Resort vs. Sandbox MMOG Design Part 1 - Immersion

As my adventures in Darkfall continue, so does the analyzing of its design concepts. This post was actually started several days ago, and has been slowly germinating ever since. Now it's just too big for its pot, so I'll be splitting it into two parts. Part 1 will venture into the systems which make players attempt to have fun, in Darkfall Online and World of Warcraft. Part 2 will contrast the risk and reward circuits between both games. 

Despite Aventurine's self-destructive attitude towards its community, they are in fact continuing to make Darkfall Online a functioning game. Cities finally have gates to go with their gatehouses. They've balanced out more pseudo-exploits that take advantage of the macro mindset. More people have successfully purchased it. However, they still don't give warning before server restarts, even though players can lose their mounts or rafts when that happens. They say they're working on a fix for that, but in the meantime they give the cold shoulder to unfortunate players. Apparently, a clan managed to bring the entire server down just by building a guard tower, which was glitched to the point it attacked its makers. Two steps forward, one step backward, apparently.

They may not know what they're doing on a Public Relations level, but Aventurine did pretty well for themselves by designing a world system that empowers its playerbase to make their own fun. Experienced players are self-guided in their playspace, as they don't need missions or quests in order to procure a productive experience. Instead, other players and player-driven situations provide opportunities.

Darkfall, simply stated, relies heavily on players being responsible for their own immersion.

A game like World of Warcraft, however, makes the player into a tourist.  They're shuffled from one location to the next activity, towards bigger and cooler locations, to more awesome drinks and fireworks.  They can give themselves up, and go with the flow.  The sweet, turn-off-your-brain river of repetition and reward.

Residents of Agon are left to their own devices, with little guidance outside of other players. They become engaged beyond the aesthetics and simple mechanics, quickly joining the rain of pebbles descending on the pond, each attempting to push back the waves from enemy players.  In Darkfall, even a newbie can help influence the world stage, if they're at the right spot at the right time.  That's pretty exhilirating. 

For example, you start off in one of the racial starting cities - one of three surrounding fortresses per race Capitol.  Quickly getting ordered to kill goblins, you run out with your newbie weapon and start the difficult fight, slowly collecting crappy armor as you watch your skill go up with the weapon.  Passing by the city is a small patrol of a large clan, who you strike up a conversation with.  Impressed with your outlook, they give you a mount so you can follow them to their home city.  Along the way, you manage to spot a large enemy force stalking your party, and you alert your new allies.  They quickly alert their clan on Ventrilo, and set up an ambush. 

Because of you, 10 players lost everything on their characters. And it's your first day.

By limiting the game-driven influence on a player, they allow the user to take a larger ownership - and investment - in the game experience itself. 

Contrast this with something like World of Warcraft, which is designed around holding the player's hand as their character simply follows the giant glowing exclamation marks to their next activity. Naturally more options become available to a player later on the game, concerning what they want to do in Azeroth, just as return visitors know what rides to attend or avoid when they go to Disneyworld.

This isn't inherently bad design, as WoW's success can attest.  I do wonder, however, if people in Azeroth become more mesmerized than immersed in the world.  I've heard somewhere that the human brain easily goes into auto-pilot when in a sensory-collection mode, as if in a grocery store.  

Due to the ever-changing conditions that lie just under the surface of Darkfall, though, I find myself almost always engaged on a higher level.

State of Darkfall Online

The steady fall of Ultima Online has taken with it the promised land of persistent, hardcore PvP. Nearly all MMOGs since have focused on the EverQuest/MUD-based model of gameplay. By simplifying and streamlining those theories, World of Warcraft introduced a huge audience to the genre. These 'carebears' ended up marginalizing the players out there who desired something more out of an MMOG since every company wanted to take a slice of Blizzard's multi-million-dollar-per-month cake.

