The Blogs are on X-Fire

Quite a few blogs have taken up my "explosive" discussion on Twitter about the use of X-Fire as a trending tool. From those who feel it tells us NOTHING, to those who think it is FUN TO WATCH, and of course those who see the MERITS such a system holds...it has been nothing short of great to see such an open discussion taking place.

First off, I really feel it is constantly necessary to point out that using X-Fire for hard FACTUAL data is next to a no-win situation. What I do believe though is using X-Fire to trend what games someone like myself are interested in and how they rate in gamers eyes, is valid.

Time and again I can see how when a game is advertised heavily, or a game has massive sales to start and loses steam...it reflects this on X-Fire. Launches of popular MMO's always seem to reflect the same on X-Fire. Examples of this would be Age of Conan and Warhammer Online, who both rated highly on X-Fire at one time, even getting into the top 10.
When Lord of the Rings Online went free to play and we saw the exponential jump on X-Fire...is that to say that LOTRO may NOT have had a spike in new players in the real world?

Some believe this to be the case.

One notation that stands out in this regard from one of the blogs is that you cannot compare one game to another game evenly and across the board on X-Fire.
So, even though LOTRO had a jump and another game had a loss...say Age of Conan...this does not reflect real world value.

I disagree.

Tipa notes on West Karana that not all games are present on X-Fire, which throws out the ability to show real world trends. This is true to an extent. As an example, no Browser based games are tracked. This is disappointing, as we would see some major differences, I think, in what games are played the most..(and WoW would probably not even be the #1 game on X-Fire).

This does not mean that we cannot see a trend in games that DO exist on X-Fire. That is what interests me the most...thus why I play the X-Fire game.

I can go look right now at the charts and see how WoW is the most played MMO. Call of Duty is the most played FPS and Starcraft II is the most played RTS. On the PC, mind you...

Would anyone argue this does NOT match real world data?

X-Fire offers us a snapshot of the interests of roughly 17 million gamers. Not all are always accounted for, but that falls in line with polling rules.
I think of X-Fire as like an "Opinion" poll. We get a view of gamers opinions about games and can even extract some generalized data.
The continued argument right now is that Nielsen's data for TV viewing is more accurate. A random sample of the audience who watch TV, which is less than 1% of the overall population that watches TV altogether, gives us a smarter picture of TV viewing habits than say 17 million possible gamers playing games.

That is a closed minded view in my opinion.

Is it possible to believe that there are more gamers than there are TV watchers in the world? I do not believe so. Yet, the sample size in X-Fire is CONSIDERABLY larger than Nielsens. Why can't that be a good sample to look at?

Just like viewers on Nielsen's charts have different viewing habits, thus do gamers have different playing habits. Why can't this snapshot of gamers reflect what real world gamers are playing?

Nielsen and it's less than 1% RANDOM sample says that American Idol is the most watched show on TV. Yet, MY TV has never watched this show. So why did this chosen sample have the right to say that I would have a more than likely chance to watch American Idol above Fringe?
Yet, I have played WoW, and there is a chance I may play it again. I bet there are a LOT of MMO players who could say the same. Based on X-Fires data we can see more people are playing WoW than LOTRO or Guild Wars even. I believe that, because based on other data available, we can note this as a fact.

True, we do not know how real Blizzards 12 million subs statement is...but, I can pretty much agree with X-Fires listing that RIGHT NOW more people are playing WoW and are logged into WoW than say, LOTRO.

I truly do wish there were more data points we could look at (I have attempted to view Raptr's data to add a secondary source, but the information is wacky at best), or that more companies were forthcoming with info...but, they are not.

So, for now, I can look at this snapshot of gamers who use X-Fire and see what games are being played the most and truly believe what I see...as that core audience is like me; a gamer.

X-Fire Game: Got Math?

Almost three years ago I started playing what I called the "X-Fire game". I used a calculation sometimes to show an average number of subs an MMO may have. You can read more about the calculation here - X-FIRE GAME.
As time has progressed, of course the numbers on X-Fire have also changed. Less people use it, thus, the calculation seems to be a tad off.
For the X-Fire game, we would see the number of players for WoW, which is our benchmark game, and use it to gain our total sub counts. When I started the game, X-Fire was around 90k WoW players. Now, we are getting around 50-60k.

Time to make an adjustment.

This system of "calculation" follows the same benchmarking that Nielsens use. Nielsens in the USA tracks the number of viewers in an age demographic who watch TV, based on a number of viewers who use "set top boxes" to watch various shows. As well, there is also a write in campaign, and secret viewers as well (it has been noted that colleges will have boxes unknowingly setup in dorms).
You can read more about Nielsens HERE.
As you can see, roughly 25k houses will hold a metered box, which tracks the viewers watching habits. Yet, it calculates for over 114 million households with TV's.
So, with the X-Fire game, we take an X-Fire "player" and it will be noted as a number for an average of subs.

You can understand why this also leads to criticism. Same with my X-Fire game.

But, if you go through the historical postings here you can see how at times the "game" has actually matched actual numbers noted by companies for their MMO's. For example, a post I did last year when Star Trek Online announced the number of players HERE. Talk about a close match.

So, for 2011, I wanted to rework my calculation.

Blizzard had recently posted a new average for subs, with 12 million being the sub marker. Now, we know this does not mean EVERY single one of those 12 million are true "subs". With Asian markets offering per hour gameplay, it is quite hard to get an exact.
Using my original system, I have played with some new calcs, with a 215.5 getting me a number that seems reasonable.

Now, using this past Sunday, X-Fire had an average of 53k players in WoW.

53000 x 215.5 = 11.4 million

This drops some numbers so we can alleviate the anomaly of players who may be hourly.
Now, of course, the last calculation did a total of 11 million players (i.e: the total listed by Blizzard). This may have caused some variations to be off for MMO listings, and actually giving games more players. We may never know. Just like this new "game" may never be accurate until we have someone else say "We have X number of subs" and I can use the X-Fire calc.

So, why don't we use the new calc on a game listed from yesterdays post and see how the numbers work out.

Star Trek Online

386 players x 215.5 = 83,183 subs

Now, lets say we account for "loss" over time as a game ages, STO really has not lost that many subs, and still seems to be doing well. The last time I did the calc STO had 117k subs. So, over 30k subs lost. 

Does that feel accurate?

Lets try a bigger game.

