Fable 2 - DLC? Not so impressed

Too easy, not a whole lot to do, and overall could have saved 10 bucks.

I wish they would have introduced a new mob or something.
I like the idea of the special "gift" shop where unique items were held. But, the puzzles were lame, and overall Fable 2 was good while it lasted, but just does not have that longevity I like in my RPG's.

Goes on my to sell list now.

Back to some AoC (oh, and just tried the demo for the Dreamfall...the second release, Longest Journey...I think I may add that to my to buy list)

Fable 2 - Awesome game...but GOTY?``

Huh?

How did THIS happen?



I am very surprised. I really love this game, but I also believe it had some quirks that would have taken it out of the running.

The nominees were

-FABLE 2
-FALLOUT 3
-GEARS OF WAR 2
-GRAND THEFT AUTO IV
-LEFT 4 DEAD
-METAL GEAR SOLID 4:
GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
-RESISTANCE 2

There are some good titles here as well. Weird...

But, hey, I am all for this, with the hope of more DLC's and development..

BTW, on Fable 2 DLC's, seems tomorrow's was pushed back 10 days....DAMN!

Weekend gaming wrapup

Weekend took an interesting turn as I put some major hours into Tabula Rasa, hit level 15 and set off for the Divide.
I put in more time into Shin Megami, yet, due to lag and disconnects, I started to feel a bit of grind and boredom there. I still have it loaded, and will watch to make sure that when they patch up, I get back in.
Also, I finally put Lost Odyssey on the "Sell it" list. I think for myself, turn based games have become a thing of nostalgia, and really do not hold up well in today's fast based gaming world.

Tabula Rasa grabbed me totally when I went into the Crater Instance. The instances are set to scale according to players and levels. And it was a winner. I did about an hour run there, finished my Wilderness Targets of Opportunity, which completes the first zone for missions.
I now set off for the Divide, a more war torn zone, with some wildlife that is a major pain.
I did cancel my game (which ends on the 26 of December), and noted my disappointment the game is going away. I also asked why they felt the need to cancel instead of lowering the price, or offering a Guild Wars buy and play system. Even micro-transactions would be awesome.
Anyways, I plan to return when the free time kicks in again though. The game has been great fun, and I will try to get as far as I can in my time alloted.

That was it for the weekend. This week on Dec. 10th is the new DLC for Fable 2 and the patch to fix a few errors. That will get me back to that game.
Excited.
Who knows, maybe Acclaim and TCoS will become less "in the dark" this week, pull their heads out of their asses and get the CB out for Spellborn!

Maybe?

Fable 2 - Coming to PC?

Well, it seems a little rumor has been started by a German site of all places.

Worthplaying reports a German game site called Gamona has broken some news that Fable 2 could come as early as Feb of 09.

We can of course take this with a grain of salt, as they note "reliable sources". We know how those work. I think they belong to the ASS-U-ME group of reporters.

But, with the DLC coming, and having a revamp of the Xbox Live for Windows system making a comeback, this could be likely.

I would love this game in hi-def on my monitor.

Anyways, just a bit of news to start the day all bright.

Fable 2 - New Adventure awaits

Excellent.

It was announced today that a new DLC would be available come Dec. 12th (my Birthday...please send gifts to...The Mountains, NC).
Basically a whole new island will be open with a major quest line to change the once pleasant island that is full of snow to a sunshine haven.

New items, people to meet, for 800 Microsoft Points (about 10 bucks for the expansion).

Makes me wonder just how long that adventure is...

Ahhh...who cares. Seems a new patch will be released to fix some bugs also. And this now will be my chance to make my Evil character to gain those achievements.

Woot.

Love this game, and will be glad to go back!

EDIT: New website with more information

• Embark on 3 unique quests set in 3 unique dungeons.
• Unravel the mystical secrets of the resurrection shrine.
• Try on a whole new range of outfits and look like an armoured knight, an assassin, a barbarian or a leather-clad biker, among many others.
• Brandish 6 new weapons.
• Dozens of unique potions that will drastically alter your appearance.
• Customise your weapons the way you want with the new augment tool and a whole new array of augments.
• +50 additional leaderboards.

Nice.

The Xbox NXE - Netflix, Avatars, and more..

So, having been updated to the latest version of the Xbox dashboard, I played around for a bit.

The Netflix proves to be the most fun...when it works.

Thanks to being a cable user, my Internet takes a big dive during prime time. Thanks to their blocking system, where "blocks" of people group on one cable, you can tell when it gets loaded up with people.
I have complained about this before, but with no luck.
I can still get my regular speeds on downloads, but accessing pages tends to slow down, and streaming constantly chokes.
With nothing else on offer Internet wise, I deal with it.

Anyways, when it DOES work, the quality is excellent. The movies look good at HD (I have the TV set up for 1080p, so I am not sure if it is scaling or not), and there is a decent selection to stream thanks to our favorite genre (Horror).

But, the recent issues with the Sony takedown is a mess.

Basically Sony said "We are taking our toys and not sharing".

Gee, I wonder why?

All Sony studios and movies or shows are not streamable on the Xbox. When you add them to your queue and look at them, basically it says "Not available to stream on Xbox".
The excuse is licensing...uh, yea.
You "licensed" the movies for PC's, but an Xbox is so different, that it just does not work the same.
No, it is blatant childish attitudes. Pure and simple.

Well, will just have to wait and see if this changes.

