To make sure proper context is provided, the "holy trinity" of MMOs means having the core roles of tank, healer, and damage dealing in a group to deal with player vs. environment (PvE) encounters. A good majority of MMOs make use of this group setup and the responsibilities of each member of the group are pretty straight-forward - most of the time.
ArenaNet has been using the lack of this group setup as a major part of their hype machine for Guild Wars 2. While this certainly ramped up talk about how people are discontented about the "traditional" MMO group design, this discussion has been around for a very long time.
Group cooperation is never really an issue. No matter how a game is designed, having proper communication and planning will always be superior to just getting 4-5 random people together and just hope everyone knows what to do.
No, a lot of the talk revolves around damage dealers having trouble finding groups - because few people decide to take on the tank and healer roles.
Being a tank or healer in a group is about taking on a lot of responsibility. The tank usually ends up controlling the flow of the encounters while the healer ensures the right people stay alive long enough to finish the fight. Both roles have to make decisions on the fly and mistakes by either are the most visible and so blame easily falls on one of the two...or even both. I have personally seen the extra responsibility take it's toll on players and it often leads to tanks and healers to play a different role, refuse to run random groups, or just stop playing altogether.
So damage dealers can't find groups because of few tanks and healers. Tanks and healers get burned out easily and stop playing their characters. It's a vicious cycle, and it won't stop until people just wake up and realize they need something that is sadly lacking with the human race in general:
Personal Responsibility.
So my little gaming article now has become a social commentary piece? Online gaming has always been a social hub, whether one likes it or not. There is no doubt the worst of people can show up in an online game, but also can the best of people. You can tout all you want on how good or terrible an MMO is; terrible graphics, great game mechanics, balanced classes, etc, but the social aspect are online gaming's true heart.
The lack of personal resposibility means that the dislike of the "holy trinity" boils down to a social problem rather than a game design issue. In the past few years, games like World of Warcraft and RIFT have been putting more emphasis on personal resposibility. Concepts such as avoidable damage in encounters puts part of the resposibility of staying alive on each individual. The encounter Ultraxion in World of Warcraft is a good example as it becomes very obvious who failed to activate the ability to avoid the instant death attack. Encounters such as these are always the hardest in the game, not because the fight is designed to be hard, but because individual failures can cause the whole group to fail.
And that, in my most humble opinion, is exactly how it should always be.
Removing the "holy trinity", such as in Guild Wars 2, does the exact same thing other MMOs have been working towards for a while now. Granted, not having a dedicated tank or healer, it becomes even more important for individuals in GW2 to make sure they do their part in controlling the encounter and staying alive. It has to be clear though, that repeated failure to do so is not about being stuck in the "holy trinity" mindset, but about not able to, or not willing to, go the extra steps to ensure the group is a success.
I suppose the question is whether I dislike the "holy trinity" myself. No. Neither will it's absence bother me. No matter how a game is designed, it will always be the player that makes a group a success of failure. Always.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
WoW: Pandaria Cinematic
So Blizzard released the Mists of Pandaria cinematic on Thursday and, frankly, after watching it a few times, I really cannot bring myself to say anything bad about it.
The first thought that came to my mind was that it was a fun cinematic to watch, and that's pretty much it. There really wasn't too much that can be read into a cinematic like this. Sure, there are overtones of factional conflict at the start, but it became overshadowed by, ironically, the bright and campy feel of Pandaria itself.
I personally did want more emphasis on the war between the Alliance and Horde, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that fun is what was supposed to be conveyed. Given the super theme park nature of Mists of Pandaria, giving as many people as many things for them to do, it just makes sense to tell people that, maybe there really is more to the game than what we have been used to.
Of course, I submit the premise that the cinematic did not, in itself, cancel out the war between factions. It was simply muted to give more attention to the new land. Everything that we expected from World of Warcraft is still there, but there are new things to discover and explore as well.
Take, for example, the arguably best scene in the cinematic:
The first thought that came to my mind was that it was a fun cinematic to watch, and that's pretty much it. There really wasn't too much that can be read into a cinematic like this. Sure, there are overtones of factional conflict at the start, but it became overshadowed by, ironically, the bright and campy feel of Pandaria itself.
I personally did want more emphasis on the war between the Alliance and Horde, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that fun is what was supposed to be conveyed. Given the super theme park nature of Mists of Pandaria, giving as many people as many things for them to do, it just makes sense to tell people that, maybe there really is more to the game than what we have been used to.
