters ingame, you get an achievement that grants you a passive ability that cuts falling damage by 25%

You get teh idea....I like them.  I just want better ways to use them.

I like meaningful achievements, I hate titles.

Worst mmo mechanic:  Content gating.  Most specifically those like Vex Thal and Plane of Time in EQ.  More recently like The Watcher in LOTRO.

BTW I just thought I'd drop a hint to those looking to DL this monster file.

DO NOT download off the main link.  It is slow as hell!

DO download the 7 part links provided found HERE.  I was getting nice 1.5MB download speeds off those links vs the 150-400 KB speeds off the main d/l server.

Looks like things are going to get a little rougher over the coming weeks.

NYT article

Here's the thing.  I was really liking the episode until I saw a main character die.  As much as I liked watching a bug go "Aliens" on her gut, I immediately knew that the solution to the whole show (if it followed Stargate lore) was either alternate reality or time travel.  I will admit, if I had never seen SG1 or SGA, I would have thought that SGU episode was cool.  And I agree it was nice to see them on a planet doing something.  All that said, it was a hell of a lot better than the episode last Friday ("Life").

Originally posted by popinjay

Congrats to all the Americans that will soon receive healthcare coverage. Some for the first time, some since they've lost their jobs and livelihood. Although everyone won't be covered due to fatcat Republican efforts to swamp this bill, over 90% will be and it's a great start.

 

Welcome to the 21st Century, USA. Enjoy your stay.

 

Go back to wherever your new forum playground is, you didn't need to come here to post that after an extended absence.

I want to like it, but just can't yet.  Once I see something original, then maybe it will pull me off the fence.  I mean they already had to use the gate to travel in time to save themselves... 

Here's my thought:  As soon as a show starts traveling in time, the writers suck IMO.  How much more lame is that?  Writer_1, "Lets go back in time to save ourselves."  Writer_2, "Yeah, great idea that has never been seen before."  Me watching at home, "Oh!  SGU is using the gate for time travel to warn themselves of impending doom, I haven't seen this episode a dozen times before."  Yeah, that was episode 8.  Although I did like when that alien bug thing went "Aliens" on that whiny chick.

The last episode with using the stones was just lame.

Lastly, the writers are taking too much time trying to develop characters through side stories or back stories.  Character development happens in the show as it occurs.  The original Stargate:  SG-1 series sucked for character development in the first year, but enough was given to keep people coming back.  The fully developed characters didn't really show up for about 3-4 years.

Sorry for the rant.  But I happen to love this franchise, and have been irked for quite some time at it and SGU isn't helping matters.

Originally posted by Vemoi

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN188108620091118

Ermm....are we out of the recession now? Could have fooled me. So now Obama is going to try and look like he is fiscally conservative? You crazy leftest kill me.

Oh, taking money from stimulas to pay off debt is not making progress in case you can't figure that out.

Yeah amazing he didn't have the foresight to study a little into history and economics a little deeper before he and his cronies pushed more deficit on the people.

I don't think we are going to see a decent pvp based game in the near future.  Good luck finding something like AC.

Well, unless you count Korean micro-transaction games.  Of course it costs about $50 a month to remain competitive for pvp in many of those.

Originally posted by whisperwynd

Originally posted by Horusra

I hugged the internet....and now I have herpies 

Next time, try one of these...
 

 

If only it were that simple.

Maybe true, but tonight I started the download from the official site and have been seeing my 1.2MBs DSL going as slow as 128kBs for extended periods of time.  I actually left a couple hours ago and came back expecting it to be done and it is still downloading.  And I have plenty of bandwidth for downloading large files, not super, but plenty as that 1.2MB is all mine and not based on load to the area.

What's the most 'fun' combination?  :P

Man, a group-centric game now days?  Good luck.  Not only in finding one, but finding one with a population.

I seriously cannot think of a decent MMO out that is like EQ Classic that has a friendly population that can support group-based levelling.  Nearly everything is solo- or quest-centered now days until endgame.

• Disciple is probably the easiest to solo and not be disappointed later in life in groups.
• Necro solos well, but in the end, the bugs and crummy endgame performance will really piss you off.  Grouping will be non-existent for a necro in my experience (I got to 43 and quit my necro).
• Dread Knights also solo very well and are generally decent later.
• Blood Mages are good soloers and good groupers.

Classes I liked playing the most but wouldn't recommend as starting characters:

• Monk.  Want a challenge?  Play a monk.  Best class in VG in my opinion, it will make you earn every level and you might just have some fun playing him / her.
• Bard.  Another challenging class, but works best if you can group a lot.  Get a lot of groups and you will fly through content.
• Druid.  A jack of all trades, master of none.  I always found my druid interesting to play.

I would have been tempted to fit DAOC in as well.

I can only think of one game that has done pvp as unique and successfully as DAOC.  Yeah, there are plenty of good pvp focused games out there, but any true mmorpg gamer that enjoys pvp and ever participated in DAOC RvR in it's hay-day is going to say it defined meaningful pvp for them.  I feel sorry for anyone who enjoys pvp that missed out on DAOC before Trials of Atlantis.

The only time I have ever felt I had an impact on a game as a tester was the very few times I have gotten into alpha stage testing.  Often, alpha testers are re-invited into closed beta, but I've never seen the communication and interaction work well at that point to release.  And part of the problem I have seen has mostly revolved around the tools for testers.  I mean seriously, needing to be on vent, on MIRC, on the game, AND file a formal bug submission on a separate site at the same time you are reformatting jpgs into proper size and format, etc for upload is just crazy.   With a small crowd in alpha, that works, but once the crowd gets larger, forget it.  Give me some decent in-game tools and I will test your game to no end.  Until then, it is free play time.  Seriously.

But I digress.  From "closed beta" onward, I feel the testing is non-existent.

Originally posted by TheHatter

Originally posted by daeandor

If your parents are the master account holders, the answer is yes.

 

This is wrong, you cannot go back and read text messages through ANY carrier in the entire US.

 

Option A, Although....... what you CAN do is if they are master account holders, they COULD have the text messages forwarded to them as well. Dunno if that would work for sending though? Receiving I know it could be done and it is parents....... they don't have to prove s*** to you. lol

Option B, your dad is secretly a hacker and took your messages from the air.... it can be done in theory. lol

Option C, you left your phone out. They read it.

Option D, your mom looked over your shoulder like someone else said.

 

(Options are in no specific order)

Option A is what I was talking about.  If it is a minor member of your plan, you can have nearly any restrictions you want placed on other phones as the legal owner of the plan, phone and service agreement.  I have done it.  Not to see what the kids were sending but when and where.  The phone companies used to do this on a limited basis.  Before anyone gets all "you are an a-hole parent" on me, I only did this after a "friend" of one of my step sons got stabbed on one of my properties by another "friend" during a time when he was supposed to be at his father's.

I suspect the OP falls in C or D though.

If your parents are the master account holders, the answer is yes.  Of course, it could have been that your Mom saw you text something over your shoulder.