Other features for the avatars are nice, but the main thing is the interface looks good, is now Hi-Def, and the ability to copy games to hard drive to speed them up is also nice...even though some are broken (Halo 3 runs worse on Hard Drive).

It is growing pains right now, but it really is a unique interface, well done, works like a charm.

Now, back to gaming some Fable 2, and then later I plan to continue my quest in Lost Odyssey (ok, ok...AFTER more Witcher...ARGH...so fun!)

I return....with the bug report

Ah yes, we love them, we know what happens, we know IT WILL happen.

I call it the bane of PC gaming (and seems to be the console problem now as well)

Bugs!

After having a long weekend, with an included field trip with a bus of 50 screaming kids, and a boring day at a location called a Discovery Place, which has exhibits on Science, Math, History, etc., I put in some time on Witcher, and tried to finish some achievements in Fable 2.

Let me start with Fable 2.
Three of us in the household.
We have all played and beaten the game.

We ALL have some glitch on our game.

The wife has a glitch that her Furniture Store has become EMPTY...especially when she was being such a nice landlord and buying the furniture to redecorate all the homes she was renting (as well as the stores she owned).
I have a glitch that was based on my first wife disappearing (yes, I got married again because that wench walked out on me)...but then she reappeared after the main story ended. But, she was still broken. Could not emote, make babies, etc.
I killed her.
Now, I have a quest to rescue my child...but it is attached to the child of the dead wife, and he was taken to protective services. So, the quest is now broken...

We ALL have a glitch that various shops and stalls will not have sales anymore (usually these would be announced with discounts or markups, etc.).

So, what happened along the way? And why is this so common (check out the huge laundry list of bugs here...)

Ugly.

Luckily our overall experience was quite fun. But, why must we suffer such bugs in today's programming? These teams for these games are huge. QA runs for quite a while. Yet, we see more bugs than is possibly imaginable.

Just like MMO's. Why is it acceptable to have this player created "6 month" window for fixes. An MMO is never really ready for 6 months after release....why?

As to PC games, we have even more issues with hardware, software glitches, etc. Not even the programmers fault, but it makes PC gaming more of a hit or miss situation.

Anyways, this takes me to the NEW enhanced, bug fixed, fixed up, uber Witcher version..

That still has old bugs.

I had decided to start over, as thanks to the enhanced version, the story is more fleshed out. It reads better, is more cohesive, and some mechanics worked better (like potion making and leveling skills).

One issue presented itself to me when I played the game last year.

I got stuck in a cave after rescuing a young boy. The wall I am supposed to knock down, would not go down. Seems an updated patch would break this wall so you could not go through.
You had to reinstall the game from scratch, and then continue that save, then could patch after knocking down the wall.

This rears it's head again in the Enhanced version.

Seems some steps will cause this to happen still.

In so many words, if a certain person is not spoken to, be prepared to go back to a previous save.

But, another bug showed up.
Seems the copy protection scheme is broken on the new version, and you need to update to the latest version of that software (TAGES protection). And to add injury to insult, you must also update the DVD firmware if it is older than the recognized format of the copy protection.

Player? Meet hoops.....can you jump?

Anyways, if you did not update the protection, a very important NPC is missing (invisible) and you cannot continue.

Both of these issues are huge game breakers.

Games cost quite a bit nowadays. We pay good money to keep the developer continuing to create these great games. But, when I am forced to search for answers to dilemma's, and sometimes there is no cure...we are stuck with a 30 dollar coaster.

I have found this missing NPC thanks to hours of installing, fixing and going back to previous saves.
But, why should I have to do that?

And is the cave going to be ok on this run through?

Same with Fable 2. These issues just make the end game sort of...not too fun to load up anymore.
(But, an announcement on something happening is coming next week...hope it is a huge bug fix patch and FREE content)

Have you gotten to the point that if you buy a game...you expect a bug? Or are you still surprised when it happens?

Shopping day - New books, and a game update

Well, Saturday was an awesome outing. Heading to the Big City (ok...Asheville,NC is NOT that big, but sure is eclectic...love living in Hippy Land).

I headed to Gamestop and grabbed the EE edition of the Witcher. Basically this took last years well done RPG and kicked it up a notch, with better graphics, enhanced dialogue, and some extra adventures (including a toolkit to create your own adventures for the character).


I really got hooked on this world after reading the books.

The Last Wish is a compilation of short stories about the main character Geralt. What is unique is how some of today's issues filter into the story (for example, Elves and Dwarves are discriminated against due to being different).
Thanks to this being a European author, we also see mention of various mythological creatures that are similar to US and Western audiences, but different enough that it warrants more research to read about.
What is even more fun is if you pay attention you can see references to various classic fairy tales in the stories.
Do not be surprised to read about Snow White, Cinderella, and Rumpelstiltskin to name a few.
Highly recommended. So is the game if you liked original NWN, but it has a single character focus along with a more action based combat system.

Moving on, two new books added to my reading list to the right on Shelfari (I bought 3 total, but can read two at a time...).
I purchased the awesome "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. The story is great in that is follows a setting I always enjoy. Magic and Mythology intermixed with today's society (the "Watch" series for example). The Old Gods (Odin, Loki, Horus, Anubis) are at war with the New Gods (Computers, TV, Airplanes) for dominance of our good ole USA...lol.

I also purchased another book based on several criteria.
A look at the cover blew me away as it looked really cool.