Of course, I submit the premise that the cinematic did not, in itself, cancel out the war between factions. It was simply muted to give more attention to the new land. Everything that we expected from World of Warcraft is still there, but there are new things to discover and explore as well.
Take, for example, the arguably best scene in the cinematic:
This was not a scene where both sides suddenly became friends. Their cooperation is token at best. They were just simply overwhelmed with the big bear kicking their butts. There were no apologetic looks when the human almost decapitated the orc. Likewise when the human got walloped by the makeshift mace.
Perhaps the cinematic was a tad campy at times and it certainly did not fit everything that WE, as players, expected from Blizzard and the new expansion, we cannot deny that the video gives us a snapshot of great things to come.
Personally, if the game becomes as fun as this cinematic, then other games will have difficulty fighting for my time.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Guild Wars 2 Novel: Ghosts of Ascalon
TLDR Version: A fairly entertaining by-the-numbers fantasy that is very effective in introducing the world of Guild Wars 2.
As a firm believer of "exposition through experience" when it comes to video games, I have been largly avoiding reading any video game novels. I would rather have that important lore is in the game rather than needing to go out and find the information elsewhere. Granted, it gives writers, publishers, and artists work, I still find it less than ideal.
Ghosts of Ascalon was recommended to me by a friend and seeing that I am jumping into Guild Wars 2 without having any knowledge whatsoever of the franchise, I decided to give it a go. At the very least, it will help me understand the world I will be playing in, and hopefully a better understanding of the different races.
I am happy to say that the book did meet my expectations and provided me with good entertainment for most of it.
I like how the authors didn't take a particular racial trait of one character and beat the reader's head with it. Characters are nicely defined and, more importantly, relatable. Sylvari are probably the race that is most different than what humans are, but Forbeck and Grubb bring's out the character of Killeen nicely and comes out as alien in a way we can understand and appreciate. In fact, all the characters in the book behave in ways that real people in our world can relate to. The band of characters do bond and grow as they march toward impossible odds. In the end, we get to care about the characters and what happens to them and that is what makes a novel good.
Lore exposition has been also nicely handled in the book. From the timeline provided at the beginning to the fireside conversations, the flow of the narrative is very natural and it is very effective in understanding the characters, what they are after, and what their world is like. And everything stays on track with no diverging tales of other heroes. Yes, Logan Thackaray's legend and importance were mentioned, but his character never overshadowed the book's protagonist.
The tone of the book was also mostly excellent. Despite the grim quest the characters are taking, as well as what the main character has gone through, the book never bludgeons the reader with it. The grim tones are nicely balanced with light hearted moments by characters that move forward rather than dwelling in their angst.
My biggest problem with the book is actually in the last few. Everything near the end feels rather rushed. It's actually a good thing to want to book to go on for several more chapters, but the ending just felt too abrupt. Perhaps it was meant to be that way, but it was certainly out of place with the even pacing found in the rest of the book.
All in all, Ghosts of Ascalon is a remarkable book, even if it doesn't compare to the likes of the original Dragonlance series (though it probably wasn't meant to be). I would recommend it to those who like good fantasy tales. For those who play Guild Wars 2 and have yet to buy it, it is a nice way to ease into the game. I have no idea when the story happens in relation to the game though, but it would be cool to encounter these characters while questing in Tyria.
As a firm believer of "exposition through experience" when it comes to video games, I have been largly avoiding reading any video game novels. I would rather have that important lore is in the game rather than needing to go out and find the information elsewhere. Granted, it gives writers, publishers, and artists work, I still find it less than ideal.
Ghosts of Ascalon was recommended to me by a friend and seeing that I am jumping into Guild Wars 2 without having any knowledge whatsoever of the franchise, I decided to give it a go. At the very least, it will help me understand the world I will be playing in, and hopefully a better understanding of the different races.
I am happy to say that the book did meet my expectations and provided me with good entertainment for most of it.
I like how the authors didn't take a particular racial trait of one character and beat the reader's head with it. Characters are nicely defined and, more importantly, relatable. Sylvari are probably the race that is most different than what humans are, but Forbeck and Grubb bring's out the character of Killeen nicely and comes out as alien in a way we can understand and appreciate. In fact, all the characters in the book behave in ways that real people in our world can relate to. The band of characters do bond and grow as they march toward impossible odds. In the end, we get to care about the characters and what happens to them and that is what makes a novel good.
