NOT ANYUZER

Deadline City at work last week, including doing a few interviews which are going to be published on something called the Internet. Feel free to create a blog that nitpicks everything I do or say.

And because the guy I've hired to camp this blog and write about stuff when I'm not here is still being shipped from Korea, there were a few dialogue-worthy occurances that didn't grace this beautiful, aesthetically pleasing page.

So, without further ado except to say "What the hell? Elves? Awww, come on.", let's get. it. on:

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Yes, you heard right. Elves. Ultima Online announced it's 7th expansion over it's 23 year history (give or take a few) by reaching into the ancient Ultima lore, rummaging around a bit, throwing away precasting (beyotch), and pulling out the easy-to-draw-and-animate-because-you-only-have-to-change-the-ears-and-skin-palette-on-a-human

Elves.

Dibs on "Leggollas"! OMG, I'll be so cool.

Meanwhile, CorpNews reports that they aren't the only ones fed up with elves - namely the dwindling list that is the UO employee roster.

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On the topic of Devs Gone Wild, Gamespot - always at the forefront of MMO news because all that advertising pays them the big bucks - winds back their calendar a month and reports on the ex-Blizzard employees now working at NCSoft. This has been covered and discussed before, but this reiteration saw Slashdot Games, a subsidiary of Gamespot, plays host to apparent seekrit infoz from a Blizzard employee.

A lot of people are leaving, mainly because they feel their hands were tied over WoW. Corporate refuses to put much money into the WoW project, and it frustrates us as much as the customers. When Vivendi forced the game out in November, we literally spent weeks stuck in the office because the servers were constantly crashing. Some co-workers didn't see their families for a week, sleeping on the floors and couches in the break room. Management was bitching all the time about how much money "we're" losing.

Many desks are empty now, more and more co-workers are leaving, rumor is NCSoft is promising faster release schedules, and Vivendi not breathing down our necks. The morale is awful, mainly the long cycles for each project, working 4..5 years on something takes a lot out of you, then the massive rewrites because another company came out with a feature we planned to use, or the hardware changed, it erodes you. Ghost won't be out by christmas, expect it delayed again until summer 06, and the next pipeline project isn't due out until 2008. It's expected that WoW will keep the company in enough funds to remain solvent until then. I'll probably be looking somewhere else, I pity the kids they end up hiring.

Nothing surprising, really. Welcome to the World of Video Games, corporate style, girlfriend. Although previous Blizzard refugess have left to star in their own scripts (Guild Wars, London: Hellgate), I'd wager (pure speculation here because my job description as MMO blogger clearly states I must speculate at least 3 times a week) that the deserters in question here are junior designers/artists/programmers looking for an opportunity to place that word "senior" or "associate" in front of their title. Regardless of your scope on the project, having "World of Warcraft" on your resume is like an All You Can Eat ticket at Caesar's Casino buffet. Shrimp and all.

Meanwhile, Blizzard's "LookingForGroup" page bulges. Interestingly, the top position is for a "In-Game Customer Support Manager".  Ohnoes. What has happened to our friend GM Maleki?

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Blizzard released a patch containing the first iteration of Battlegrounds. Mainstream gaming sites salivate over it like no patch has been drooled upon before.

My own pixel slaying experience revolves around watching two zerging waves of players push each other back and forth between two suitably skeleton-infested graveyards. I'm instantly reminded of Southshore and wonder to myself "Wasn't this Battlegrounds thing meant to offer something different?". Apparently allowing a smaller group to splinter off and take some unguarded spots of interest would require tactics or something. And we certainly don't want that.

The mechanics of the WoW Battlegrounds look inviting enough - what with the giant tree I've seen only just for the first time, and the side missions guaranteed to have you begging other players to stop the lemming rush and come help - but I just can't help feeling a little...underwhelmed. Perhaps more playtime and drugs are required. In that order.

Thusly, in the week I've had to play, I surmise summarize;

For small scale skirmishes: WoW > DAoC
For large raids: DAoC > WoW
Player behavior and skills: DAoC > WoW
Accessibility to the hitting and the hurting: * > WoW

For an explanation of the last mathematical equation, I offer you my average wait time to enter one of these decreed saviors of MMO PvPing: 23 minutes. And thank your local diety I wasn't in a group as I can only guess I would instead be looking at a time somewhere around the 2 hour mark. Sob stories of 4 hour waits have reached my ears.

Why there are only a few instances of the BGs is not really beyond me, yet it annoys the fuck out of me. It's like saying you can't go hunting for xp in Burning Steppes because there are too many people camping the spawns already.

Yes, it's nice to aim for balanced sides, but there is such an overflow of people waiting to get in (confirmed with an acquaintance on opposite side of the Azeroth fence) that a bunch of new instances would/should be able to be created and invite you in to see the BG world, make friends, and then kill them. Even for that time down the track when the novelty of stabbing someone in the back repeatedly wears off and the queue gets smaller, I'll bet players would be willing to enter a 30 vs 40 fight rather than wait around for 45 minutes; some gaming is better than no gaming. I seem to remember a phrase similar to "If it's not fun, we won't put it in" being touted a while back. Hint, Blizzard. Waiting isn't fun.