Lord of the Rings Online

2825 X-Fire players x 215.5 = 608,787

Now, lets look back. Turbine had announced a 100% increase in overall subs. At the time of my last calc, the game had 213, 689. Double that and then account for a variance in "FREE" players who do not sub...and I think we again can see a fairly accurate listing here.

We will never know how accurate this is until we do hear "real" numbers. But, we can see some trends AND we have a way of trying to find out how the market is being affected by either new launches or changes in pricing structures.

Champions Online is one game to watch who will be changing to Free to Play. How will their numbers look when they change over? Is Age of Conan and Warhammer Online still failing to retain it's audience? Is Final Fantasy XIV truly a major failure? How will DC Universe or Rift do when they launch?

Lets play the game...

X-fire Review: Ending and Beginnings

Welcome 2011. I can't wait to get my hands on you and run you through the ringer.

For now, I must settle down and start my work for 2011 on the right foot. So, lets track the games that we have watched over the last year in X-Fire. These reports are for the first Sunday of 2011, and show where these games are sitting since my last report in November.
I will have the usual suspects here. But, lets get excited, as this year will bring some new and fun changes.

First off, Champions Online will be launching as Free to Play (or whatever you want to call it...Free to load, pay to play with little trinkets...etc..). So, I think we will see some adjustments in their numbers when that hits.
Next up is the launch of several new games.
February is the beginning of DC Universe Online. Later this year (ETA is noted as March) is Rift. I am sure some other games may muck with the times on X-Fire (for example, if Diablo 3 launches, I will be watching that games times).

For now, we will need to set up our markers for the current MMO's we watch, and we can use them as comparison through the year.

As is usual, lets get the disclaimer out of the way (so many "Whiners" throw a fit thinking this is hard science...when it is not...)

"The results here in no way equal a major scientific fact. If anything, X-Fire stats show a "trend" among gamers on the X-Fire network, who number in the millions, who may play an MMO in the list".

Whew....alright then, lets get started.

Champions Online

Warhammer Online

Final Fantasy XIV

Age of Conan

Star Trek Online

Dungeons & Dragons Online

AION

Lord of the Rings Online

A good placeholder for our 2011 Calculations. I also put the games in order from least played to most and ranked accordingly. Any commentary I will leave to Twitter...so make sure to FOLLOW ME.

Cheers and Happy 2011.

The X-Fire Cometh

So, sitting back and pondering my blog...I came back to my old posts on X-Fire stats.

I have not looked at the numbers in a while, and feel it may be time to review how things have changed over the months. So many changes have taken place in the MMO world, that it may be time to see how this is affecting the stats or trends of those games on X-Fire.

X-Fire has always polarized so many people. Usually it has a negative connotation from those whose games seem to be failing on the X-Fire charts, while others can look at the numbers for what they are; trends of players who load the software.

With the changes...specifically with The Lord of the Rings Online, Everquest 2 and the upcoming F2P of Champions Online... it could prove to be interesting to see how these games have progressed on those charts.

Here is my current goal. The games that will be looked at are commercial titles. The list is...

• LOTRO
• EQ2 (please note, X-Fire has been known to be broken with this game...and the numbers may not pan out)
• Age of Conan
• Warhammer Online
• Dungeons and Dragons Online
• Champions Online
• Star Trek Online (as this may go Free)

EDIT: Need to add Final Fantasy XIV to this list. Knew I was missing a game I wish to watch.

Note, there are a TON of games not on this list. I may touch on a game here and there, if requested. Vanguard will, for example, be ridiculed once. WoW just does not need to be here.

Also, note, I will not be looking at non-commercial games...like Vindictus, Cabal Online, Mabinogi...etc. Their releases do not match the criteria of "big companies" trying to profit...both on box sales as well as subs.

The games I am watching the most are: Age of Conan and Warhammer due to their less than satisfactory retention of players; LOTRO due to it's change to Free to Play (or as coined at Ardwulfs excellent blog by Winged Nazgul - "Cover Charge"); Champions Online and it's upcoming change to F2P.

Like I said, other games are welcome, so please let me know what you wish to see.

Stay tuned and CHEERS!

Good Openedge - The Free 2 Play Model Can Work

Just read the report on the GDCO 2010 conference for Turbines report. You can catch the news here.
Turbine GDCO Report
"At GDCO, the studio [Turbine] announced that revenues from Lord of the Rings Online have doubled in the past month since switching to a free-to-play hybrid model."

Everyone knows how I feel about LOTRO, as I have stated in the past...the game is just not that good. Period. I could sit and point out the many flaws in gameplay and style, and most would even agree.

But, when it came to them changing to Free 2 Play, I was on onboard, and had even stated I could see their business doubling thanks to this change. Looks like I was spot on for that.

If Turbine has one thing right, it is how to treat their customers and how to make a game profitable. They pulled a rabbit out of their hat with DDO, and took a chance with a grade A (according to many) MMO and converting it to a less popular style of monetary arrangement in many MMO circles.

Most associate Free 2 Play with low quality. But, LOTRO is not too low quality wise (just in the aspect of character models and UI...which I understand has been tweaked some, but still needs work) , and Turbine took a big chance. Especially with the type of community that LOTRO exhibits, the belief was going F2P would be it's downfall. If anything, I applaud their move and am glad they have made headway. I hope they use this money wisely and apply it to a better animation engine and model designers, along with UI creators who understand DPI.

This leaves the window open now. Can this model succeed if done right? Want an example of NOT doing it right? Head on over to EQ2X and take a look.
You can't inundate your customer base with charges left and right. Also, there has to be a way to earn the same goods that can be bought in your store. Do this or alienate a large audience.
SOE's move to place the new "free" audience on other servers was genius...until they saw that their core audience wanted more people to play with, and saw an emptying of their pay servers...ouch. In so many words, don't separate your audience if you don't have a large audience to begin with.

So, is Free 2 Play the way to go all the time?  I still feel some games cannot work like this.

Take Warhammer Online. So many think it needs to go Free due to it's low populations. I disagree. The niche it inhabits does not bode well for a cash shop. Buying into a PvP oriented game is a big no-no to me.
But, the game could do with some price "tweaking". Changes to pricing structures for their "Tiers" is a start. Then charge for aspects that can be earned. Horses and Mounts could be one piece. New addons like their upcoming RvR packs is another.
The fact that PvE is taking a back seat to their PvP also means F2P would be disastrous. To top it off, their PvE is so broken to begin with...more work would have to be done in that arena before a F2P model could even look WAR in the eye.