Lore exposition has been also nicely handled in the book. From the timeline provided at the beginning to the fireside conversations, the flow of the narrative is very natural and it is very effective in understanding the characters, what they are after, and what their world is like. And everything stays on track with no diverging tales of other heroes. Yes, Logan Thackaray's legend and importance were mentioned, but his character never overshadowed the book's protagonist.
The tone of the book was also mostly excellent. Despite the grim quest the characters are taking, as well as what the main character has gone through, the book never bludgeons the reader with it. The grim tones are nicely balanced with light hearted moments by characters that move forward rather than dwelling in their angst.
My biggest problem with the book is actually in the last few. Everything near the end feels rather rushed. It's actually a good thing to want to book to go on for several more chapters, but the ending just felt too abrupt. Perhaps it was meant to be that way, but it was certainly out of place with the even pacing found in the rest of the book.
All in all, Ghosts of Ascalon is a remarkable book, even if it doesn't compare to the likes of the original Dragonlance series (though it probably wasn't meant to be). I would recommend it to those who like good fantasy tales. For those who play Guild Wars 2 and have yet to buy it, it is a nice way to ease into the game. I have no idea when the story happens in relation to the game though, but it would be cool to encounter these characters while questing in Tyria.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Guild Wars 2: The Last Beta Weekend
TLDR Version: A great game but certainly not revolutionary. Has some really fun moments, but quite a number of boring ones as well. Still, hard to tell if it will keep my attention long enough that I will want to spend money in their Gem Store.
So with a month left before release, Arenanet came out with the last Guild Wars 2 beta weekend for everyone with keys or who have pre-purchased the game. This time, it came with all races available as well as additional world content and a PvP battleground.
It's no secret I do not have any real love for Guild Wars 2 but I don't really have any hate for it, or their developers, either. The biggest turnoff I have with GW2 is not the game itself, but with it's fanbase. Ironically, the extreme hype does dull my own excitement for the game and, in turn, lowers my own expectations.
But I digress, the reason for my pre-purchase was to see everything for myself in the beta weekends, and I am pleased to say that, overall, I did enjoy myself. And besides, you cannot go wrong with a free to play MMO, even if the box is being sold at standard market prices.
A lot of the fun came in the form of group activities, particularly PvP. Unfortunately, because there really wasn't much time to get to a high enough level (for me, at least), my PvE testing was fairly limited. Whether it is me being slow or there just isn't that many opportunities for leveling through questing, I'm not sure. As it stands, sometimes I end up being way underpowered to continue my character's story while other times, I end up outleveling content in the starter area after a bout of wanderlust.
There is something fairly monotonous about the PvE areas of Tyria and people really looking for things to do will need to mix things up between area quests, personal story, and events even if the game itself does not overtly encourage it.
Dynamic events in the last beta do effectively break up the monotony, however. I am not sure if they changed the event frequency or whether I was better at being at the right place at the right time this time around. I am glad that, with the early level zones, enough of the dynamic events would help push leveling enough to be able to do the next area. Granted, with friends, you can probably skip a lot of early level content anyway, and it is my preferable mode of playing. A small band taking on a challenge that a single player cannot is pretty much the heart of any multiplayer game.
I appreciate ArenaNet's efforts in making leveling an organic experience. At times when I get stumped, I have to go over whats available to me and figure out what is missing. While nothing is wrong with directed leveling, it is refreshing to just be able to challenge yourself and find your own way rather than have 100 different signs pointing you to where you should go.
I suppose this is the time I talk about PvP and really, Guild Wars 2 no longer deserves points for this. To say the game offers great PvP is like saying water is wet. The last beta test, however, showed just how lopsided World vs. World PvP can be. In my server's battle group, one server in particular just simply dominated all 4 WvW maps. It is no surprise that it was also one of the first servers that became full on day 1. With sufficient manpower and time, they were able to fortify locations to be near impregnable and, as with the nature of random groups, opponents would just die repeatedly trying to get a few kills or close enough to lob some shots at the wall.
Its like hobos with knives trying to storm a military outpost through the front door in broad daylight.
There were some moments where getting to the wall was possible, but no resources were available to build the required siege weapons. As we learned, hacking at keep walls don't really do much. This is where having organized groups really matter the most. With proper direction and planning, WvW battles can get pretty exciting. Outside that, the only hope of getting any kind of win is through sheer numbers.