Hey, in fact, while we're in the process of taking the better ideas and game mechanics from other MMOs, Blizzard, why not go the full hog? Why not take a leaf out of DAoC's book and cluster servers for PvP use only - essentially creating a large pool for players from which to draw from and create your BG instances? Disable trading between characters flagged from different servers if you like, but grin happily as you see more and more instances being filled with content players, happily smashing the crap out of each other.

Or perhaps step in the wise footsteps of your old mates over at Guild Wars and offer NPC allies that fight in instances where there is a population imbalance? Honestly, I'd take 4 AI idiots in my group over 4 real-life idiots just about any day.

Hell, try something else like giving extra honor points to the side currently at a disadvantage, or decrease the stats of enemy guards and bases. Or a combination of various gameplay tweaks. Crazy, I know, but it just might work.

But in the end it all comes down to what's fun, doesn't it? I mean, that's what you said. Population imbalances can be made to be tolerated or even, through the use of gameplay balancing, enjoyed. Good luck making me get off about staring at my idle avatar for half an hour, so close to the fun and so far away from Ironforge, PvE raids, or anything else remotely enjoyable.

(Oh, and while you're at it, I don't believe a groupless Mage using a raid as protection to throw out an AOE here or there should be getting more contribution points than the grouped tanks taking down the bulk of the enemy frontline. Kthnx)

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BBC reported that Qiu Chengwei, the man arrested for killing Zhu Caoyuan,  has been given a suspended death sentence and instead could spend the remains of his rested experience behind bars. It is believed Qiu Chengwei was happy about the ruling until he met his cellmate and prison Dungeon Lord of the Dark Abyss, Bubba.

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Squeenix fans have still not stopped squeeling.

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Mythic began advertising positions for the Warhammer Online development team; pins up notice in the Blizzard employee locker room.

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WoW players complained about a bug.

Blizzard acknowledged bug, explained bug, and said they won't fix bug in time for patch.

More players complained about said bug.

Blizzard said that is not in fact how the bug works, and explained bug again. Still won't fix bug.

Even more players complained about bug, said Blizzard explanation is wrong.

Blizzard said it will fix bug, and even offers snide comment about the extra work it will take. Unsurprisingly, patch is not delayed as a result of this bug being fixed.

Blizzard still has yet to pick up a clue from the AH. As Kitsune succinctly supplies, "Players shouldn't have to beg and plead and petition and rant and picket to get a bug fixed. You shouldn't have to mobilize a public uprising to get a working game.".

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Jessica Mulligan joined the staff of Terranova. Has only to work at SOE and Aggrome to collect the full MMO coffee cup set.

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SOE supplied details about the newest EQ expansion. Scientists verify that the boxes of EQ expansions can now be seen from Space. Hospitals report an increase in patients checking themselves in for shock related trauma after SOE plans to include something actually asked for by players - the return of Project M.

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Slashdot links to SirBruce's E3 brief impressions about certain MMOs, and cites SirBruce's comment about Vanguard: Saga of Heroes - a game he states he wasn't able to get a good look at. Fiery "Brad McQuaid" Avenger feels the update doesn't contain enough of his special brand of sauce and asks people for help defending the game - that's right, fans that haven't seen the game either.

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Back to some semblance of normality. Maybe even something worth reading at some point. Shock. Horror.

Comments

[anyuzer]

When your name is synonymous with death, you know you've won at the internet!

[Cosmik]

Priceless.

[krones]

This shit is way too fuckin ominous for me to even wrap my skull around. I was about to go into a bedlam with the lack of injected n3rfed humor and it's great to see your back, for a minute there I thought you would pull an anyuzer.

[D-0ne]

"Some co-workers didn't see their families for a week, sleeping on the floors and couches in the break room. Management was bitching all the time about how much money "we're" losing."

Boo Hoo! Welcome to adulthood. I fear the laziness of the next generation, I really do.

I can recall a time at 37 years of age when I worked 19 hours a day for 28 days straight and got all of "Good job!" at the time and laid off for it six months later as in that months worth of over time I literally made my job obsolete via automation. go go corperate america

[D-0ne]

Vanguard is going to suck more than SWG sucked.

Oh and I can too spell, c o r p o r a t i o n.

[drypulse]

while waiting for bg's does suck ass... once in queue you can go wherever you want and be anywhere in the world and when its ready it'll port ya in

[Ian]

I'm soooooo done with WoW. Playing Eve online now since I got my cookie for reaching 67th rank in the "honor (HAHAHA) system" on Archimonde. BG = big disappointment. "Ok, let's make it like Southshore, but with a queue to get in! BRILLIANT!" Went to find some PvP elsewhere while I waited but... everyone was standing around the entrance to BG duelling. YYYAAAWWWWWWN! Thanks for the memories Blizzard, good game but "I've lost.... that looooving feeling.... whoa that looooving fee-eee-ling".

Anyhow, glad you're back Cosmik. You rock like Led Zepplin.