PvE gameplay is 100% congruent to Free 2 Play in my opinion. People will be willing to buy what they need or want. But, you must offer some way to have the player gain these same items...just make sure it takes them a long time.

I welcome our new pricing models and hope it leads to more innovative ways to pay and play.

Bad Openedge - We don't need your stinkin' MMO

Let me say this upfront. All MMO's seem to live by the "Give it a few weeks or months before playing" mantra.

Why should this be?

With the recent release of Final Fantasy XIV, I just have to ask..."Why?" Was your previous MMO already dying for customers? If so, was it your intent to make a game they could easily go to and continue their life? If NOT, then why not look at what the market has shown and improve upon this?

Or is this a "name only" money grab?

We all know for a fact, this industry is looked upon more harshly now than in the past. Any MMO player worth his salt is saying "I want a change". Graphics are one thing, but gameplay should be foremost. Make your game obtuse and far away from the norm, you alienate a core audience. Make your game different, but not well fleshed out in terms of content or playability, you will roast on the flames of the haters.

When your main player, an Eastern audience and players of your previous MMO, are saying things have gone awry...then be prepared to be left behind. When you formally ask reviewers to "wait" 3-4 weeks to have their say...prepare to be skewered.

I pity Square Enix's decisions. I do not doubt that down the road after all of the bugs and issues have been rectified, the PS3 version will most likely sell very well. But, as a current or next gen MMO, FFXIV leaves a lot to be desired.

Sure, I could wait a few months and come back. This excuse is getting old though. And should I be accepting of content that is there to get players through solo style? Should I accept menus that pull me out of my world to make decisions? Should I have to speak to a rock to get quests to do, that are available for set amounts of time?

I say, if you don't want to put in any effort to make a good game that could turn the industry around, then I don't need your stinkin' MMO.

Warhammer Online: Rank and VILE!

Something that interests me in Warhammer Online is the multiple ways to level the character. You not only have a main "rank" (your level in most other MMO's), but you have the RR or Renown Rank, and Influence.
Influence is not too important to your character as it just tracks progress through the TIER system. In PvE, influence is gained by completing Chapters of stories in the Public Quest system. The RvR Influence is by completing Tiers in Open RvR (you gain no influence for Scenarios...or not enough to really care about).
You get some ok gear, but that is about all the Influence meter offers (that I know of...anyone want to enlighten me on this?)

So, my two focuses have been Renown and standard Rank.

Now, here is an example of how my character looks in the "rankings" system (on the Realm War system from Mythic, which allows you to track characters, not unlike the Armory for WoW).

Note my RANK and then you see RENOWN.

This post is all about that smaller number...the Renown. Renown basically tracks your "PvP" level. The higher it is, the more you have PvP'd (RvR) and of course, you have gear to show for those levels, as some of the best stuff is Renown gear.

This past weekend I racked up an amazing 18 hours of gameplay working on this Renown (if not more...it all became a blur on my 7th siege of a keep). All of that gameplay consisted of one type of RvR; the Open RvR (ORvR).

Awesome you say?

Well, the fact that I was at the end of RENOWN 20 when I started...is not so awesome. I basically gained a level and two bars...in 18 hours of play.

The true definition of grind...THAT is Vile.

ORvR consists of several measures to gain Renown points (RR). You take Battle Objectives (BO) and Keeps. The keeps can garner the most points, as not only will you take the keep, but will be in combat with a lot of the opposite faction. You can also defend keeps, but only gain major points in either style of gameplay by winning.
Order was definitely on the short end of the stick the whole weekend. Destruction could field two or even three Warbands of 24 players each...while Order had...One.

Now, mind you, this is Tier 3. This tier has been known to bring grown men to tears, and as such, most players head to the Land of the Dead (LoTD) (this all has been discussed in my previous post) to quick level to Tier 4, where balance is somewhat restored. But, during this time, you gain no Renown, as LoTD is PvE, which goes towards standard Rank.

Another way I could gain this RR faster is through Scenarios. But, thanks to the new patch this weekend, it seems Scenarios were NOT going off. I was able to compete in TWO Scenarios the whole weekend.

And do not start me on population issues.

But, back to the difference between the Renown Rank and the standard Rank.
How competitive can a player be if that Renown rank has not increased when they enter Tier 4? And why is it that the main style of play that is the most enjoyable is so unforgivable to the player who wishes to PvP.

Isn't WAR a PVP GAME?

To play what I want though, I must endure hours of long, hard work to stay competitive, and that may be an issue going forward.
I have mentioned many a time that I am strictly a "Casual" player. But, WAR seems to need more than I can offer it. 18 hours is just a little to much, no matter how much fun I had. Definitely adds up to cause home issues, that I do not need.
When I saw my Xfire times (a good reason to use Xfire, so I can babysit myself), and had played as many hours as I work a full time job, I was dumbstruck.

Warhammer is extremely fun, but is turning into a job more than an enjoyment...and that may have consequences down the road.

This week, I plan to pull back that focus on the RR, and instead play some PvE with my wife, and maybe some scenarios if we can get them. The wife had already seen the effects of ORvR, and lost taste for it pretty fast. She loves the PvP, but the "siege" style system of takeovers and major battles were not for her. I understand, as for her to even like PvP to begin with is major, as she truly hates it in other MMO's. The fact she is willing to do some Scenarios is great.

Time is ticking, and I am unsure if I can reach max level (let alone crank up that RR), so, I may have to go back to "enjoying" WAR and not working a second job for the Empire.

Warhammer Online: Wrong Server? I choose you...

I have been pretty quiet here as I have been playing like a loon in Warhammer Online. The game really has me captivated, and I enjoy the RvR. Being I am NOT a PvP'er, this has really become a major change of pace.

But, there comes a time in every game where you find out (especially being new to the game) that you made a bad decision.

That Decision? Choosing the wrong server.

Of course, at the time I started, the game was bustling. Numbers were up compared to previous months (even the last year). I had no issues getting into groups, and RvR was prevalent and meaningful.

Several things happened. Billing errors, down times and other concerns like websites being sued, etc. all bringing down populations.

Then I also hit Tier 3.

I am currently on the Iron Rock server. To get an idea of population there, head to Warhammer Census. Though not a perfect tool, it DOES show an alarming difference between Iron Rock and the other servers that are active. To be precise, the most active is Badlands. In the tier I am in, there is almost double the number of players on Badlands than on Iron Rock.
The Tier 3 Scenario's (SC) and Open RvR (ORvR) have been slim pickings for me. I can never get an SC to pop when I play in T3 (but, this is of course me not playing in Prime Time either). If I can play evenings, I join Warbands. But, they are never quite full. When that happens, Destruction comes through and steam rolls those teams when Order attempts to take over a keep.