This is also where it pays to be on a server where the population stays relatively high at all times of the day. The servers that fill up early would definitely have a clear advantage at the start but, as the game matures, things would very likely even out.
Guild Wars 2 has every right to be called a AAA MMO and, despite my cynicism, I can easily imagine this game as one of the best in the current market. Sadly, even after 3 beta weekends and participating in stress tests, I cannot fully give the game two thumbs up. An MMO relies purely on longevity and some replay factor, and I cannot vouch for either. I have barely scratched the surface of PvE content and, while I have tried a lot of PvP, I cannot play that for too long before I really tire of it.
Highlights:
So with a month left before release, Arenanet came out with the last Guild Wars 2 beta weekend for everyone with keys or who have pre-purchased the game. This time, it came with all races available as well as additional world content and a PvP battleground.
It's no secret I do not have any real love for Guild Wars 2 but I don't really have any hate for it, or their developers, either. The biggest turnoff I have with GW2 is not the game itself, but with it's fanbase. Ironically, the extreme hype does dull my own excitement for the game and, in turn, lowers my own expectations.
But I digress, the reason for my pre-purchase was to see everything for myself in the beta weekends, and I am pleased to say that, overall, I did enjoy myself. And besides, you cannot go wrong with a free to play MMO, even if the box is being sold at standard market prices.
A lot of the fun came in the form of group activities, particularly PvP. Unfortunately, because there really wasn't much time to get to a high enough level (for me, at least), my PvE testing was fairly limited. Whether it is me being slow or there just isn't that many opportunities for leveling through questing, I'm not sure. As it stands, sometimes I end up being way underpowered to continue my character's story while other times, I end up outleveling content in the starter area after a bout of wanderlust.
There is something fairly monotonous about the PvE areas of Tyria and people really looking for things to do will need to mix things up between area quests, personal story, and events even if the game itself does not overtly encourage it.
Dynamic events in the last beta do effectively break up the monotony, however. I am not sure if they changed the event frequency or whether I was better at being at the right place at the right time this time around. I am glad that, with the early level zones, enough of the dynamic events would help push leveling enough to be able to do the next area. Granted, with friends, you can probably skip a lot of early level content anyway, and it is my preferable mode of playing. A small band taking on a challenge that a single player cannot is pretty much the heart of any multiplayer game.
I appreciate ArenaNet's efforts in making leveling an organic experience. At times when I get stumped, I have to go over whats available to me and figure out what is missing. While nothing is wrong with directed leveling, it is refreshing to just be able to challenge yourself and find your own way rather than have 100 different signs pointing you to where you should go.
I suppose this is the time I talk about PvP and really, Guild Wars 2 no longer deserves points for this. To say the game offers great PvP is like saying water is wet. The last beta test, however, showed just how lopsided World vs. World PvP can be. In my server's battle group, one server in particular just simply dominated all 4 WvW maps. It is no surprise that it was also one of the first servers that became full on day 1. With sufficient manpower and time, they were able to fortify locations to be near impregnable and, as with the nature of random groups, opponents would just die repeatedly trying to get a few kills or close enough to lob some shots at the wall.
Its like hobos with knives trying to storm a military outpost through the front door in broad daylight.
There were some moments where getting to the wall was possible, but no resources were available to build the required siege weapons. As we learned, hacking at keep walls don't really do much. This is where having organized groups really matter the most. With proper direction and planning, WvW battles can get pretty exciting. Outside that, the only hope of getting any kind of win is through sheer numbers.
This is also where it pays to be on a server where the population stays relatively high at all times of the day. The servers that fill up early would definitely have a clear advantage at the start but, as the game matures, things would very likely even out.
Guild Wars 2 has every right to be called a AAA MMO and, despite my cynicism, I can easily imagine this game as one of the best in the current market. Sadly, even after 3 beta weekends and participating in stress tests, I cannot fully give the game two thumbs up. An MMO relies purely on longevity and some replay factor, and I cannot vouch for either. I have barely scratched the surface of PvE content and, while I have tried a lot of PvP, I cannot play that for too long before I really tire of it.
Highlights:
- Points of Interest. A very nice way of handling puzzle content. I have already delayed, and have been delayed, by just taking a detour and trying to find how to reach the glowing map. Some are easy, while others are just one step close to death.
