wtb [ASBO]

One of the biggest problems with multi-player, on any platfrom and in any genre, is the behaviour of the players. Many gaming networks just say that they themselves are not responsible for what is said using their network, offer you a block option, and are done with it.

But what if behaviour extends past that mark? When in games such as MMORPGs players physically act in the world to create a nuisance of themselves or steal from the group using the ever-lax looting systems. What then?

In a Game as sizable with WoW the population breaks down into nice categories including Serious players, relaxed players, experienced players, nice players, rude players, farmers, foreigners, etc etc etc.

I’d conservatively estimate that about 15% of all WoW players are arseholes, and the people in charge of keeping them at bay? No, not Game Masters … Guild Masters.

Your Guild is almost wholey responsible for weeding out twats, dickheads and ninja-looters alike, and this is pathetic. Sort your act out blizzard.

A note to the inexperienced; Don’t join the Turalyon Guild UK Death Squad, they endorse ninja-looting and the stealing of in-instance resources.

I’ve boycotted them entirely.

Ciao.

For the Horde

Alterac Valley, safe haven for Hunters and Mages alike, where the Alliance wins hands-down on our server an easy 90% of the time, is easily still my favourite place to PvP.

Yesterday in a record-setting PvP session for me I played Alterac valley for about 4-5 hours, scoring 700 Honor Kills, 70 Killing blows (ish) and my highest ever Earthshocks. (Previous max being under 1.1k, then getting a 1.2k and then a 1.3k later on).

It was awesome fun, charging head long into a crowd of Allies afraid of none of them because by the end of this a small contingent of Horde soldiers were following me, I would lead head first into this party anhillating any one target before they even knew what hit them. Glorious fun.

I even got to honored, the number of goodies is extraordinary, although a bit shite compared to gear I’ve instanced for.

Anyway, other topics, Awesome band:
http://www.kididiot.com/

Several MP3s and a video to download, go endorse this unknown local band.

Ciao.

You can’t stop the signal

Darknet, that is possibly the coolest official term i’ve ever heard and it serves a decent purpose to.

News Source

The freedom of information flow supporters score a victory with this new 5 Euro per/month service by providing a Network that can not be monitored, atleast not by any conceivable legal means, this of course means the governments will continue to break laws they hold so dear to catch supposed criminals.

Fight on Brothers.

Well I am Questzor from the land known as Original Ideas! Take this you fiend!

Long winded title to sum up my retort to my co-writers post. I do indeed feel his pain, literally, because every World of Warcraft subscriber especially those who have reached end game will be Sick and Tired of Blizzard’s unoriginal bullshit approach to new content.

How DARE they claim to have created new Quests from Light’s Hope Chapel, how DARE they? Its nothing but boring, uninspired grinding dribble to encourage and reward EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE ALREADY DOING.

This is not new content, this is in fact a sham, its about time you got in some new content writers since the current ones are obviously out of ideas.

How I love thee Blizzard, I say such things in the hope you will improve, but alas, such glories do not appear near.

Buck up. World of Warcraft is not the only example, but god help me, they can still fix theirs game.

Grind (sigh) on. Ciao.

Ps. Drunk whilst writing this, sorry for typos.

I am Sir Grind! From the Kingdom of Grindzor! Prepare to be Grinded!

In case you didn’t guess from the not really subtle title, an issue that has been irritating me is grinding in RPG’s.

I’ve always believed that one of the most important things in any game is balancing the difficulty. If the game is too difficult, you give up and the game sits on the shelf for years, or if the difficulty is insane is sold. If too easy… well, it’ll be fun, but you’ll finish it in days and want more.

Even in a RPG, the game should be fucking balanced. So why do so many INSIST that you grind endlessly to defeat that next boss? You should be able to manage it without making a particular effort to kill thousands of low level creatures, leveling up 10 experience points at a time.

Game developers take fucking heed.

Sand in my pants

Spore. Let it sink in; allow the word to take its hold on you. Spore. Yes, it is normal to have an erection by this point. Spore. Ok, now man … put it away.

Spore Game Play Video (Google Video)
Watch. Nao.

I am in awe of this game play video, is this what Gaming will become? Are we really to believe that EA will release something other than trash onto the market? … Yes, yes we are.

Spore from Maxis, creators of The Sims, Sim City, etc … Anyone who knows anything about games will have played/owned a game made by them at some stage, have created a game that takes all their previous experience including the lessons learned by other companies and compiles a game that not only strides across genres as if the “Mind the Gap” sign had the inverted meaning but also does it superbly.

I was wondering, the term “Sandbox” was first used a long time ago in video gaming to describe a game where the only ultimate goal was self-satisfaction and sense of achievement where you were offered a free area in which to do as you please. Spore however, does not offer this, not if you ask me … Sandbox? Try Beachbox … or Galacticbox … or Stellarbox, Sandbox does not even come close to describing how extensive Spore is. It is an ambitious project, but if any company could do it I believe Maxis can, especially with the funding of EA.

