Downloading LOTRO. Which MMO is truly the best?

So I find myself downloading LOTRO. I think I’m bored. This must be the only reason as I have dabbled in LOTRO many years ago and since have delved into a wealth of MMOs of different types over the years, but have never stuck it out on any one specifically for an exceptionally long length of time.

Maybe I’m not the kind of guy for MMOs. Perhaps my attention span warrants a car racing game or a quick-fire shoot-em up. My craving however, that niggling feeling at the back of my mind always maintains. The craving for an MMO, any MMO. Just get me levelling up!

What are your thoughts and do you have any preference over MMOs? I note that all MMOs tend to follow the same basic structure, however they all have their unique selling points (most, at least).

Dirt 3. Hang on a minute..

So I decided to have a go at Dirt 3 and attempt to fully complete the single player campaign. What is incredibly frustrating and annoying however is the fact that DLC plays such a fundamental role in the game. So much so, that if i want to be able to 100% the game and achieve all the points from each of the 'triangles' it sets out, I have to buy an add-on/DLC to do so.

I would think if you buy a game, you should at least be able to 100% complete the game and any DLC will come as a bonus which is optional. The sheer fact that the DLC comes as part of the 100% completion raises the question.. why was this content not included with the disc content?

The era of DLC has begun and I fear this may only be increased ten fold in the next gen due out at the end of this year.

Bioshock Infinite. Would You Stay?

Say, perhaps, you ended up living amongst the clouds in the much more heightened version of Columbia. Life is great.. everybody is happy and everyday seems to be as bright, sunny and full of cheer as the last. Life is much more interesting. One problem, severe racism.

 

Your only way to escape from this world is to destroy all the apparent happiness and community and in the process, escape aboard an airship to the solid ground far below; risking your life. Alternatively, do you merely accept that everybody around you is a racist and decide to live in the seeming paradise for the rest of your life instead?

 

Likely death or possible escape and the destruction of an outlandish community, versus reluctant acceptance into a morally wrong community for a life of peace and no worries. Which one would you choose?

Gamerscore or Trophies?

Which one is better. Do you like the thought of all of your achievements being held into an accumulative score, or do you prefer the random mix of bronze, silver and gold trophies which ultimately determine your current user level (I guess this is more similar to people who play MMOS or any game with an RPG development side to it).

Ultimately, as I dive between the two, I don't see that one is better than the other. I just see them as an additional element to each individual game that can make the game that little bit more addictive or replayable.

To consider trophies or a gamerscore as a reflection of your gaming prowess could be considered ignorant. You may completely dominate a certain genre of game, whilst not as much with another. Plus the fact that some achievements/trophies are insanely hard to get, or require you to invest a lot more time than you would ideally like to.

I think this system would work a lot better and mean a lot more to us if we actually saw real rewards from it (i.e: reach 20000 gamerscore or level 10 and we will give you *** store credit/points). This would create a whole new buzz around the system and make people, hopefully, invest more time in their games, rather than moving onto the next big thing.

What Is The Formula In Making A Long-Standing MMO?

There are various different aspects that affect the longevity of an MMO and when it's date with imminent death is. These include:

- The game becomes stale (same old stuff, just remade in a slightly different way)
- No user support or very little
- Playerbase never takes off so it doesn't last outside of a year
- Competition
- No unique selling point

Take a look at the below article which tells us more about what Guild Wars 2 is planning to do going forward to try and maintain their playerbase. The factors they discuss are fairly common sense, however, even with the best laid plans it may still prove futile.

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/03/07/how-guild-wars-2-plans-to-survive

This is because the MMO genre can be very fickle, purely because there are so many options available. It's very easy to be able to move onto different adventures.

So what makes an MMO stick? What do you love about your favourite MMO that means you aren't easily deferred onto something else?

Rant: Logging Into Guild Wars 2!

I have been trying to login to Guild Wars 2 this afternoon, and it would not let me login. My first assumption was that this was due to the fact that I had not logged in for a month or two and I had forgot my password (although I was certian I had it correct).

I clicked the 'recover my account' button and this led to a webpage that was currently unavailable. From this, I then clicked onto the 'reset my password' button, this link was also not working. From this, I then went directly to the website and went through the reset process, after fully entering the serial code from the box, amongst other details, I successfully reset my password.

I tried to login again and it still tells me my details are invalid, both username and password. I could reset it again but id have to enter in the serial code again.

Not to mention the other various times it has asked me to authorise my location because im logging in on a different device, although I don't turn my router off and I use the same computer. I had to disable this function.

Result. MMOs sometimes may not realise how fickle the genre is and due to the wide competition there is out there, it is very easy to move on. I gave up and began to boot up WoW so I can plow through, up to level twenty, to see if I want to get back into that instead.