- Set main skills. I like unlocking abilities based on weapon type, but I found myself wishing that were not the case after unlocking all weapons at an early level. Outside learning the secondary skills, the sense of progression is somewhat lacking.
- Nerfed siege weapons. Definitely not a bad thing. It makes placement so much more important than previous builds and allows attacking players a chance to take them out.
- Playing as a group. Nothing really beats taking out level 10 content at a group average level of 5. Now that's what MMOs are all about.
- Crafting. I'm on the fence about this one. I like how involved it is, but it is also quite expensive to be a full time crafter. Perhaps if there is a good market for items, this will not be a problem at all. Definitely something to consider doing at launch.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
SWTOR: Patch 1.3 and the Week After
There are days when I am glad I don't play games at any relatively hardcore level anymore, and the release of patch 1.3 for Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of them.
Why do I say that? Well, there is no new content in this patch, so if I'm already tired with the current operations, that feeling would not be alleviated. Even if I were just farming the same hardmode flashpoints over and over again, I would have gotten quite disgruntled a long time ago, and stay that way even with this patch release.
No, this patch is not about making the game fresh again with new content, its about making it fresh again by enhancing current content. A week after the patch, I am actually having a lot of fun again.
I can't go too far without mentioning the recent server mer...I mean....transfers and how the effect of a larger population in-game just makes the game world/galaxy feel alive again. With over 300 people in the respective fleets at peak hours, and many more on other planets or flashpoints/operations, there is just a sense that the game has gotten it's second wind, even if it was at the expense other servers. Even trolls in general chat was a welcome relief to almost nothing happening just a month ago. The server transfers were, in a way, an early extention of Patch 1.3 itself, especially when you consider the Looking For Group tool.
Bioware did get some flak by not making the LFG cross-server, but really, it doesn't really need to be. At least, not yet. It's current incarnation does what it needs to do, and that is all that matters in the end. I get into flashpoints when I normally would not be able to, such as when on other planets. That, in itself, is already a huge benefit for someone like me who doesn't like staying on the fleet and it gets better when I level an alt. Queue times as DPS becomes tolerable when you decide to do other things while waiting.
Rewards for random hardmode flashpoints and normal operations are quite interesting. Daily commendations can drop in the instance and completing it yields 5 black hole commendations. And it appears to be repeatable. It is clear that Bioware wants people to gear up faster, so it is possible that new content is just around the corner. Or maybe they just want more people to get into Denova. Whatever the case, it is a welcome change for those unable to commit to a regular operations group.
Rated warzones have also been implemented with patch 1.3. Unfortunately, having just moved to the server and having a weird schedule for my day job, I was unable to participate in this yet. Hopefully I would be able to get a group for this pretty soon.
Character legacy perks were also opened up with the patch and there are finally things I would be willing to spend credits on. I immediately bought the respec perk and so far, it has served me well. As good as it is, I really wish they would just go full out and give dual specs. Some of the perks are relatively trivial, but thankfully are not costly. Although, since the perks are character-specific, the costs will add up if you want them on all characters.
Patch 1.3 does not have anything completely groundbreaking, but at least it had fewer disappointments than patch 1.2 and that in itself is a huge plus. Still, Bioware has quite a ways to recover from half a year of .... unflattering press, but their latest update is a good start to a positive trend.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Why do I say that? Well, there is no new content in this patch, so if I'm already tired with the current operations, that feeling would not be alleviated. Even if I were just farming the same hardmode flashpoints over and over again, I would have gotten quite disgruntled a long time ago, and stay that way even with this patch release.
No, this patch is not about making the game fresh again with new content, its about making it fresh again by enhancing current content. A week after the patch, I am actually having a lot of fun again.
I can't go too far without mentioning the recent server mer...I mean....transfers and how the effect of a larger population in-game just makes the game world/galaxy feel alive again. With over 300 people in the respective fleets at peak hours, and many more on other planets or flashpoints/operations, there is just a sense that the game has gotten it's second wind, even if it was at the expense other servers. Even trolls in general chat was a welcome relief to almost nothing happening just a month ago. The server transfers were, in a way, an early extention of Patch 1.3 itself, especially when you consider the Looking For Group tool.
Bioware did get some flak by not making the LFG cross-server, but really, it doesn't really need to be. At least, not yet. It's current incarnation does what it needs to do, and that is all that matters in the end. I get into flashpoints when I normally would not be able to, such as when on other planets. That, in itself, is already a huge benefit for someone like me who doesn't like staying on the fleet and it gets better when I level an alt. Queue times as DPS becomes tolerable when you decide to do other things while waiting.