It also is a nod to Mystic Worlds.

Saylah was looking for something "Steampunk". And the conversation put it into my thoughts that it had been a while since I had read some Steampunk!
Finally, thanks to Fable 2's Dickensonian like setting of Victorian England with Magic and Mechanical schemes working together. From old Victorian pistols to the mechanical clock tower in the middle of town square.
The setting worked for me..

With that in mind...

Whitechapel Gods is total 100% steampunk. The beginning is quite entertaining (the first chapter discusses a disease striking everyone turning their innards to mechanical parts and their blood to oil was just what the Doctor ordered for fun.).

Finally I got my first Robert E Howard works. Having read some short stories in the past and of course everyone elses versions of his characters, I sprung for one of the new compiled editions of his originals.
I decided to go for Kull of Atlantis, as first it is not Hyboria (these works were much larger and I just wanted some quick reads) and the short story versions will give a me a feel for his overall style and if it is something I wish to pursue more.

Had some great Italian to eat, and then finished the day off with a nice new pair of Dockers shoes to replace the old smelly ones (Men seem to want to keep their shoes forever, while my wife changes shoes like underwear...).

Finally we ended the night watching the premiere of the Legend of the Seeker.
We enjoyed it. It is more serious than the Hercules and Xena shows, and as most people know, takes liberties with the stories (why must TV and Movies do this? What is really the reasoning?), but I expected this, yet we found an entertaining show that at least is something Fantasy on TV.
The effects were good, and the 300-style fight scenes were ok as well.
We enjoyed the fact that the female was also tough as nails...but, uh...when did she switch back to her old outfit after getting a new one in the middle of the show?

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

I will be out on a field trip Monday (a school bus full of 9-10 year olds is the ticket to an alka-seltzer night...woohoo), so will be FAR AWAY....

Hopefully catch up on my return...

Cheers

Fable 2 - Comes to an end...or is it?

So, after 34 hours, the main storyline comes to an end.

What a blast.

The wife is still playing all the little side quests and mini games. She has not approached the final quests as she is having too much fun.

I have opened up some new possibilities in the game after completing the game. I thought this was novel, and expands longevity of the game.

In so many words, I am not done, and I have more to do, and that is besides playing through again as Evil to see the variations and gain the achievements.

How was the experience?

We still feel it was a great RPG, but be warned if you do play, the ending is anti-climactic.
The experience getting there was more of the meat of the game.

I still hold to my belief that many conventions in the game were well done, and other games (MMO's mostly) could learn from the RPG aspects.

I have also seen a few issues which have been mentioned in passing on forums.
Certain quests broke other items, yet was never a detriment to finishing the game.

And this is probably my biggest pet peeve for PC games...the bugs.

Fable 2's issues never detracted from my game time, yet, so many times have I dealt with drops to desktops, bluescreens, slower performance on high end systems.

But, I will probably never give up on the PC games, especially the MMO.

This is proving to be a good break for me, and I am enjoying my time off.

I received my DDO package today, but it cannot be used until my 30 day moratorium is up.

I will also have Tabula Rasa coming soon as well. Spellborn is supposed to launch (but with Acclaim at the helm, who knows what the heck is going on there...), so I think sharing my time with all of these games will be great fun.

Fallout 3 is being returned this weekend as no one really is into it. It just does not grab me as other games have.
I do have Devil May Cry 4 and several other games on the Xbox ready to go (Including a Conan game that was released before AoC and is an action game with Ron Perlman playing Conan and Claudia Black as a mysterious woman on an island...cool stuff).

I have one more story to share about Fable 2. It is called the experiment with marriage.

What happens when you marry a character in Fable 2 and use their awesome "nickname" tool to rename the NPC to your husband or wifes name...?

Let me say, it is never a good idea to shoot your wife in game when your REAL wife is watching...

MMO levels? ...We don't need no stinkin' levels.

(EDIT:) Melf_Himself of course has a wonderful post, which seems to be a response to Syncaines posting on if levels are an effective game mechanic.
(EDIT: Looks like we are not alone discussing this issue...MMOMENT of ZEN)

Syncaine goes on to argue that MMO's should have levels, as it is what the player expects. He argues in his comments how Guild Wars is NOT fun due to the small amount of levels or none if you wish...

Melf had this to say...

"However, leveling is boring once there is too much time in between levels, as there are no new shinies to play with"

This is my major concern...and I started a nice long comment there, that has turned into today's post.

I stated:

What surprised me in Fable 2 (my current example of an RPG done right and is probably beyond irritating for most to read about now) is the fact that you really do not pay attention to level when it does not exist.

"Leveling" is the current bane of the MMO.

Due to the need to make each consecutive level take even longer than the last that the rewards start to diminish for the player, the player starts to burn out.

The need to flesh out those levels also leads to the current "sameness" of the genre as well.

Example: Most carrot/stick MMO's lose me between the levels of 40-50...meaning I just cannot go on due to boredom and lack of return on playtime.
When I started playing and could get 1-3 levels a session then it turns into a week of sessions equaling 1 level...that is a bit too much.

Guild Wars DID do this right by only having twenty levels, then the REAL meat of the game starts and allows you to progress based on your skill as a player.

Same with Fable 2. I can focus on advancing "skills" and not the levels.