This had been noted by many players of the game about the Tier 2 and 3 doldrums, but I did not think it would hit such a wall. They lured me in with the super fun PvP, and then finally took it away from me at that next to final tier. When I am playing, if I do not mix up PvE with RvR, then WAR becomes a major drag.  All PvE = snooze fest.

Now, it has been told to me through the forums that I should move on, grind PvE and get out of T3 as fast as possible through the last content update WAR had, Land of the Dead (LoTD). But, as I said, PvE could get boring. LoTD luckily is more fun than standard PvE due to so many areas to fight in, dangerous mobs to contend with and a neat looking zone to boot. But, this also leads to a gear discrepancy when I do hit T4. But, I can hide in RvR lakes, and hope I can muster some Renown levels to get my RvR score up and get the gear.

I am at a crossroads. I do not have much longer before I take a break from WAR and head to Age of Conan. Mythic offers no character transfers for new players...so I sit stuck on Iron Rock. I could start anew on Badlands...but that then puts me back to square one again.

Do I take it on the chin and just muddle through until time is up, or do I have another avenue I do not see here?

Cheers

Things the NPD MMO poll wanted to tell us..but we're afraid to ask.

Big ole title, for some big ole fun.

Recently released, Massively has the info on a poll by the NPD group. Basically the poll is a piece of a larger puzzle of MMO players and their likes (or dislikes). You can check the info here [SOURCE].

The poll is very specific and toward a certain group of players. As noted, the poll is called "What former World of Warcraft Players are Currently Playing". The sample size is rated at 19,000 players. This makes me wonder just how many were polled that were FORMER players (is that 1%, 10%, of actual size of former, etc.), and many other numbers come to mind. We at least know 68% were Male and the age group.

But, there is a lot that is not noted in the article, and I wish to help YOU, my informed readers know what the poll is REALLY telling us (than just what this select group is playing NOW).

• A Large group were once Final Fantasy XI players (thus the reasoning for the title being so high on the list, as most will go back to what they are familiar with)
• The noted need for something else to be either CHEAP or FREE (Runescape, Guild Wars, DDO, Toontown)
• A large number of boys like their Super Heroes (Both Champions Online and City of Heroes/Villains make showings on that list)
• EvE ranks lower on this list, and helps with the debate I constantly have that Sci-Fi just does not rank highly for MMO players, and Fantasy is king (SWG is at the bottom there...but that is more likely a case of a bad game)
• Why is Everquest 2 not on there at all? (either it is usually these players skew older (search Google for "average age of everquest 2 player"...you get 31+), or no one really likes the game like some want to believe)
• Maybe PvP does NOT sit well with MMO players, like many wish to believe? (Aion, WAR, EVE and DAoC ranking so low)
• Dangit people...upgrade your COMPUTERS already... Calculators and Toasters do not good PC's make (Runescape, GW, Second Life, Treasure Hunt, Toontown and more)
• These players are easily entertained with Cartoony Games (playing WoW, Disney Toontown, Champions, Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Hunt)
• A dedicated group of players want some naughtiness to their game (Second Life and AoC having high showings)

I may have missed some, but these are the main points I pulled from this report. Do you have any specific data YOU can pull from this report? Let me know.

PS: This is still part of the fun of analytics, and as such, this is truly in jest...but, you gotta admit, there is a lot there that makes sense. So...enjoy and comment away.

Warhammer Online: WAR Report

What do these images have in common?



What is the one thing I find in Warhammer Online that I really do not see much of in other MMO's?



Why are these images important to understanding why I am really enjoying this game?



A constant "Grouping" factor.

I have played in more "group" based Scenarios, PVP and PVE than any other MMO since I first started playing MMO's.

The dread of LFG all hours of the day got to be an annoyance in most MMO's I have played. Of course, Guilds are one way to avoid this, yet the commitment needed is beyond compare. Then hours of the day that we play can cause concern. Or lets say someone has outleveled you, etc.
So many ways that grouping just does not seem to work in most average MMO's WORKS in Warhammer.

Some people complain about the PvE being plain in WAR. Some people complain about balance in RvR in WAR, or PVP in general. These do not seem to concern the "Family who MMO's", because, we are actually having fun doing what we do.

Ok, now that is out of the way, I guess you may have figured out how we feel as a group in WAR. Basically the balance of what to do has really shined for us.
One minute we can be grinding a PQ (Public Quest) with others to raise our Influence bar. The next, we have entered a scenario to work on Renown. Or we may stray into the Open RVR and get a bit of fun fighting Destruction, or taking a Keep. And if none of this is going on, we can still do kill quests, a bit of crafting or gathering, and still be having fun.

There is not a total bed of roses here, as some concerns still are glaring to say the least.

The server we are on seems to have a very dedicated group on the Destruction side, who seem to work well together, while the Order side can be a bit lame. But, we are learning how to work through this.
Issues with the lag on the servers can cause some weird issues. Floating players, mobs who disappear and reappear across the field from where they were killed, and skills not firing off immediately, causes a bit of..WTF??
Yet, each night, these seem to not cause concern, as we all will look at the clock and say.."Wow, it is past bedtime."

Did we get our moneys worth? Sure did. Will it last? Hard to say...

For now, I am savoring the fun. I am enjoying the deep lore of the game (so much so, that I bought a new Warhammer novel). As long as I am entertained, it is worth the meager amount I have paid.

Aion - Clipped Wings

Just a quick little post about the misadventure that was Aion.



As I blogged previously, my son got an itch, while we were playing Guild Wars, to get back into Aion. For some reason he remembered some fond memory of Aion, yet forgot about all the bad involved.
He has a habit of going back to games, even though he did not like them previously. Example was Fallout 3. He bought the game on launch and died over and over. Sold the game, and never looked back. Yet, all his friends were playing and several months later, decided to try again. Gamespot made a nice profit indeed, when that copy was returned for credit.

So, Aion. We made a pact. One, I would be able to make a character on his account. Two, the wife (who talked me into buying it for him, after I hemmed and hawed using the Fallout 3 story) would also have to play beyond a specific level (5) or else pay for it out of her allowance.

As of today, the game has been cancelled.

So, what did us in. Each of us ran into issues. What pulled us out (even before the PvP)...