Rewards for random hardmode flashpoints and normal operations are quite interesting. Daily commendations can drop in the instance and completing it yields 5 black hole commendations. And it appears to be repeatable. It is clear that Bioware wants people to gear up faster, so it is possible that new content is just around the corner. Or maybe they just want more people to get into Denova. Whatever the case, it is a welcome change for those unable to commit to a regular operations group.
Rated warzones have also been implemented with patch 1.3. Unfortunately, having just moved to the server and having a weird schedule for my day job, I was unable to participate in this yet. Hopefully I would be able to get a group for this pretty soon.
Character legacy perks were also opened up with the patch and there are finally things I would be willing to spend credits on. I immediately bought the respec perk and so far, it has served me well. As good as it is, I really wish they would just go full out and give dual specs. Some of the perks are relatively trivial, but thankfully are not costly. Although, since the perks are character-specific, the costs will add up if you want them on all characters.
Patch 1.3 does not have anything completely groundbreaking, but at least it had fewer disappointments than patch 1.2 and that in itself is a huge plus. Still, Bioware has quite a ways to recover from half a year of .... unflattering press, but their latest update is a good start to a positive trend.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Selling junk items in only 5s. Really, really worth the credits if you got them.
- Leveling has always been amazing in SWTOR and that hasn't changed. Having a LOT of fun with my Jedi Shadow right now.
- Adaptive gear is only good if end game set bonuses can be transferred with armouring. Until that happens, adaptive gear is not appealing unless you don't care about the bonuses.
- Augment kits. Totally love them. Saves me the frustration of getting 40 non-crit crafted items in a row.
- Remembering how much fun this game is. Even with relatively archaic mechanics, it is a good game.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
SWTOR: Farewell Keller's Void
Today Star Wars: The Old Republic starts handing out free server transfers to and from selected servers. It is not an unexpected move and, frankly, it's taken far too long in coming.
Keller's Void has sadly slowly been going downhill when it comes to population. Most nights, it's hard enough to find same faction PvP. There are some guilds that strive to keep going, but things get harder when newer games start releasing *cough*DIABLO*cough*.
While transfers aren't necessarily a bad thing, the service coming at the heels of complaints about low population, or "dead" servers just helps underscore the fact that the game isn't retaining as many players as they thought they would. Is SWTOR still doing well? I personally think they are, but they have made way too many rookie mistakes that gave totally bad impressions of the game and the company. And then there's EA being EA, they figured no one would unsubscribe to their Star Wars game.
Targetted servers were also a good idea. Given a choice, everyone would just flock to whatever server appears to be the most populated i.e. The Fatman. And then there will be complaints about queues. There are more people than one server can hold, and really, only Bioware has any idea about the number of active players so they can strategically funnel people into selected servers in order to help even out the population.
I have to say, I look forward to the prospect of playing on a server that has a healthy population again. If nothing else, the resulting infusion of trolls in general chat will be amusing.
Ready or not, here we come Jedi Covenant!
 |
| Can't say 'It's been nice knowing you' KV. Didn't really know you |
Keller's Void has sadly slowly been going downhill when it comes to population. Most nights, it's hard enough to find same faction PvP. There are some guilds that strive to keep going, but things get harder when newer games start releasing *cough*DIABLO*cough*.
While transfers aren't necessarily a bad thing, the service coming at the heels of complaints about low population, or "dead" servers just helps underscore the fact that the game isn't retaining as many players as they thought they would. Is SWTOR still doing well? I personally think they are, but they have made way too many rookie mistakes that gave totally bad impressions of the game and the company. And then there's EA being EA, they figured no one would unsubscribe to their Star Wars game.
Targetted servers were also a good idea. Given a choice, everyone would just flock to whatever server appears to be the most populated i.e. The Fatman. And then there will be complaints about queues. There are more people than one server can hold, and really, only Bioware has any idea about the number of active players so they can strategically funnel people into selected servers in order to help even out the population.
I have to say, I look forward to the prospect of playing on a server that has a healthy population again. If nothing else, the resulting infusion of trolls in general chat will be amusing.
