Unwinnable

In a world where geek culture is becoming ever more pervasive, where video games sell millions of copies and comic books are adapted into blockbuster movies, there still remains one hobby that rides along the edges. There is still one hobby that is shunned by the mainstream. Join me now as we explore the world of tabletop role-playing games. Join me, the TABLETOP WIZARD!

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Amid the chaos of New York Comic Con there existed an oasis of calm and reason. Far from the crush of the crowds, the flashing lights of video games, the cloying scent of vinyl, sweat and popped corn, lay the North Hall. That fabled land where few would tread, home of the D-list celebrity (may their autograph hands always be strong!), a life-sized roaming R2D2, a time-traveling DeLorean, two Batmobiles and the Wizards of the Coast gaming area. While the main halls were packed with mainstream movies, comic book companies and book publishers, a large portion of the North Hall was filled with tables and chairs. Around those tables people, often strangers to one another, sat across from each other playing Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons 4th Ed. and a slew of D&D based board games. I’ve never played an RPG at a con before, and outside of my experience with D&D Encounters (See TTW#3), I’ve never played with strangers before. I mean, it’s not always the easiest thing to pretend that you’re a fantasy warrior in front of people you hardly know, but we were all there for the same thing, so judgment was at a minimum. (more…)

I received an invitation to the very short, closed beta test for the upcoming free-to-play MMO, Dragon Nest. Dragon Nest is being developed by Eyedentity Games, published by Nexon and was released in parts of Asia in 2010. I first played the North American version of the game at PAX East 2011, and the action-oriented combat immediately smacked me in the head with the funbat. Don’t let the cartoony, anime-style graphics fool you—the gameplay is deep and includes 16-player PvP battles. (more…)

Most of the recent MMO releases have been as original as vampire movies mired in teenage angst. They seek to capitalize on conventions established by their predecessors. It’s not a bad starting strategy to construct a game that is instantly familiar to the masses. These titles tend to have one or two gimmicks or twists of their own: “Because orcs are so last year, we allow you to play bipedal space otters instead.” This trend has led to stagnation. Players that have tried MMOs in the past and not enjoyed them aren’t suddenly going to become fans. Those that do enjoy MMOs aren’t likely to abandon their favorite game—that they’ve invested hundreds of hours in—for something else that is essentially the same. (more…)

“We got exactly what we deserved. We hooked everything up to a dying mule.  Built a world economy on an obsolete fuel source we knew wouldn’t last. It all came crashing down around our heads faster than any of us could react. That was 10 years ago. You can either be a victim or you can fight back.”

CrimeCraft (CC) is an MMO that is described by its developers (Vogster Entertainment) as a persistent world next-gen shooter or “PWNS.” It was released in August of 2010 to spotty reviews and has, despite the odds, managed to survive among throngs of failed MMOs. CrimeCraft started out as the underdog in a war against another urban-based online shooter called All Points Bulletin (APB). APB was the first to market (June 2010) and the predictions around the web were that APB would swallow CrimeCraft. APB had one of the most advanced character customization tools ever designed for any type of game, period. The customization for CrimeCraft’s characters is still pretty limited. APB allowed you to purchase, upgrade and design vehicles while CC has no vehicular gameplay at all. In almost every category, it appeared that APB was head and shoulders above CrimeCraft. (more…)

The adventures of Thundermug continue in this third installment of Gaming in the Raw. If you missed the first or second episodes, click the links and catch up. The story and history of the world is starting to unfold through the quests as we encounter the opposing faction, the Defiant, for the first time. To understand why there are two factions and what they are trying to accomplish, we need to back up a bit.

Telara is a land susceptible to planar rifts which allows creatures in elemental prisons to pour into the world. Death, destruction and low property values all occur as a result.  Through the help of the Vigil (council of the gods), the Ward was erected to prevent these rifts. Over time, the Ward became weaker and eventually got damaged severely during an event called the Shade.

So now these rifts are forming everywhere and the whole world is in chaos. Regulos, the Dragon of Extinction, is taking advantage of all the turmoil and seeks to end the Telara. As if the free people didn’t have enough issues, the gods have suddenly grown silent. So it looks like the world is going to end, but two factions emerge to battle the Armageddon: the Guardians and the Defiant. (more…)

In the first episode of Gaming in the Raw we looked at the character creation, opening cinematic and first few quests from the upcoming MMO, Rift. So far it feels like a solid, yet familiar gaming experience as Trion Worlds has obviously incorporated the control scheme and user interface features from many popular and successful MMOs. In this episode, we dive deeper into the quests (I promise I don’t let any innocent civilians die) and take a look into one of Rift’s most promising features: the soul tree. Check it out!

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I recently got an invitation to participate in a very brief beta test for a game being developed by Trion Worlds. Rift is an upcoming MMO scheduled for release on March 1 in North America and March 4 in Europe. Since I will lose access to this beta in just a few short days, I decided to make a series of videos where I record my initial and unrehearsed reactions to the game as I experience them.

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