Lets start with my son. This one is easy. Boredom. Slow combat, lots of running here and there, annoying questing. Oh, and ready for this one? Dying! (Over and Over and Over); That spawn rate is murder for solo players.

For my wife, a lot of the same. She noted something was off as she tried to play. The interface was not as intuitive as she would have liked. Also, the camera seemed choppy to her. Since she is a crafter at heart, gathering was slow and tedious for her as well. She hit that same window of Boredom.



For myself, relatively the same Boredom. But, as I fought mobs, I was annoyed by the cutesy critters I had to battle. The music started to get on my 3rd nerve. I ended up shutting off both music and the "spell words" sounds (Ka-here-nay? WTF?). Battle was slow (especially since we have fallen into being more actioney type players). The overall experience just kept me from logging in.

You have to imagine the difference of going between WAR, Guild Wars and Aion, as I was playing all three...and which game really was jarring in respect to how it "played". The odd man out was truly Aion.

Even though it has been discussed by many that the servers are empty, game time wise, Aion still charts quite high on Xfire. At one point NCSoft stated they had 1 millions subs in the US. SUBS, not players (ooo you Tricksies Turbine and the way you guys word your press releases..."1 Million players, doubled subs since going free to play"...). I did not see as many players in the starting areas as I have in Age of Conan or WAR...even GW. Could the endgame really be that good? All I know is 10 levels was torture.

For now, Aion goes back into the "been there, done that" pile, never to fly again.

Warhammer Online: News from the front

Talk about a change of pace for the family.

It happened officially yesterday. The wife stepped into the WAR universe, and something interesting took place.

She had...FUN??

Now, I need to reiterate something here for the masses; We are NOT PvP'ers...PERIOD. We like to enjoy a challenge of a game without someone griefing our fun or making it so we cannot progress. We enjoy the little things. Killing AI mobs, playing in our small group and being anti-social unless we MUST progress with others, etc.



Now, a little history on the WAR front. Initially I started goofing off with the free trial (which I am still on, BTW) and had some problems at first. I had resolved these (though the client is not perfect, as we are finding WAR has the EQ2 client issue. Too much on the CPU and not enough on the GPU. This is causing a massive overheat on my OC'd CPU's). After solving the problem though, I focused on leveling up my main, a Witch Hunter.
I really do enjoy this class and the aesthetic as I previously mentioned. But, I also was interested in trying a heal class as well, and moved to War Priest.
WHAT a change. It felt more powerful, and seemed to really fit my style. I took it through RvR and felt what it was like to enjoy some massive PvP.

As to the RvR, I knew I had to try it, as it is what the game is built around. I did not realize how much of a blast this would be though. Now, whether it is the server I chose, or what expectations I had built up...I feel group based PvP really works compared to the FFA style, like in Age of Conan.  It also has proven that in both Age of Conan AND Warhammer Online, the prevalent gameplay that is the most enjoyable is grouping.



So, how did the family get involved in this? I initially set out in WAR to just goof off in the mornings or the downtime for family gaming to run around and play. But, my son, coming from a stint in Aion (yes, I will post on that soon...), logged in and started playing different characters. Next thing I knew, he was NOT playing Aion anymore and was strictly playing WAR.
I honestly think his background in playing Halo, Battlefield, and Call of Duty (as a few choices) lend itself well for him to be involved in mass pvp styled combat. He is use to the "team" perspective of fighting in arenas to get points and gain renown. It really shows here as well.



The next thing I knew, we were teamed up and away we went. This weekend we joined our first warband. A large group all with one goal...protecting the realm of order. This did not leave the wifes attention, as she seemed interested in how much we wanted to get involved. We played RvR for over 3 hours.
The final blow of gaming came late Saturday when the wife and I logged in to play Guild Wars. The son joined in...but, soon was not interested. He grew bored, and apologized and said he did not want to play GW anymore.
We were disappointed. I told the wife I still wish to play, but she also lost interest at that point.

Game families...ARGH! There is no doubt we have built a synergy between the 3 of us. When one goes down, the other two are sure to follow.

So, after a lovely Indian meal Sunday, we convinced the wife to log in and give it a college try. Luckily, there were some bonuses. The Elven women in WAR actually look good (compared to another title with Elves - *Cough* LOTRO *Cough*). She also liked the idea of the Shadow Warrior, which would be a unique class for the wife (she has played Casters and Melee mostly...never a Ranger except shortly in Guild Wars).

So, after this, we were off.

She noted the mobs at the beginning seemed slightly "stupid", which of course, they are meant to be. She blew past this, and that is good (wait until I discuss Aion and her trial there...lol). She moved on, and then made it to the first PQ "Ravenhost Vanguard". She got the first taste of "Open Groups" and mass murder in a setting where a ton of players were involved (when we entered, there were about 12 other bodies there including us 3). What amazed both myself AND my son is she finished 2nd overall in the end, in their ranking system for ability of the player in regards to contributions.

Impressive.

As she gained new skills, she enjoyed the class more and more. By the end of our play schedule (we had about an hour to goof off), she noted that she will play again. Always a good sign for my EXTRA picky wife.
I am shocked she took to the game, yet, I see a lot of potential in the overall gameplay lending itself well to our 3 person team. Time will tell. RvR is still on the horizon, and who knows how she may react to dying over and over.

I am actually enjoying Warhammer Online. They seemed to have ironed out a lot of bugs, increased combat speed, and visually enhanced the game. WAR, along with Age of Conan were both games with horrible launches that led to games that are looked down upon in the long run.  I find it pretty amazing that both of these games have made such turn around's...even without the revenue to back it up.



Now, is WAR good enough for us to BUY our copies? Time will tell.

Violence, Sex, Gaming and the 11 year old

I wanted to take a moment and discuss a personal story.

As many who read here may know, my son, who is 11, plays games with us (my wife and myself) on a regular basis. Mainly MMO's, but we have also played games like Baldurs Gate and Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
Today an article was posted here ( Babble.com), a site for Mom's. I read it through and found instead of it being a hate piece, it actually was informed and written by a person who was not so strict as to make Catholic School look like playland.

I wanted to share the story of my son, who sounds like this writers child. Since the whole family plays games together, his case proves to be an interesting outlook on gaming and kids.

My son started to be interested in games when he was about 8. We started on the Xbox, playing the games where we could all sit on the couch and control characters (like X-Men, Marvel Heroes based games and Baldurs Gate). He got an Xbox 360 for Christmas the next year, and started playing online.
Needless to say, the language started and the attacks began. He had a mic, and what was amusing was how many believed he was either a girl, or was gay.
We discussed these things with him when they happened, and realized that he took it well. He noted these were just words that people used to hurt someones feelings. The old "sticks and stones" adage certainly applied in his case. Swearing became commonplace of course online, but he refused to use these words. It was an interesting view of someone who could possibly take everything the wrong way, due to his age, but did not.