As you fight you use "orbs" which after a certain amount gathered allow you to increase the power of a skill. This could be called a level for the skill per se...
As you fight you get surprised when an announcement is made that you can increase a skill...
Why is this? You realize how fun the game is (something else most MMO's today have forgotten), that you forget to even increase those powers, as it also relies on your skill with that power. Even a 2 star rating (their version of a level) skill can be as effective as a 5 star.

In so many words, if I wanted to, I would never need to level that skill, and just progress as I have been.

Also, your "orbs" (the name for their skill points system) increase based on your skill as a player. The better you use the specific attacks you already have, the more you are rewarded in that type of skill.
Use ranged more, get more ranged reward, melee attacks equals melee rewards.

I do NOT need a calculator, and charts to figure out how long it will take to get to that next level. It also puts a more "mysterious" turn into the game, and does not rely on the mechanics to calculate when I can reach that next level. (more about those mechanics in a moment...)

What it boils down to, pure and simple...I am not locked off from content due to my power being less than adequate.

Back to Guild Wars.

Each level has some basic reward, and does not inundate you with boredom in the skill dept. As well, having to be selective in your skills makes it more fun to get that new skill for you to try.

But, you were not relegated to reaching a level to get that skill either.

If you wish, you can go and capture skills or even buy them in other towns. In so many words, you were not forced to level to get the next goody.
You instead as you leveled had the capability to increase that skills power if you wished.

Also, the skills are not a ton of retreads like most MMO's. They all were unique or different in some way.
(Conan was really bad at this. I would get Stilleto I, Stilleto II, etc...snooze)

Fable 2 was the same way. Each "progression" in a skill made changes to how the skill worked. Like increasing certain ranged skills leads to getting access to bullseye and then eventually targeted shots to the head, etc...

Now, back to mechanics. This is also where the level "fails".
As has been seen in WAR. This became the overall goal.
The fun became work as the player tries their hardest to get levels.

AoC fails in levels due to the fact they decided they must be like other MMO's and add a ton.
80 levels was way too much for Conan, as it was quite fun for 40-45.
Then you were done.
Let the burnout commence.

We know we may never lose this usage of "levels" for an RPG (again a throwback to Dungeons and Dragons...unless someone has an earlier version of gaining levels while playing a role of an avatar of some sort...)
But, there needs to be some leeway of how levels are approached.

I still feel Guild Wars had the right idea. Either Insta-level or not make the gross majority of the game about the levels.

I also think some games need to make the mechanic of play time the fun part and not make it a job to level.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Fallout 3 - Not that fun

With so much concentration on the conversations, and the storyline, they forgot to make overall combat any good.

Especially for a game with guns, I spend half of my time swinging a melee weapon instead.

Bullets have been hard to find and buy, and money is even difficult to get to.

When fighting, you must focus on AP, which is cool, but you must fight outside of AP to get the AP...

The world is also bleak, and I think I do not want to be in a world that makes me feel so down.

I am sure there is a good game here, but I am not feeling it...(must be that Sci-Fi syndrome?)

I let my son try the game since I was done, and he liked it at first, and then got the same issues...he hated combat, and went back to Fable 2...

So did I.

Fable 2 - Personal and Lonely is good

Continuing the small thread from yesterday about Spellborn, and the "miniature" groupings.
Today an article has appeared in Wired about Personal Gaming (my new phrase of the day!)

Basically the writer comes to a realization...

Playing with yourself feels good...

(/embarassment ensues)

But, the article discusses about his current Fable 2 game time and reflects some of my feelings as well..

"Why do we want to immerse ourselves in a world that emulates all the tropes of a vibrant world like World of Warcraft — but where we are, essentially, alone?

I told my friend he was looking at it all wrong. The reason we single-player fans love world-games like Fable II is precisely because there are no other "real" people around.

Because really, who needs people? People suck. I'm joking, of course — but only a bit. The truth is that, in online multiplayer worlds, dealing with the delightfully unpredictable behavior of "real" people can be an absolute chore. Teammates fail to show up for a raid, or they leave everyone waiting for an hour, or they log out in the middle of battle and leave you gored by a howling mob. Have you ever actually tried to play Age of Conan? It's like the Stanford Prison Experiment in there, my friend."

The writer goes on to state

"Indeed, the dirty secret of online multiplayer worlds like World of Warcaft is that the vast majority of people play solo in them. As Nicholas Ducheneaut discovered, players who are piloting characters below level 40 spend a stunning 70 percent of their time questing alone"

I think this is why Bioware may have something with SWTOR, by not FORCING players into groups. With Spellborn keeping it small, and personable, you can form cliques. DDO even realized the failure of the grouping mechanics, and presented THEIR henchmen system.

Back to Fable 2. It works. In the respect that secretly you CAN be in an online MMO. You can turn on the new "orbs" system. As you run around towns and in the wilderness, you can see others playing. And guess what, you can group...in duos mind you, but think of the many husband wives who play MMO's in Duos? Look at how Guild Wars presented a method in their last expansions to allow Duo play. You can play the whole campaign with just 2 players.

I still remember Diablo 2 and co-op'ing through. Baldurs Gate:Dark Alliance on the PS2. And now Fable 2 (although slightly broken) couch co-op or Marvel Ultimate Alliance (4 player).

We enjoy the thought of other players being online, but the constant need to become social elites (Questionnaires 3 pages long to join Raid Guilds in WoW, limited elite guild rosters like the CoW's in WAR), and being selective about those players (how many REALLY good PuG's compared to bad do you have. I can count on one hand the number of good PuG's)

Overall, we enjoy the "thought" of others online, but do we really care if we group or solo?