Being 'gamers first,' and not businessfolk, Athens-based indie company Aventurine has struggled through nearly a decade of development. Often whispered as Ultima Online's 'spiritual successor,' Darkfall would reintroduce the concepts of risk, danger, and control to the MMOG playbook. Full loot, first-person style combat, and character skill-based stats had the hopeful drooling and the naysayers crying, "Vaporware!"
Finally, late last year, Darkfall entered its Closed Beta. Not everyone was let in, but I was fortunate enough to participate. While the world of Agon had its glitches, its potential was easy to see. Players didn't have levels, so there was no "you have to be this old to ride the mount" mechanic. Someone could come in game, get geared up by a friend, and start fighting other players. If they really wanted to, at least.
At the end of February, Darkfall was 'launched' in an absolutely terrible fashion. A sequence of hoops was created, and at the end was a pre-order which would allow beta-testers to have a head start. At least, that was the plan.
The Account Management that Aventurine used was inadequate for the demand, on top of ISP issues preventing a great deal of people from even seeing the webpage properly to begin with. Some Accounts which were made - like mine - were bugged from the beginning to never work. Others would only pretend to pre-order the game, instead failing utterly.
Unsurprisingly, the Account Management link that was given out to the Beta Testers as a whole was quickly posted to the forums. Aventurine was too busy trying to get its game launched to even apologize properly (read: give them Accounts) to the beta testers left high and dry. While they've since fixed Account Management and everyone who wants an Account can make one, not everyone who wants to purchase the game can, at the moment. There's just not enough servers for the demand.
This is all beside mechanics which had yet to be fully balanced while still in Beta. Mounted combat was given a huge boon right before 'launch,' but refinement of the new damage dealt had yet to occur. Sieges - the practice of, not neccessarily including Warhulks and Cannons - were far too rare to have given much accurate feedback. The servers would still shut down for maintenance at the drop of a hat, with no warning, essentially destroying any travel progress one has made along with their mount. 
However, those who considered themselves fortunate enough to have taken their chance at purchasing Darkfall soon found intense sync issues once back in-game. At its peak, the most profitable thing to do was fish for lobster, since a player was unable to react to the goblins blinking around them.
While the syncing was being worked on, Aventurine prevented new purchases of the game. There was a new issue, with the queue to enter the game growing longer and longer. Players were leaving their clients on while they went to work, and were still waiting for a play slot when they returned home. In order to allow people to play Darkfall from any browser, the Darkfall Simulator was made - essentially a few images on a web-page showing Darkfall's unmoving queue. In essence, people were paying to wait to play an Open Beta version of Darkfall. 
For those still in-game, lag is still a major issue when large groups gather. Though outside of that, I'm reassured that Darkfall is very enjoyable for those players who love skirmish-sized combat, as well as having a sense of pride for building a city. 
It bears clarification: the players in-game are a fraction of those who want to be. The community is exceedingly frustrated with Aventurine. I clearly remember stating back in Beta that I would pay the subscription just to sight-see, since Darkfall's settings could be so beautiful. There were times I could just sit down on a cliff and watch the clouds go by. That charm is still there, but its being eclipsed by Aventurine's projected incompetance more and more. 
It's harsh to phrase it that way, and I agree. If you think I'm overdoing it, you should visit Darkfall's forums. At least I have compassion. I think what Aventurine has done is spectacular, and they have the making of one of the 'essential' MMOGs. However, the cold shoulder that the Darkfall community feels from Aventurine only amplifies the game's shortcomings, and further threatens its longevity. 
As can be expected, a lot of players and players-to-be are wondering about the true state of Aventurine's finances. It's not a huge step of logic to consider that the company was forced, one way or another, to launch before the game was ready in order to start some sort of cash flow.
Despite a stumble out of the starting gate, Aventurine and Darkfall can still rejoin the pack. There is an obviously neglected niche, which Darkfall (mostly) covers. Aesthetic and social details, which are outvoted by the hardcore PvP types, need to be addressed as soon as mechanics are balanced well. Otherwise, Agon will be a simulation instead of a world.
Even though the community is highly dedicated to Darkfall, 'forumfall' is quite simply too toxic to stand. Players are juggling the theories of arrogance, incompetence, and apathy in order to cope with Aventurine's vague and shallow-looking Public Relations. The company's image needs more than a pinata saying, "There will be ample compensation for any missed game-time." 
I believe that offering up some transparency into the operations of Aventurine would go a long, long way. Several studios have successfully used developer video-diaries and mini-documentaries to help with an irritable playerbase. The outspoken players may tend to be fickle and crude but they're actually very forgiving. And patient, too.
In short, Darkfall is having trouble with its eggshell. Aventurine seems to be an aloof parent doing the best it can. The hatchling isn't exactly strong enough for the real world quite yet, but now that it's here the only option is to nurture it. The beast has a strong heart, and as long as Aventurine can keep itself alive I think Darkfall can grow out of its emaciated and bewildered state into a fire-breathing contender.

Enter Raptor Valley

So Titan Quest is fun, but its mod creation tools are almost as much. Lavinia is there for scale.

A little peek into the transition area approaching the marsh of my level. I'm calling it Raptor Valley, in the hopes that later on I'll be able to replace the main player-character model with one of the 'Raptor' models. Then, I'm hoping to have a branching storyline, using the same map progressing through time - instead of progressing through different areas altogether.

Combat will be negligent, amazingly enough, and will be more about exploration and world interaction. Depending on certain factors when a level ends, the world will change accordingly. Kill too much prey, for instance, and you'll quickly die of starvation. Hunt too many humans, and they'll start hunting you back.

At least, I hope I can do all of this.