Ready or not, here we come Jedi Covenant!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Diablo 3 Review: Pure. Mindless. Fun
Basically, I can end this review right there at the title. As a TLDR statement, that's as concise as it can get. But then again, that might just be an excuse to stop typing and play more. To be completely honest, this review is weeks overdue simply because I've been playing. It's that much fun.
At a glance though, it's hard to see what makes the game fun. It's a point and click hack and slasher game with really not that much complexity to gameplay and only one point of view and two zoom modes. You point the mouse and left click an area, your character moves there. If a monster happens to be where you clicked, you bash it on the head. Or zap/shoot it. There are also so few abilities - seven including the health potion - that it is entirely possible to just play with just the mouse, leaving your other hand free to do other things...like....eating chips.
The Diablo franchise has also always been a game of grinds. You are encouraged to keep fighting through the same areas over and over to improve your character. Can't beat the next boss in the next area? Kill the one you just beat over and over and hope for some better gear to drop. The process will get you enough gear or levels so that the next stage will be easier and you can move on. Yes, many games tend to fail because of how grindy it is, but Diablo seems to be a game that thrives on it. I really hate grinds in games, but I just ended my most recent farming run so I can type up this post.
What makes the Diablo grind so tolerable is a combination of small things. For starters, there are monsters to fight almost everywhere. In a given map, you can count on a group of them waiting just around the next corner. There will always be the threat of your character dying if you are not careful as long as you play through an appropriately challenging area.
The randomness in the game also keeps everything fresh. Maps have some parts that are randomly generated and monsters are also randomly placed in there. That room of that dungeon you just farmed may no longer be there and may suddenly contain elite monsters hell bent to farm you for loot. Yes, this is also probably one of the more frustrating things in the game. The random monster generator can give you four that each shoots lasers, leaves fire trails, spits fire, and shields itself and there's nothing you can do but scream and whine while you reload your game.
But with the randomness comes the desire to try to beat whatever the game throws at you and the ability system of Diablo 3 allows you to costumize how you play. As I mentioned earlier, there are only 7 ability buttons in the game, one of which is reserved for the health potion, but there are a LOT of abilities for each character. And each ability comes with several runes that will add some effect or change how that ability works. By the time you hit level 60, you will have several options on how to play the game. Experimenting with builds and gear sets is also part of what makes the grind fun because now you are benchmarking yourself. Does the build work or feel better than the last one? No? Then switch up a few things to see if you can make it work.
Co-op games also make the grind bearable by being able to share the misery with others. People in your friends list can join your games at any time and it makes the encounters have they difficulty increased appropriately. Yes, this means that people will need to work together to beat some fights. As expected, joining a public game with strangers is far less satisfying than working with friends that have access to voice communications like Ventrilo or Skype or cans tied with really long string.
The last thing that makes the grind fun is the game's simplicity. Every action you do has some reaction. Be it moving from one place to another or hitting a monster so hard, pieces start flying off screen. There is that instant gratification factor in the game of just signing on and beating on monsters or finishing quests that, ironically, may make you forget the time of day. Even more ironically, Diablo may not be a game for you if you only have an hour or so of play time.
The auction house adds yet another level of instant gratification where you can help alleviate the game's random loot system. With gold relatively easy to make, and millions of people in the game, its not too difficult to find some bargains. Whether that will be true when the Real Money Auction House hits, that will be left to be seen.
One of the biggest flaws of the game is partly one of it's strengths in that Diablo 3 is a purely online game. If you do not have a BattleNet account, you cannot play. If the BattleNet servers go down, you cannot play. There's no offline mode for those who don't really care too much about the online aspects of the game. This could not have been more apparent than launch day where literally millions of people were trying to log on at the same time. And no, I waited it out and everything has been working well since then. But I would have love to have some kind of way I can play offline even if it means that gear and characters don't carry over.
With all that said, Diablo 3 is still not a game for everybody. As enjoyable as it is, the game is still a grind and not many really care for that. The difficulty levels can also discourage some players. Normal and Nightmare modes can be done through some brute force, but Hell and Inferno mode are deadly. I've personally hit a wall with Inferno mode and my time has been spent trying to find a way I can beat encounters. It is a wall that has had me thinking that perhaps the game has beaten me. Maybe I just need a few more hours to work out my build. Or a few days.
Time for more Diablo 3 to find out then.