Games can have security but some are overly done. It is only a game at the end of the day and I find it easier to login to things that should be more secure (like banking), than I do into this game.

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Gaming Sequels.

Sequels seems to be the foundation on which the video gaming industry lies on these days. A game wouldn't be a successful game unless it is franchised into a sequel (or 5).

It's a saddening thought as this means that originality and fresh challenges become less and less as the same game is reprocessed with a few small Addons and enhancements here and there. It's understandable however, as of course in these financial times, it's better to play a safe bet that you know works, rather to be experimenting in new areas. Sequels often work however, and this can be shown in:

- Grand Theft Auto (San Andreas is still the best one made to date)
- Burnout (apart from Burnout Paradise, what were they thinking..)
- Final Fantasy (7 still being the best)
- Super Mario (kind of, did they kill such a classic by reinventing it in new games again, and again)
- Silent Hill
- COD..

Amongst many others. I guess this brings me onto the question; are we running out of ideas? Has most of the possibilities within the gaming genres been covered off in some way or another?

Should Grand Theft Auto 5 Be Banned?

It appears Grand Theft Auto is in the news again with concern to whether it should be banned. This tends to happen every time a game is due to be released which is a bit too controversial that it fails to slip under the radar.

The very question seems ridiculous, as ofcourse, games are not real and are only virtual representations (whether this be realistic or not). The concern in modern society is that games like this invoke harmful emotion in people who may be easily suspectible (especially in the younger generation). This may be true but surely it is no more true of this game, than it is of a controversial poster, advert or song. Games also are not fully accessible like other forms of media, as they come with age ratings. Age ratings are ignored by parents all the time, but upon any drastic mood change or action from their child, the game is blamed. This screams ignorance.

I'm aware the issue is bigger than what it first seems and so, this must be assessed on a case by case basis as different aspects may be apparent in each.

A controversial subject, but one that shouldn't really have to be debated for too long. There are rules in place to minimise adverse effects to such media, its a shame this topic has to come into mainstream media every so often (such as with Saints Row and Hitman).

Lego Games.. What Do You Think?

Is it just me, or do Lego games simply not stack up?



I've tried my best to get into Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Lord Of The Rings and Lego Batman but, as much as a I try, I just can't find it in me to like them. Reasons being:

- There is a certain tedium with collecting coins and all the other things in order to try and obtain 100% completion, which makes it feel more like a chore than a game.

- The campaign/story is far too short, resulting in the other 80% of the game being tasked with collecting coins and handling dreary side missions.

- Glitches! I've never encountered so many in any other type of game.

This is one of the few types of game my partner does play so I always try to get involved, it's a shame I can't like them. Is it just me?!

Have You Ever Bought A Game Twice?

Maybe its just me, but once in a while, you come across a game that you have played before, but perhaps not played in quite a few years. This impulse then causes you to buy the game (now with a much cheaper price ofcourse) to play again. Personally, I can think of many games that come under this category, such as:

Broken Sword

A game I have played so many times, I could probably tell you the story from start to end. The reason this game has been bought more than once, is mainly because I've lost it somewhere over the last few years, and then it was released onto a different format many years after. I originally played Broken Sword on the Playstation One, then on the PC, and then on the perfectly suited Nintendo DS.

SimCity 4

SimCity 4 is a game that fits itself very well into no bracket whatsoever, it is not too complicated to be cumbersome to a casual gamer. Yet not too casual to put off die hard micro management/city building fans. Simcity is a game which is intriguing. Even if you've already played it, the gameplay functionality is different across varying platforms. For instance, this game can now be played (with little differences in each) on the PC, Nintendo DS and Ipad respectively.

 

 

 

 

Too much money than sense? Well the games we tend to buy again are usually extremely cheap as its many years later when we find them again, and its good to re-visit an old past time and relive it all again; in some cases, with graphical improvements too.

Graphics In Games. Are They The Be All And End All?

Here is testament to graphics and that they are not the be all and end all of gaming..

For instance, after playing Cities XL, it is of no comparison to SimCity 4. SimCity 4 is a better game in almost all aspects, other than graphics  and, due to this, I would play it over Cities XL anyday. This brings me onto Minecraft, Terraria and Doom (amongst others) which are much more enjoyable than the majority of HD, all singing, all dancing games of today.. or is it just me?



Graphics are not what makes a game.. Does this change however, dependent on the genre you are playing? For instance, when it comes to racing games and the likes of Forza and Gran Turismo, it seems graphics are a fundamental part of what would be classed as 'successful' in is genre.

Irrespective of graphic prowess, what games simply blew you away without any need for realism?