RE 5, Racism, Poverty

Yesterday I reached a threshold with this Resident Evil 5 discussion on race. I'm extremely frustrated that everyone is talking about RE5's racist imagery, and essentially ignoring what I'm calling 'perpetuation factors' of African stereotypes.  And yes, the trailer itself does have racist imagery, and being able to see it doesn't make you a racist.

The Game Overthinker said it really well in his take on the RE5 issue. 

[Africa is] "...a region that's often scary enough what with all the wild animals, crippling poverty, near-constant civil wars, and an omnipresence of AIDS so thick that the local warlord's roving death squads can cut it with their machetes."

I highly recommend listening to it, as it's an essential side of the discussion.  Here's another article which further highlights the viewpoint of privileged youth.  Here's a good interview with N'Gai Croal (may he consult in peace) where he clarifies his take on the situation.

So yes. Capcom messed up by taking a baseball bat to the anthill instead of a decidedly more tactful approach.  Even though the anthill is gone, all the critters are now everywhere and really mad.  (It's not a perfect analogy, but I think it's close enough.)

Now, a lot of folks are arguing here and there that gamers as a whole need to start taking this discussion seriously, if games and games journalism are ever going to be taken seriously as a whole.  I think that means we need to broaden the conversation from just racist imagery, to include perceptions of Africa.  

Let me make this clear: I'm not saying that racism and understanding racist imagery is not important, or any less important. 

It's a good idea to teach people that yes, a white guy shooting only black people appears racist, and this is why.  I also think it's a good idea to teach people that yes, many parts of Africa do in fact brutally kill each other on a regular basis, and this is why.  (Tribal law, religious tradition/superstition, lack of education, suppressing economic factors, etc.)

And, naturally, not all of Africa is like that.  There is in fact some good in Africa.  Probably.  Somewhere.  I would expect.  I hope. 

I'm not an expert on African history or culture, otherwise I'd feel much more comfortable going into the points I brought up.  I'll see if I can cobble a companion post together, soon.

If you're still apathetic on why all this matters, or vehemently think it doesn't, than I invite you to take a look at the following two links, courtesy of Brinstar's fantastic blog: Acid for Blood.

A primer on privilege: what it is and what it isn't

“Check my what?” On privilege and what we can do about it

Feeling like a Hero

Those who have known me for any reasonable amount of time would nod in agreement when I admit to having a hero complex. I often imagine situations where I put myself in harms way in order to protect the people around me. While I do have an ego, and will readily surrender to being fawned over, I don't believe this mentality is primarily for social reasons. Deep down, I believe that having heroes in the world is important, and that people must step up when the need arises.

Last night, I was playing on a private server of Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst. Having just started, I was still getting the hang of the proto-Fable combat style when my two-person team stumbled upon a Dragon's lair. My barely-equipped sword-swinging male avatar, and a slightly lower level, quite cute and short, female mage. Against a big huge dragon.

Now, this fight didn't pan out exactly like other MMORPGs. Normally you just run up and start attacking the dragon itself in those. In PSO, however, it was much more like a multiplayer Legend of Zelda boss. You had to attack its feet, until it fell over, when you could attack its head. When it flew into the air, you had to try and avoid its firebreathing. When it dove underground, you had to avoid its lava-burrowing "hax." Then restart the cycle.

After a few false-starts (as I learned how to fight the thing) the two of us found ourselves locked in a lasting fight with the beast. However, the mage's lack of health made it easy prey for one-shot KOs, and my character spent most of the battle fighting alone.

Well, not alone, as the situation translated as such: The dashing swordsman risks life and limb to fell an epic beast, racing against time as his companion watches, bleeding out on the sidelines.

The fight became not only a game-event, but it became a performance as well. This single addition made the experience more rewarding than any quest I had ever done in WoW, or EVE, and probably other traditional MMOGs.

I feel as though the key difference is that I, personally, had a higher stake in the fight. It wasn't just 'shin-kicking combat,' but an actual engagement. You tend to already have an audience in games like Guild Wars, but I never felt impressed by someone taking out a monster. I knew the mechanics behind the fight relied primarily on arbitrary numbers, instead of actual player skill.

My fight with the Dragon of Forest II had more than just stats involved. Knowing when to go all out with attacks, and from what angle to attack from, all played a part. It was much more fast-paced than the boss battles I've seen in WoW. I feel as though if I was in the mage's place, laying on the ground with a perpendicular view to the world - watching my partner in single combat in this game - I would have been just as impressed as she was.

The point being, I really don't like what combat has become in most online games. Yes, simplicity is very important, but there's the danger of detachment as well. I wonder if most MMOG players have simply come to accept detachment from their characters.

Or, am I just tainted by consideration of mechanics, when playing these kinds of games? If you play WoW, or EVE, or another shin-kicking combat MMOG, do you wish the combat had something more to it?