Highlights
At a glance though, it's hard to see what makes the game fun. It's a point and click hack and slasher game with really not that much complexity to gameplay and only one point of view and two zoom modes. You point the mouse and left click an area, your character moves there. If a monster happens to be where you clicked, you bash it on the head. Or zap/shoot it. There are also so few abilities - seven including the health potion - that it is entirely possible to just play with just the mouse, leaving your other hand free to do other things...like....eating chips.
The Diablo franchise has also always been a game of grinds. You are encouraged to keep fighting through the same areas over and over to improve your character. Can't beat the next boss in the next area? Kill the one you just beat over and over and hope for some better gear to drop. The process will get you enough gear or levels so that the next stage will be easier and you can move on. Yes, many games tend to fail because of how grindy it is, but Diablo seems to be a game that thrives on it. I really hate grinds in games, but I just ended my most recent farming run so I can type up this post.
What makes the Diablo grind so tolerable is a combination of small things. For starters, there are monsters to fight almost everywhere. In a given map, you can count on a group of them waiting just around the next corner. There will always be the threat of your character dying if you are not careful as long as you play through an appropriately challenging area.
The randomness in the game also keeps everything fresh. Maps have some parts that are randomly generated and monsters are also randomly placed in there. That room of that dungeon you just farmed may no longer be there and may suddenly contain elite monsters hell bent to farm you for loot. Yes, this is also probably one of the more frustrating things in the game. The random monster generator can give you four that each shoots lasers, leaves fire trails, spits fire, and shields itself and there's nothing you can do but scream and whine while you reload your game.
But with the randomness comes the desire to try to beat whatever the game throws at you and the ability system of Diablo 3 allows you to costumize how you play. As I mentioned earlier, there are only 7 ability buttons in the game, one of which is reserved for the health potion, but there are a LOT of abilities for each character. And each ability comes with several runes that will add some effect or change how that ability works. By the time you hit level 60, you will have several options on how to play the game. Experimenting with builds and gear sets is also part of what makes the grind fun because now you are benchmarking yourself. Does the build work or feel better than the last one? No? Then switch up a few things to see if you can make it work.
Co-op games also make the grind bearable by being able to share the misery with others. People in your friends list can join your games at any time and it makes the encounters have they difficulty increased appropriately. Yes, this means that people will need to work together to beat some fights. As expected, joining a public game with strangers is far less satisfying than working with friends that have access to voice communications like Ventrilo or Skype or cans tied with really long string.
The last thing that makes the grind fun is the game's simplicity. Every action you do has some reaction. Be it moving from one place to another or hitting a monster so hard, pieces start flying off screen. There is that instant gratification factor in the game of just signing on and beating on monsters or finishing quests that, ironically, may make you forget the time of day. Even more ironically, Diablo may not be a game for you if you only have an hour or so of play time.
The auction house adds yet another level of instant gratification where you can help alleviate the game's random loot system. With gold relatively easy to make, and millions of people in the game, its not too difficult to find some bargains. Whether that will be true when the Real Money Auction House hits, that will be left to be seen.
One of the biggest flaws of the game is partly one of it's strengths in that Diablo 3 is a purely online game. If you do not have a BattleNet account, you cannot play. If the BattleNet servers go down, you cannot play. There's no offline mode for those who don't really care too much about the online aspects of the game. This could not have been more apparent than launch day where literally millions of people were trying to log on at the same time. And no, I waited it out and everything has been working well since then. But I would have love to have some kind of way I can play offline even if it means that gear and characters don't carry over.
With all that said, Diablo 3 is still not a game for everybody. As enjoyable as it is, the game is still a grind and not many really care for that. The difficulty levels can also discourage some players. Normal and Nightmare modes can be done through some brute force, but Hell and Inferno mode are deadly. I've personally hit a wall with Inferno mode and my time has been spent trying to find a way I can beat encounters. It is a wall that has had me thinking that perhaps the game has beaten me. Maybe I just need a few more hours to work out my build. Or a few days.
Time for more Diablo 3 to find out then.
Highlights
- The graphics are simply amazing! There is quite a lot of detail in the game world and it's a shame that the isometric view zoom level does not do it too much justice.
- Whimsyville. Google or Bing it. I suppose Yahoo works too.
- Co-op. It really is the best way to play.
- Auction house has revealed me to be a closet bargain shopper. Nothing like digging through the dollar box to find a good deal on an armour set.
- Inferno mode makes me want to kick a kitten. But it is very, VERY satisfying when progress is being made. I meant Inferno mode and not kicking kittens.
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