I ran into this post on Pumping Irony with his summary of the month... He states..

"I’m curious about Fallout 3, but I have such a horrible track record with single-player games. I am largely unable to stay focused, especially in RPG’s which tend to be slower-paced. I get lonely when I am the only actual person in the world other than the handful of NPC’s that allow limited and shallow interactivity, so I tend to quickly come back to the PC and login to an MMORPG."

What can we garner from such a statement? Do some find a NEED to have the other players exist in that world? What makes the other player on the other end a requirement for enjoyment of a game?

Does this type of player ALWAYS group then? I have seen the poster state the many times doing things solo. So why the NEED to see others?

Maybe in this respect, some may need the online socialization due to complications, like those who cannot do anything but socialize online (cripppled, etc..) (not to say this is Scott's issue, and if it is...no offense.)

But today, casual playstyles and more mature people playing whose times are limited really decreases the overall abundance of players who can play ALL the time for these forced grouping systems.

Fable 2 helped me break out of the habit or need to be online LFG'ing. The game stands well on it's own merits as an RPG (lets not even get started on the broken mechanics of most of the MMO's now which ruins another aspect of being "online"), and down the road, it looks like these games are making an effort to present content in a lightened fashion toward groupings. Or making adjustments to the reasoning to group. (seems LOTRO is making adjustments to all of it's regular content to be solo friendly with the "story" lines being group only..to promote grouping if you want the REAL game...will that work?)

The market will be interesting to watch over the next several years as right now is the time for these games to evolve.

What is YOUR need to be online and not in a single player RPG?

Fable 2 - Ultimate addiction with a completionists nightmare

All of my game time (except for the foray into Runes of Magic) has been in Fable 2.
Non-stop all week, and this weekend has been the need and desire to play one of the most fun RPG's in a long time.

Not just that, but my son has beat the game 4 times already, and STILL has not found all of the little side pieces and achievements.

The wife is shortly behind me in her game in quests, and has already found her niche of trying to make as much money as possible (which is what an RPG should be...opposite of who we are in real life, as she always tries to SPEND as much as possible in reality...lol)

But, the issue comes from the achievement system. It seems only certain achievements unlock depending on if you play good or evil.

But, all the more reason for a second play through.

One final piece that has me foaming at the mouth. As you progress the MAIN story, new quests continue to open up in the regular world. As well, the world evolves through time...

Truly a great RPG.

We have officially, at this time, claimed Fable 2 "Our favorite Xbox 360 game" of all time.

Now, back to searching for Gargoyles.

Fable 2 - What MMO's could learn - Part two

As I continue to play the addictively wonderful Fable 2, I see some things that Fable 2 does well. These lead to more observations on how the MMO could learn from a console game (and how it could work...)

The first is actually based on a post from Hudson on Curt Schilling's new MMO, Copernicus.

Quests

Schilling states...
"new ways to deliver quest info because no one reads the quest text anyway"

How true.

In Fable 2, when you near someone with a quest marker, they start talking to you, like in passing them down the street.
I have several bounty quests for example, that as I near a guard he says "How would ye like to make some money?"
Then along the top of my screen a "Hold A to accept" appears.
I can either...listen to his spiel or just accept it and move along.
And the sentences will adjust according to what I do. So, as soon as "Hold A..." appears, and I do this, he all of a sudden changes his tone...
"Excellent...here is where you can find them"
Then hands me a contract. With directions.
Done and ready to go...

Now, note, this could be done quickly in some scrolling text along the bottom of the screen or a box would pop up with the text for someone to read...(as we know voice talent can get expensive...ask Funcom when they gave up 60 levels of voiceovers...ugh.) ...

Keep it simple, stupid always seems to work. And for those who require more, or need lore, then you may go back and look at the logbook for the full text (think the Tome from WAR). No one should be forced to sit through long voiceovers or read tons of text anymore.

Another neat feature is "rumors". Every once in a while a pop up appears on screen, which notifies you if someone is looking for help on a quest. This helps eliminate an issue most players discuss as the "on rails" game mechanic. You know where to go, what to do.
Certainly this can happen after the fact once you played through...but, that initial game should not be forced too much.

I also think a lot of people dream of the sandbox mode also, but this does not always work. Oblivion as an MMO would not be fun, as you are forced to find where to go and what to do.

A little direction is needed, but never so much that this "rails" mechanic feels forced. A balance between the two modes of games would work.

Fable 2 understood this.

Ok, moving on.

Economy

I have discussed this before, but lets look back at this based on things that have happened while I have played.

The game does minor checks and will make adjustments to items based on purchasing and not purchasing. Selling comes into play as well.

Most MMO's economy is totally decided by the Dev and the player.
Dev's create static pricing to start. Then most of the "good" stuff becomes 100% player driven.

In Fable 2 it is a two way street. The system checks on various antics of the players in their purchasing trends. But, that is not all. It checks for workloads, and makes adjustments there based on your jobs. Sales of found goods also will play into the economy.

For example, I decided to do some massive Blacksmithing one time.
Within a 24 hour span, there was a drop in prices at all "Weapons" based stalls.

Next was Woodworking...Surprise, the furniture store had a sale.