Mid-September Misc

Gaia Online's getting ever closer to the release of zOMG.   An essential part of that experience, though, was finally unchained - Gaia Instant Messenger.  If you're logged onto Gaia, this spiffy piece of JavaScript can let you instantly talk to anyone on you Friendslist who's currently on GIM, in real time.

 
This is a really important step for Gaia, I believe, as it now offers something crucial that will really help when Guilds get revamped.  Browser-based chatting is very helpful when you're not able or don't have time to download and install an instant messenger.  I wonder how that thing works on smartphones?  Now if people would actually use the damn thing.

The other thing they released is Aquariums.  People have been asking for pets for a long time now, and this seems to be an extremely clever (if not passive) way of starting that code library.  Being able to take care of your fish, make them happy, and get items for it sounds like a ton of fun, personally.  I can only hope they add Terrariums later, so we can have reptiles, too.

These kind of releases make me confident about Gaia's future.  They make some really stupid mistakes sometimes, but they learn from them.  That, and they're doing their best, and you can tell.  Lanzer's latest journal entry goes into a bit of detail that's nice to see from the head honcho, and apparently it's the first of three entries like that.  It's interesting to note how much loyalty that the administration's transparency brings.  

Just a passing thought, but could this be the seed for future professionals to demand that they see what their superiors are up to?  Considering how many young people are using Gaia (at least a couple million), it very well could be.  So, that earns Gaia even more of my respect.

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Giant Bomb posted a link to Bethesda's new Fallout 3 site.  It is epic, to say the least.  A collection of short animations and videos that really drive home the world of Fallout.  Not only that, but current fans are going to love it.   I'm glad they're really making use of the internet with this game's marketing.  They're not the first ones to do it, don't get me wrong; but between Penny-Arcade's comic series and all the other media that's available, they certainly know how to get people excited for a game.

***

I finally got to play Peggle last night.  I finally understand what all the hubbub was about, when it was released.   Now if only there was loot involved, people would probably never see me again.

***

Michael Abbott, who writes the Brainy Gamer Blog, also does the Brainy Gamer Podcast.  I'm still rather new to everything the Gamerati Blogosphere has to offer, but I know for a fact that this Blog and Podcast is one of The Essentials.  Especially now that he's doing the Gamers Confab, and inviting different bloggers to chat with him about things.  I'm finding more people to listen to, who are smarter than I am, because of this one single Blog, and it's amazing.  

Here's my takes on a few of the subjects they talk about.  You might be a little lost unless you give the 'cast a listen, which I highly recommend.

On Singstar, and Karaoke in general:

Personally, I'd enjoy it a lot more if I had more practice. At one point in time I was able to harmonize with Brandon Boyd's (from Incubus). Now, not so much - but I feel that I'd really enjoy singing again if I could just sound better. Not that it prevents me from singing along with Paramore's Crushcrushcrush, in the car.

On Team Fortress 2: 

I've been hearing so much about this game ever since it came out, but now it seems like I absolutely must get this game as soon as possible. Everywhere I turn it seems that people are saying, "this is how you make PvP".

  
On LittleBigPlanet: 

I still don't get the excitement for it. It's probably because the creator tools didn't sell me, they seemed too clunky and they took far too long to deal with. Maybe once I get my hands on it, I'll change my mind. I'm sure some players are going to make some pretty incredible things, but I think they'll also have much more patience than I do for that kind of stuff.

On Pokemon-shame:  

It's really interesting how many older gamers still love Pokemon, but don't really want to admit it. There's a huge undertow that Nintendo has yet to tap into, I believe, of fans wanting something more. Especially a Pokemon MMOG that's beyond what the gameplay currently is. Something similar to the drama that the Anime brings to Pokemon. Being able to make crazy fighting conditions and combos and level destruction. Heck, being able to have an Onyx as a mount would make my day. I'm very curious to know what Nintendo's up to - are they just milking this craze for everything its worth?

On Sporn:

Awhile ago I was thinking about all the news that the Spore Creature Creator was getting, due to people making phallic objects and creatures having sex. I was considering the similarities between some of the creatures being made, and ancient fertility idols.

(Interesting aside, Wikipedia's "Fertility Idol" redirects to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Is it just a part of human nature to express our sexuality? Given something like Spore, that makes this kind of thing so easy to do - can we blame people for doing it? Is it actually a bad thing? As a culture, I mean.  

On an individual level, I certainly don't want to have my Spore experience plagued by every race I meet having sex all the time. Can you imagine, getting into space, then jetting off to meet your first neighbor - only to find that they're always getting it on whenever you hail them, and they don't even stop? They just keep on going at it, while you talk to one of them. How rude.

Or, having an Epic Penis terrorize my creature phase. In fact, I just don't want to have to deal with an Epic Penis at all.