As he progressed, he showed interest in gaming with his parents. The wife and myself of course being avid MMO players for years (think we are going on 7 years now playing together), thought it would be great to have another on board, but would allow us to talk with him about the games more.

We let him start simple. He played World of Warcraft for example. But, he really took an interest in our last venture...Age of Conan.
Now, I can hear the screams of many an adult who would be like "WTF???". I kept thinking that he could pretty much see the same violence on TV or Movies, thus why would the game hurt.
Naked women? Heads flying off? How could we as responsible parents allow him to see these things?

I think it has to do with the fact that if WE are there, we are present for these things, that we as parents can explain these things to him.

As time progressed and we played together, the questions started. But, it is not what you think. He started discussing strategy. He broke out pencil and paper, and started taking notes. If a naked girl ran by, he covered his eyes....lol. YES, he was timid and realized he did not really want to see that.

We felt he became responsible.

He started 5th grade this year, and the work he is doing in school has me even doing double takes on how hard it is. But, his persistence in doing the work has already claimed him two rewards.
He is part of an advanced mathematics group who, due to passing grades in that class, is going to Space Camp in Alabama in April. As well, his regular teacher has been so impressed by his "maturity", that she elected him to be one of seven children who are "Young Scholars". Many a time my son has supposedly broken up fights, discussed issues about other children who talk hate (he has heard kids discuss things like how "Jews are evil" and "Obama is black and it is the only reason he won"...ah, gotta love the Bible Belt Southern States), that she felt he showed a maturity well beyond the usual childish antics of most kids his age.
Anyways, the "Young Scholars" is a special program where the child is in a special summer camp for a week at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC. While there he will get to choose to be a Movie Director, Crime Scene Investigator or Architect. They will act out these parts as if they were adults and doing the work to solve a crime or build a new business.

So, could this be because we treated him with respect and helped him learn...all because of video games? We like to think so.

So, what does my son think of hate, violence and sex? He really is outspoken about equal rights, discusses racial profiling, talks about religion and of course talks about War. He also says he wants to meet the right person someday to marry...but girls are icky right now...(lol).
Basically he may have grown up sooner than most parents would like. Yet, yesterday, he was in the hallway, playing with his toy Halo Warthog and action figures, defeating The Flood...just like a kid.

Did we do the right thing? Can we be the parents that either say "Don't do that or you will go blind" or should we be the parents who discuss things with their child, especially as they grow older and are looking to other avenues of entertainment, like drugs and sex. I know I was rotten when I was a teen. But, I also had the sheltered life, that we are NOT doing with our son.

Every indication so far says we may be doing it right. Not only is he our child, but we can treat him with respect and maturity in the hopes that WE will be the ones he will talk to when it comes time for peer pressure.

So, to our gaming family, let us hope that as time goes on, he does not want to part from discussing these things with us, and will be in that next big MMO with us...or at least meeting a nice girl he can bring home.

Hey, we can only hope SHE is a gamer chick too!!

The Secret World - The experiment!

I made a few points on Twitter today about my thoughts of The Secret World.

First, I do honestly believe it could be the most unique and engaging MMO on the market (as long as it is NOT Funcom'd in any way, as we know they are notorious for doing). Second, as long as some conventions are put within a more modern world feel, like the game setting itself, I will truly feel like I am living in my present world...inhabited by creatures of legend and myth.

Some of my thoughts are:

Please make sure I have a first AND last name.
Please make sure I can get "regular" food and in normal ways. For example; Chips or Sodas...candy bars, out of vending machines.
Finally, PLEASE make sure money is in multiple denominations (Euro, Yen and US Dollar or something to that effect). Not some made up currency, or a singular style (well, I will slide if all money is in Yen ala Shadowrun style)

Now, why do I call this post "The Experiment"? Simple.

The Secret World will be the first MMO I will treat differently than most MMO titles of today. Here are my rules for The Secret World "Experiment" when it launches.

• I will not buy the game until at least a week has passed to get over hiccups. If I have to, I will wait a month.
• Try to avoid, at all costs, reading any in depth articles currently out and as well, no "reviews" of the game. This could make my first point "difficult" to say the least. I will also need to go on Twitter moratorium I think, as I believe some tweeters (Longasc!!!!) will really ruin it for me.
• When I play, I will totally treat the game like a normal purchase. Read the rule book, log in and really pay attention to story, detail, etc.
• NO BETA - PERIOD.

Yes, I REALLY have my work cut out for me. But, this is the way it use to be. Guild Wars was a launch game for me, and I learned it from scratch, and it totally blew me away. Yet, LOTRO was a beta tester game, and it has ruined all aspects of that title for me. 

WoW was really awesome when I started as I only knew the game by reviews only...but, then I started reading "help" sites, blogs...it was ruined for me.

The best part though? I will blog it all for YOU, as I know YOU love it when you know what is happening. But, I may instead do it, based on the principles of my ARG site, The Atbash Cipher of Secrets.

You can already check out that site, as I have my preliminary work there and layout for how I wish the game to be played from my perspective. Thats right folks, it is slightly RPG style.

Anyways, I could not resist discussing this, as I know news is coming from GDC that a NEW trailer with gameplay is to be shown by Funcom. I plan to watch that video, and then my moratorium will begin. No reading peoples thoughts on the video, no "previews"...NADA.

All of it will disappear not unlike the hidden secrets of the Templars.

Guild Wars - Respond, React, and Act

There is something exhilarating that continues to evolve as our family plays Guild Wars.
What really shines is the system built into Guild Wars for combat. I call the system a Respond, React and Act type of combat.



Thanks to the limit that GW puts on your skill bar, you must, accordingly,  choose the proper skills for what you wish to accomplish. Eight skills is not a lot to work with, yet, thanks to how fast a lot of them work, and how you must react to what is happening, the game becomes more "Action" oriented than most slowbie combat MMO's (examples of massive slow is Vanguard, EQ2, LOTRO). There seems to be a metagame here on how you must line up skills, and of course gaining and capturing skills (another mini game in itself..read about the Signet of Capture here if you are not aware of this trick). But, that is another story...

So, lets see how a typical combat round can run for a group that is well kitted.