I decided to purchase a bunch of veggies to eat to reduce my weight some (was getting fat on pies and meat...I will discuss that later...).
Seems a shortage hit vendors for produce.

I sold some excellent weapons one time to a vendor, and next thing I know, a major sale for weapons at that particular stall.

And lets not even discuss making money based on purchasing store fronts. Bars, Inns, food stalls, all making me cash. Even when I am offline.

A way this could work is the system does these checks on players. Then for those who wish to sell their goods, would do it through a stall, and can compete with other players for prices. Sales, markups, etc.
A players own personal AH.

Going back to the example I used from Guild Wars previously.
A database compiles sales and auctions from players in that game, and then vendors adjust their prices accordingly so that players either can sell directly to the vendor, or try their hand to get a few bucks more by auctioning it off.

Combine this with the stall theory above, and we would have a dynamic real world type economy on hand.

Appearance

The final discussion is something that a lot of gamers discuss ...especially in their MMO.

Looking unique.

Some games do a good job of offering a wide variety of options to create your character. In game is where it starts to fall apart.

Make a cool hairstyle in creation? Then you get goofy helmets to cover it (even though some are nice to allow you to turn off helms). Pick a certain outfit in creation and then watch it immediately be removed within minutes for new armor (looks at Tabula Rasa harshly).

There is only so much that can be done here. But, with Fable 2, we see the option to change hairstyles, beards, tattoo's, and more. Other things change in Fable 2 also (weight, muscle)...This is based on how you use weapons and how you eat...but I know this may be too much for an MMO to do.

The start of the game should either stick and you make slight adjustments as you play, or go the Spellborn route and allow FULL control of your visual from the start.

Then update items you selected. Basically play with the same look all the way if you wish.

I am interested in seeing how this is done in Spellborn.

But something else I wish to talk about is the "Death Penalty" adjustment to your looks.

Fable 2 implemented a non- issue death penalty, where you instantly get back up and get into the fight. No corpse runs (stupid), no rez points (gotta run back and hope the spawns did not happen), and no armor or weapon degrades.

Instead you degrade your appearance.

If you die, and did NOT have a resurrection potion (awesome idea), then when you get back up, you have scarring. It changes your appearance with facial or body scars of combat.

Really makes you think about taking those res potions (which are expensive btw) or else start to turn ugly.

I am pretty scarred in my face right now...by choice. I thought the concept was sound. The wife...always has a potion (of course she gets mad that EVERYONE loves her in the towns...told her to remove the makeup and the hot sexy outfit she is wearing...)

Anyways

We could take this to clothing or armor in the MMO realm also. Appearance just seems to be a side note...with all the shiny armor never getting dirty (except for Age of Conan where armor already has blood or dirt caked on certain pieces...cool idea). What if the armor got dinged or dirty. A reason to go buy new or repair your own.

Death penalties have been another issue of the genre, and is really not on topic here...but boy, the idea of quick revivals and back into combat and damaging your looks could be a fun way to promote a different death penalty..

_______________________________

These are just a few ideas I have gleaned from the way we play MMO's, and how maybe the genre needs a good swift kick in the rearview...

The players will of course still accept the cloning process I am sure, but I know some like myself are looking for some different ways the game can play.

All I know is it has been a while since a game has made me really think about the way I play RPG's. Fable 2 has progressed the genre quite a bit.

Of note, Fallout 3 released last night and officially today. I am interested in their playstyles also. From what I have read, Fallout 3 is less sandboxed than Oblivion, but keeps an open game for you.

Will see more of it this weekend when I pick it up. For now. back to gaming.

Any thoughts on these suggestions or ways you would like the genre to change?

All MMO's...Canceled...

Except for Guild Wars...ALWAYS FREE.

Until Spellborn releases, I see no reasons right now to pay for an MMO.

AoC's population has dwindled. The patch is still on hiatus. No other MMO makes me feel the need to come back.
And right now, I would usually get up in the mornings, play my MMO for an hour or so, then head to work.

Since Fable 2, this has changed to almost 2 hours of Fable in the mornings....and afternoons....and evenings...

Quality games equal more playtime. Period.

I also wanted to point out the story of my son and Fable 2.

He has played since I sold him his copy last week. He has beat the game twice already and is on his THIRD play through.

He bought my copy of Mass Effect Saturday (as he thought the gunplay was fun...), and the irritation finally kicked in for me. I asked him if he wanted it, and he could get it for 10 bucks (I bought it for 30).

He played it a total of 2 hours, and plans to sell it now.

And went back to his third time in Fable 2.

Amazing.

I will have to see if any game will keep me down the road.
For now, I see Spellborn and Aion on the horizon.
As well, maybe when the AoC patch comes through and I see what the verdict is...I may go back.

For now...I think taking a break is the better option than totally hating on MMO's.

I will continue to comment on any news items that look interesting. I also am still of the mind of looking at the genre as a whole, and finding out what is wrong with this market.

Cheers to you all...

Fable 2 - New multiplayer changes outlook

At first this seemed to rub me the wrong way. The CO-OP is broken in a sense in Fable 2. Yet as I continue to play, it has really become ingenious to me.

I see how the world works and how each player inhabits that part of their world, and how they interact.

They also have done some creative bits for online play...

MMO's could learn a thing or two off of this simple implementation.

For example

When you run by someone in your world, as you near them you can hear them talking if they are chatting with other players..in so many words, just like running past a stranger on the street and hearing their conversation.

