Welcome to Part III of a four-parter about the elements I hope I like in two big upcoming MMORPGs: Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, and Elder Scrolls Online. Part I introduced my overall expectations, perspective, and the topics I wanted to discuss, while Part II delved into Character Customisation.
Welcome to Part III of a four-parter about the elements I hope I like in two big upcoming MMORPGs: Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, and Elder Scrolls Online. Part I introduced my overall expectations, perspective, and the topics I wanted to discuss, while Part II delved into Character Customisation.
3…2…1… GO!!! And the race is off. Got the boost. Looking good. Drift the corner and…. WO!?!? there goes my ghost from last run. An unforgettable and befuzzling event that seems to be a motif of speed runs and time trials. Continue reading
Last time, I left off with a bit of a cliffhanger (okay, maybe more like a mild step-hanger). In that post, I talked about how it’s not enough for an MMORPG to be a place to game with friends, I want it to be a place for good gaming with friends (I’m greedy like that). I even highlighted some of the general elements which I consider necessary for a good game in this kind of genre (character customisation, combat and pacing through the world) and what I expect from each one. Continue reading
Growing up, there was always the choice to sled down my driveway or at the local golf course. The local golf course had advantages; people had trail-blazed paths, it was larger and steeper, I could interact with people I didn’t know, perhaps try someone else’s sled. Continue reading
…the gaming experience was generally mine and mine alone. Or at least, I could pretend it was. It is that feeling that is harder to come by years later. Continue reading
There are a few big titles in the MMORPG space coming soon (beta tests running or being organised as I write this). I’m looking at Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Elder Scrolls Online as, potentially, the representatives for (good) modern game design in the genre (though a quick shout out to Dragon Quest X, on which I will also be keeping an eye). That’s a pretty hefty forecast, and needs more than a little clarification and qualification, so let’s begin at the beginning: where I’m coming from as a gamer.
Obviously, I don’t go through life with an expectation of revival. If I walked in front of a speeding truck I wouldn’t expect to just wake up in my bed a moment later, a day earlier. But I think the idea still holds insights relating to 1) a juxtaposition to reality and 2) the tactician’s perspective. Continue reading
I wasn’t cognizant of the fact that I was dreaming, but was present enough to abstract out of the setting I was thrown into, and confidently decide that I was in a movie/game. For whatever reason (perhaps setting, cinematography, and general vibe) I had some cognitive foresight which changed the way I approached each frightening situation. Continue reading
Ten to fifteen play hours after my last post, I’m back to follow up on the indie pc adventure game, Resonance. In WIHILA Resonance, I asked what this game could add to the gameplay of a generic adventure game that I’d not seen before. What I found was a little gem called Memory. Here’s a primer. Continue reading
Turn Based Living 