Respond - First "response" means that you use any skills that help you become efficient. Examples may be skills that make energy use cost less for skills, makes skills refresh quicker, enhance health, etc. There are a multitude of various tricks to play around with. I usually try and take one per skill bar.

REACT - "React" means to take care of detriments to you the player. Health drains, hexes, etc are all types of detriments a player may get (bleeding or poison is an example of a condition, and are a detriment to the players capabilities). You will then use skills that will remove these, or hope that if you do NOT have that capability, then another player is a Monk, Necromancer or other class who can remove these.

ACT - Acting upon enemies with attack skills, your own detriments to the mobs, etc. Or, if you are playing a healer, to use healing type skills.

Now, this is the system I have been using since I have been playing. As you grow with your character and class, you may find alternative methods to each of these.

Recently, which you can see in the image above, I decided to go Ritualist / Monk. The Ritualist class from Factions is unique in that it has a pet system that summons non-movable (unless you have a skill to do this) spirits that attack, heal, cause detriments, etc.

My system of Respond, React and Act followed this course..

Respond - Summon 2 spirits, one who steals health and the other who would attack and disrupt mobs.
React - Watch players in the group who would receive detriments and remove these. I carried both condition removal skills and hex removal skills (hexes are unique in usually causing a player to either drain health as they attack, or slow them down, etc.)
Act - Since I was a healer type, I would avoid attacking here. So, as a Monk, I would instead act by healing players who needed to have their health renewed. If not capable, or character dies, then Resurrect if possible.

Now that I have gained Heroes, a form of NPC that follows a player, like henchmen, I have moved away from the heal class. One particular Hero makes an excellent healer, so I am now attack based, with more spirits and damage attacks.
Each type of playstyle is difficult in it's own way. For example, being a Mesmer puts a player more into a class of causing detriments to mobs (or other players in PvP) and can be difficult to play (as my wife found out, who has decided to go back to her Elementalist caster now, and put the Mesmer on the backburner). On the other hand, he Elementalist is the true notion of DPS we see so often spoken of in the MMO realm.

Anyways, I just wanted to throw this out there. I truly admire the combat system in GW, and wish more games would look to this style of layout. The multibar systems of most MMO's gets tiresome and unwieldy in nature. The fast, sleek systems of Guild Wars make for a fun and exciting outing everytime I play.

Mastering it is truly the players battle. Using the R, R, A system I describe is just one method to get the most of of your playtime.

Gods and Heroes - Why it matters

I believe it was almost two years ago when I had a chance to beta test Gods and Heroes. A new MMO in the works by the fledgling Perpetual Entertainment. The game had a lot of potential. With a setting in an ancient styled roman empire. Satyrs walked in the fields, old columns from broken down buildings littered the fields of high grasses and wheat...

It truly had potential as it was something unique and different to see than the standard elf, dwarf high fantasy.

The potential lay within several features.

First, a Diety who you gained powers from when you leveled, which most games do not do. My son the other day for example asked why no MMO's had a feature like this. Gods and Heroes did.
Second, an NPC system that would allow players to build small armies for later skirmishes (as we can see in the image above). This also would allow for solo play if so desired. You had control of their gear as well, ala Guild Wars Heroes.

But, a beta schedule of two hours a day; Fridays and Saturdays, which during those times you were guaranteed a server outage, lagginess or various bugs breaking combat or quests; it just could not get off the ground.

So, the doors closed.

But, it seems the license and technology associated with the game has fallen into new hands.

Austin studio Heatwave Interactive have bought the rights to all aspects of the game. Even the tech to run an MMO from the ground up. You can read more about this here.

Gamespot news on Gods and Heroes acquisition.

I for one am pretty excited about this.

And this year is the perfect time to hear of Roman/Greek styled games. With a multitude (resurgence if you will) of Roman-Greco styled media. From Spartacus on Starz (a hit for that pay for station), to Percy Jackson in theaters now (the Lightning thief series) and of course, the ultimate remake...Clash of the Titans...done in full CGI glory.

Of course, this year also sees the launch of God of War 3, which has a lot of hype behind it.

Now is the time of the Greek tragedy. Lets see if this phoenix of an MMO can rise from the ashes and not be a tragedy of it's own fate no more.

Enjoy my slideshow of the few images I was able to capture from beta...

Cheers

Guild Wars - Change of Venue

Our current MMO (if we can call it that..I call it an Online Action RPG) is Guild Wars.
We have been playing within the Nightfall campaign, an African themed setting, which I really enjoy. The visuals are great, the setting feels good and you have access to the "Heroes", which seem to work better for when you wish to solo or have a small group.
But, something struck us as we continued our questing.

It seems to be quite easy with the Heroes.

Also, while playing, my son took what we would call the "Easy" class....Warrior. Thanks to the best heal in the game (in my opinion) and being able to take a ton of damage, they seem to just be easier for those starting out. But, it also comes with my son's main complaint; they are boring.

My wife who has played a ton of Guild Wars was in for something new also...as she had already played through Nightfall. So, I thought long and hard on this. I or my wife had NEVER played in "Factions" before...so, why don't we all START over.



Now, Guild Wars has something that most MMO's do not. A quick and easy restart for the game, thanks to the leveling system. With only 20 levels, it just does not seem as harsh to start anew.

So, we were off.

My wife is experimenting with a Mesmer. This class is unique in how it is mostly a debuff class and there for interrupts or to take down mobs without being a DPS'er. She has never leveled one too high, but she is really into the game right now, so she may be able to pull this off.
My son chose an Assassin.  I am worried as I know eventually that this class becomes a death trap. Easy to kill and not much of a damage maker. But, he is really good about staying alive so far.
I chose the Ritualist. I had never played one to full fruition, and wish to see how it works. I am enjoying the cross breed of pets/heals this class has...so it could be fun.

None of these choices are conventional whatsoever, and eventually we may wish to say goodbye to these characters.
But, we have noted that each of us are having fun with these classes. And maybe that is the key to longevity. So, we will carry on, and see how we feel as we progress.

Hopefully will get back to you with more on this change of events. Cheers for now.

Less Twitter, More Bloggie

So...yesterday, I had a run in on Twitter with someone I do respect. My issue is when they get all up in arms because someone asks a simple question. I feel remorse for this player of MMO's and wonder why they become so sensitive to simple probing of their likes, dislikes, etc.

As MMO bloggers, it seems like this genre has a way to make people feel more emotional about their games, their play habits, and the way they approach the genre.