When you join THEIR world, you work for that player. You are paid gold AND XP...that's it.
You cannot take the uber item from that players world. But, the main player can trade you an item if they wish, that you may take back to YOUR world (note: done while in each others respective worlds, not while in henchman mode). Also, the "henchman" may change things in your world...flirt with your wife, kill your traders. But, a quick boot gets rid of the ganker. Don't you wish you could do that in YOUR MMO?

Variances occur to make some game sessions fresh. I may find a place in my world with a chest or something, but the other players world may be in a different place.

The sense of completion in an MMO is false. And Fable 2 drives it home big time.

I think this is an issue that is proving to be the rub for keeping players entertained in the MMO genre.
The monotony of current MMO's is causing a flux of players who either are not happy playing or are always waiting for the next "big game".

I have discussed this in the past and it is even more prevalent since playing Fable 2.
Somehow when something has been completed, your world has to make that completed item disappear.
This I believe would bring believability to the world we inhabit in the MMO.
We need something of a single player experience in our Massively Multiplayer world. We need to feel like we accomplish something.
Killing rats, getting that sword, that maybe 10 others have and you see them with it...these are not accomplishments.

A statue built based on my pose...that is cool. The economy changes based on how I make purchases...that is cool.

Let us use Fable 2 as a fine example of how the MMO genre could learn.

• Each persons version of the world is their own - Somehow checks need to be put in place, and each person would have a simple database stored on their system that would check with the main servers to show what items have been completed and quests finished, mobs killed. A simple tick in a field to show when that Uber Sword was found by your hero.
  
• Each world can be inhabited by multiples - When you come to my part of the world, all things will exists as part of my world. If you killed Boss Thugg and I have not, then when you come to my world...Thugg still exists. This promotes cooperative gameplay as maybe YOU have something to share with MY world to help me defeat Thugg.
• Economy not static - Why should only players control that aspect? Fable 2 has an ever-changing system, including sales for certain items even....Guild Wars was one step in the right direction with this, as players were able to bypass Auctions and go straight to a vendor to buy or sell. Why must vendors be static, have the same goods and sell for the same price EVERYTIME.
• Get a freakin' job! - I should have a way to earn money while not online ala EvE. I should be able to buy a shop or sell goods in a stall. And to get these items I should have a REAL job...make crafting a JOB like in real life. Cook food and SELL it at your shop. MAKE WEAPONS, and sell them at your stall.
• Relationships - Why not? We seem to emote our way through trying to pick up other players (at least I have heard players do that...not me..well, ok, for some reason these hot chicks in AoC still won't accept my advances). Fable 2 offers this. It does not have to be so fleshed out (sorry...really kind of a pun), but at least another objective. Bioware games, Fable, Sims... have played with this, and look at their successes.

I could go on. Many have gone on. Many will continue to go on.

MMO's in general are broken in some way. Especially newer releases. Nothing coming on the horizon fixes that either (for now...SWTOR is the first to take a totally different approach).

So, we as players "make do" with what we have.

Whatever...

We should expect some progress in this genre.
Console games seem to be really making a difference.

Why can't the MMO.

Fable 2 - Comment Wars on CO-OP

In my first post on my disappointment in the CO-OP features of Fable 2, a fine gentleman by the name of Tim kindly announced to me in comments..

"Did you research the game at all? This has been pretty common knowledge for a while."

I have NOT known this to be the case, and pointed out several articles (with one being from Arstechinca, ) which Tim kindly proceeded to note ...

"you're using some obscure site as a reference"

(Arstechnica has a rough average of almost a million visitors a day...and has been in existence since 1998...pretty obscure indeed...)

But, was this the case....? Did I miss something?

Seems a whole thread of players were in the same boat as I...

And I quote the LIONHEAD Forums

"So, thanks for all the waiting for this cool game with this awesome feature. i hate to tell you but it blows......I dont accept your patch. take it back and give us what you promised. not some cheap knock off."

"THE COOP SUCKS!!!! Why can't my friends see my character!!!?!?!?!?! WTFFFF whats the point of trading items if you cant see what im wearing!?!?!?!?!"

"i am mortified! when lionhead said there will be a henchmen, i thought that meant on couch coop NOT xbox live!!!!!"

"If they were going to do co op they could have done it right"

So, guess a thread with 218 posts so far ALSO did not know this was common knowledge...

My, My...

(EDIT: Seems more data is coming forward about this issue...following data presented...)

This post states

Not to add fuel to the fire but...

http://community.lionhead.com/forums/thread/2859601.aspx

Under the Features list:

If you go into another persons game as a guest the look of the character will be based off of your character's look. If you don't have a character of your own you'll have a generic pre-determined look to your hero


And this little ditty

Video at Games Radar

Lovely stuff...

(EDIT: Again, as this is my favorite part...from a developer...)

"It's a complete different matter to shout so loud and say we're breaking promises left, right and centre because that is simply not true. It's a lot of balony, the feature is what it is, we decided to make it like that. Don't like it? Too bad. For every one person that's complaining there's twenty playing the game. I suggest you do that as well."

WoW...talk about attitude...geez.

Fable 2 - Cannot pry it out of my sons hands...

Now I need to decide if buying him a copy is worthwhile.

He has quite a few friends playing it right now, and the online co-op is actually fun for him.
But, I have been leery of him playing due to the fact that he goes through games like water.
And if he hits a snag, he gives up too easy.