**Late Addition:
Just found this relevant issue of VGCats, enjoy:
External Link

Buy PCGamer, watch the video and join a few syndicated News lists, this is one game you will not want to miss.

On other fronts AOL makes the stupidest mistake in all of Electronic Data Privacy history, see:

Link 1
Link 2

Mark also recommends: http://seriouspac.ytmnd.com/

It’d be interesting to hear your views … Make comments bitch, we will retort … If you prove yourself a competent writer you may even get yourself on the blog itself.

Game on. Ciao.

My Top 10 for PCGamer

I’ve just skimmed through PCGamer, it’s Top 10 (Top 100 in fact) is not altogether surprising, but for once I’ve decided to send in my Top 10, I hope you like it and maybe understand why I chose what I did.

10) Diablo 2 (2000 – Blizzard)
The brilliant Blizzard North released this RPG Slash and Massacre onto a blood thirsty market and to this day sets the bar for Point and Click RPGs.

9) Colonization (1993 – Microprose/Sid Meier)
I shall kiss thy pinky ring no more sir! The war of independence has never been so fun, select a country? Why England of course.

Masters of Orion 2 (1996 – Microprose/Simtex)
Sci-fi turn based strategy in its prime; it never got better than this. It lacks the graphics to compete but it’s simple, fun and accessible. I find it hard to imagine people stopped playing it. Damn you Windows XP.

7) Half-life 2 (2004 – Valve)
Speaks for itself, or rather doesn’t, someone should buy Gordon a Portable Voice box. Summarised with the sentence: “Best. Engine. Ever.”

6) World of Warcraft (2004 – Vivendi/Blizzard)
Life without World of Warcraft just is not worth living, I’ve started spending more time with it than with my girlfriend, its very much a love-direct debit relationship.

5) Transport Tycoon Deluxe (1995 – Microprose/Chris Sawyer)
I do not know why I keep playing it, but I do, buy yourself a copy from any oldies shop, then download OpenTTD. I’m obviously not the only one still in love with this timeless classic.

4) Warcraft 3 (2002 – Blizzard)
Blizzard sets the bar again with another (Game of the Year if I remember right) fantastic game in the Warcraft universe. It’s about time I stopped renting and bought a house there. “Succeeding you father”, well you certainly succeeded in capturing my heart.

3) Deus Ex (2000 – Eidos/Ion Storm)
To this day I still remember the key codes and passwords for the various doors and computers and every time I insist on stealing all the best furniture for my office. Out of my way Gunther, I need that sofa!

2) System Shock 2 (1999 – EA/Looking Glass)
Marry me Shodan, together we can make cyber-children the likes of which have never been seen, and then we can plan a third in the series without the XP compatibility issues.

1) Master of Magic (1993 – Microprose/Simtex)
Microprose at its TBS best, this video game dominated my child-hood with its eight floppy discs. I wish I could get it to work correctly on XP to watch that gorgeous intro video again, why O why don’t they make them like they used to. Le sigh.

Roflcaust

Because Lollercaust was banned in too many places O.o

I just thought you’d enjoy the following comics I grabbed off of World of Warcraft.com, some of them were entered into a competition, these ones were better than the “Honorary Mention” ones.

1. http://www.blizzard.com/wow/screenshot.aspx?ImageIndex=61&Set=64
2. http://www.blizzard.com/wow/screenshot.aspx?ImageIndex=52&Set=64
3. http://www.blizzard.com/wow/screenshot.aspx?ImageIndex=49&Set=64
4. http://www.blizzard.com/wow/screenshot.aspx?ImageIndex=54&Set=64
5. http://www.blizzard.com/wow/screenshot.aspx?ImageIndex=44&Set=64

Number 2 is my absolute favourite.

None of our posts have comments … but I know you’re reading … COMMENT NAO!

Now I must go find the latest PC Gamer, bbl.

Ciao

Quantum Leaping

I was just reading around and figured some of you might be interested in this;

Click here – External Link

here’s an out take – With poor grammar as I found upon re-reading this:

Warcraft has something that other video games does not however, aside from the immense fanbase, it has history, depth and a world that is so intricate and detailed that, as many will do, it can only really be compared with Tolkien’sFans will be angry if Blizzard don’t deliver. Middle Earth. Still, with no director, writer or cast attached to the movie yet, we can’t be sure of what’s really going to happen, but something tells me that Blizzard will try their damnedest to produce something worthy of the video game.

In case you hadn’t already heard, the company responsible for Batman Begins and Superman Returns intends to make a Blizzard World Warcraft movie. I got to it by searching for stuff on Jack Thompson, which landed me on This URL.

Ciao.

…

This game is obviously broken.