This is not the first time this has happened. All in all I think it has to do with the limited space for Twitter that causes more argumentative discussions than comparison talks about how we may feel about our gaming as a whole.

Thus, to alleviate this combative nature of Twitter, and it's short bursts of text being misconstrued...I will instead get back to my first love.

Blogging.

I have been pretty busy as of late, as my gaming has become pretty frantic with Guild Wars (with the family) and Titan Quest (solo).

I am actually shocked I am enjoying Titan Quest so much. As my wife calls it.."It is old school". But, thanks to the way the game plays, it has become a bit of a delight. Since I am enjoying it so much, I am going back to other games in that genre (isometric action RPG) like Legend:The Hand of God and Sacred 2 that have been sitting around not doing much of anything. I may actually enjoy myself again in those titles, as at the time I got them, I just did not seem to like that visual look or feel.

Guild Wars on the MMO front is proving to be another family favorite. I am unsure of what it is about GW or Age of Conan that we like so much. Maybe the more action oriented style? My wife started RPG's with Diablo 2 and Baldurs Gate (for the PS2; the action versions.)...so, I think she requires a faster pace than the standard slow mo of WoW, EQ2 or LOTRO. My son is originally an FPS player (Halo, Call of Duty, etc.), so I think it also seems more in line for him if the game is fast paced. Also, since my son is more oriented on the combat side of things, other areas of MMO's like crafting and housing are not that big of a deal. He did enjoy EQ2's housing though...so hard to say if he could enjoy it elsewhere. But, he never asks for those features in any new game we play.

But, like the person I noted at the beginning of my post who feels touchy about their games, we are just as emotional about our MMO's, and why we enjoy these particular titles. Luckily, there are enough of these MMO's to go around for all of us...fast action or slow paced.

Anyways, I think I have said enough for now. I think I need to get back to discussing games a bit more...in a context where I can explain myself a bit more.

Thanks for stopping by!

Funcom - Silence is golden *Redux*

Oh my. Not two months ago I had a post about how discussion of Age of Conan by Devs and Game Director, Craig Morrison, has been slim to none.
Also, the fact no new information on the next patch has been presented, and when it would arrive on Testlive had really broken my resolve. I ended up leaving the game (even though it has been an all time favorite for me).
Luckily, that has changed, as the new patch is in the first iteration on TL (patch 1.06 which includes a guild renown system, new T3 content and more)
Of course this has been on the servers for several weeks now, as it is another of the "Funcom Super Patches", where they try to bring the kitchen sink in with their updates. Too many changes equals months of nothing new going into the game (as an example, for Christmas? ...totally ignored in Age of Conan...when they at least had a small event last year and even one for Halloween this year).

Anyways, all we know is this "super" patch then leads to an elongated period without any new patching or content.

Craig in an infinite wisdom of some sort, decided to update everyone on how things are progressing. This is all well and good. But, along with this, he drops some bad news in with the notice about the chance of PVP Towers being dropped due to time issues. As well, the timeline for the new update is...when it is done. No news is good news? NOT!

Basically the letter is a loss, as nothing shared equals anything of quality.

Now, this of course starts a storm on the forum and we know how this sits with current players.

The fun really begins when Craig decides that he just does not understand why people are so overzealous in their attitude about the letter, and blogs about it. Of course, the damage has already been done, and I think based on this blog post, Craig knows that something is not right.

I explain in the comments on his blog that it is really simple.

We as players do not need you to "sell" us the idea of a great patch, as we are already customers, and all the "political" speech does not help us understand why there has been no content updates or fixes to the game for months now.
We would actually just prefer info on when the patch is hitting TL, if a new iteration of the patch is ready and when it will go to TL, and then finally, tell us WHEN it will go live. If you do not know when it will go live, then just keep us in the dark or discuss something else.

The letter still feels like a "sales" job, and with Craig doing so many interviews and having to be a salesman, I mean, he must think the player will fall for the same thing.

But, I think we know that longevity is not a strong point for Age of Conan now, so they must keep a steady stream of new players rolling in to have any chance of succeeding. Then when they finally get around to patching, they need to hope players who left (ME!) will come back and see if the game is what we thought it was going to be.

But, stop selling the game, and the patch. Quit making Super patches, and send out smaller fixes...oh, and stop dropping promised features and slowing down the game...

Then  maybe you wouldn't have to blog again about how people react to stupid news.

Lord of the Rings Online - And so it came to pass...

Well, my little verse on LOTRO was just posted over at Scaryboosters blog today...a little piece I like to call

"An LOTRO bedtime story…"

Basically since we had our major power outage this past weekend, I really did not get much time to play. But, I made every effort I could to log in on the first day of the free schedule that LOTRO offered, which started on the 17th of December.

And it was dismal. Thus, my little Christmas verse above.

I continue to try and find the love people have for this game, but I just do not grasp it. So many problems pop up (and not "bugs" per se, but concerns over how they decided to make the gameplay, visual quality, etc...), that for me, it is near impossible to even make it through the tutorial.

Is it the lore that people love? Because as an MMO, the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. As to that "lore", it is weak, thanks to a delivery system for quests being encapsulated within small boxes of teeny fonts.

Speaking of fonts, on a 1080p display, it truly is too small for the normal human eye to read comfortably. You had the capability to change the UI size, but all of the fonts stayed at their set small teeny size 8 levels.

Models have made no progress to be better, with molded faces, painted on outfits and strange rubbery movements (looked like playdoh constantly being stretched) causing me to have fits over how ugly I looked.

Speaking of movements, what is with the broken hip running that makes the characters look like small Mechs running around? Jumping looked silly and running animations were terrible. As well, combat animations were stiff and unbelievable.

All of this would have been fine if gameplay held up, but I really got tired of the quests almost immediately. A game really needs to grab you from the beginning and LOTRO just did not cut it. The tutorial was just oh so, and I felt compelled to log within the first ten minutes. Even the music started to lull me to sleep. The same bits of tinny lutes or horn sounds just was so blah.

I came in with an open mind this time, and played for hours...but, when those hours were spent trying to get a decent playable UI, framerate (one of the few things that DID improve some was performance...but, the popping textures issue still exists) and screen size...I lost all interest when I was told to kill some Midges, and after their deaths, I could not even see their bodies to loot them.

I just do not get it.

So, it is with stockings hung by the chimney with care, I tossed my box of LOTRO heartily into the fireplace with a flare...

I bid you, Goodnight, and good luck trying to pretend that this game is even worth the title of MMO.