Usually he waits to buy games with his allowance until they reach the 30 or 40 dollar mark (we have taught him frugal shopping quite well).

But, he has REALLY played for almost as many hours as I have.

Yet, he played another game of mine, Viking, up to Campaign 2 (3 Campaigns total), and has stopped.
I asked him if he wanted to play that game while I played Fable 2, and he decided to watch TV instead.
But, while he was playing, he always kept saying it was awesome (and it is...I SOOO love that game. I am on the final parts of Campaign 3...WooT)

But, I think this gives you an idea of how good a game Fable 2 is (especially for a young boy who LOVES FPS games on a regular basis...) if he wants to keep playing it...

The wife is still working on finishing Culdecept.
Yet, she stated that she wanted to watch me play Fable 2 tonight.
The reason for this is last night I played a little as she carved pumpkins for work.
She would look up once in a while and make suggestions or ask questions...

This is always a sign of interest on her part, as she is hard to please (for example, she wanted to put AoC on the back burner for now to finish the Culdecept game first)..

So this goes back to the original statement...do I buy my son his own copy, and have him work off the allowance?
I really want to teach him NOT to impulse shop is the real gist.

What would YOU do?

Fable 2 - Diary

I strolled into Bower Village today.

The folk here were kind, and noted my skill of taking out the Bandit King.
Seems word travels fast.
Children even followed along as I told the tale of the 10...no make that 20 (really it was 50 men, but who was counting) thieves who lost their lives at my hand.

There was a Bard here.
He noted my renown, and wished to follow me. He seems to want to make songs about my heroics.

I knew I needed some food, but I needed to meet with the Oracle.
She was to be late, but suggested I gear up for my adventures ahead.

A sign proclaimed "Help Wanted" for the Blacksmith. I proceeded to hammer out metal for swords and weaponry. It was quite tricky, and I broke a few, but I gained some minor wealth.

I dined (but not too much, as I could feel my waistline increasing)

There is a lady strolling the streets in a smart black dress and wears a monocle with a charming top hat.
I believe this to be a desirable trait and proceeded to show her my muscular physique.
She has mentioned something about being rich.

Do I court for love ...or money?

Why is that gentleman eyeing me like that? He seems to be enamored with MY style. I guess anything is possible here in Albion.

I must be off, as I have decided to invest in a food cart, which will earn me gold, even when I (or my Xbox) is asleep.

G'day fellow travelers...

Fable 2 - So what IS the scoop on CO-OP

As was found out yesterday, CO-OP is not all that it seems in Fable 2.
It is not BAD. Just not as many believed...

Here is a brief explanation of how it works.

When a main player is logged in on the Xbox and wants a second player to join, they have several options.

Couch CO-OP and Live.

Couch CO-OP works in two ways.

Controller 2 start is pressed, and a second player may join immediately. Called the hop in nd play feature.
They get a percentage of gold that the main player will offer. They can buy weapons and pretty much involve themselves in the world of the main player.
Kill NPC's, flirt with the ladies, destroy property.
But, this player can only go so far from the main player. The camera keeps the 2 players in the scene and will only zoom out so far.

Once this second player leaves, that is it. They are not saved.

The other way is a profile login may be done for player two.

This second player can have a character they use on their account on THEIR Xbox, and associate this character with the henchman in player ones world.
This was the rub, as the player does not LOOK like they look on THEIR Xbox.

In so many words, you are just a faceless henchman still.

You get basic equipment, but supposedly stats match the second players profile. Not clothing or equipment...at least that we have seen yet.
Any gold that is earned as this henchman goes to the second players profile. In so many words, they still make money and earn it for their own character on THEIR Xbox.

Confusing?

Just to reiterate, a second player picks a generic avatar in player ones world. But, if they have a profile, and log that profile in, and then say...copy their save onto a memory stick, they can at least earn money for their save to take back with them.

The way I did this was to create my profile on the SAME Xbox, and then play that save on THAT one Xbox the same as the wife.

Now, here is where the other issue lies.

A while back (about a month or so) it was announced online CO-OP through Live would not make launch. As well, no demonstrations of the Live CO-OP had been presented.

So, assumptions were made.

If you look at Crackdown as an example, CO-OP is played with YOUR OWN avatars.
Whatever you looked like on YOUR Xbox is how you would look in CO-OP.

Two Worlds is another RPG with online multiplayer with one players world being open to another player. But, the secondary players avatar matched their originals in their saves.

Fable 2 released Live CO-OP in a Zero Day Patch. And this has proven to be the biggest strike against the game so far.
The Live CO-OP works the same as Couch CO-OP. The difference is other players show up as orbs in YOUR world. When you near that orb, you may trade or chat with that player.

That IS a cool feature.

What is not cool is if you invite them to your world, they must choose a generic avatar.

I pretty much see CO-OP as a bust, as who will want to give up THEIR original avatar for a generic in someone elses world?

What are your thoughts on this mechanic?

I know as a single player RPG, it is a fantastic game, with the first few hours filled with different events and options.
The dog as partner is truly better than I thought possible. You really think about it. You take care of it (if you are good...which I am...I am not much for playing evil) or chastise it.

And the ways to make money in the game is truly fun. No grind here folks.

But, CO-OP is a big disappointment, and I guess it just makes me wonder if another cool CO-OP game will be coming (Sacred 2? Maybe?)..

Anyways, back to playing....