Let’s be frank: Not every MMO zone can be a masterpiece of art, design, quest flow, and navigability. I mean, they totally should be, but that’s not how it shakes out in actual games. Sometimes regions get rushed, or the developers get a little too crazy with level design, or someone with a doomsday device in the office threatens to set it off unless an area made up of nothing but jumping puzzles is included. The end result? “Those” zones we love to hate. We all have them. They’re the ones we seem to relish whining and complaining about to anyone who will listen, often instigating an echo chamber of like-minded grudges. We’ve been there, done that, and felt that our psyche took a hit as a result. Today I want to look back at 10 MMOs I’ve played over the years to pick out a zone from each that, honestly, I really, really disliked. Perhaps the fact that I still remember them so vividly means that they were more important memories than the … [Read more...] about Perfect Ten: MMO zones I love to hate
Been there done that
Been there, done that
It took me until now to get my first character with 100 % map completion. Luckily, I did not do it so I could maybe get a legendary weapon that I like if they ever make one. It just felt as if my account was not “complete” without having at least one character with that star attached to her name and the title available. On the other hand, I am really not sure I will do that ever again… even though I have two main characters and it would be tempting. But was it fun? No, not really. Some maps are great, of course, and others I just immensely dislike. Straits of Devastation (the Western side) and most of all Malchor’s Leap are such maps. Especially Malchor’s Leap. When I decided to work on map completion with my warrior, I went with Malchor’s Leap first, so I could do the nicer maps later. Altogether, I had 6 or 7 maps left that were not yet at 100 %. I did stop to smell the flowers, mine some ore, participate in an event and, of course, take some … [Read more...] about Been there, done that
The Survivalist: Yes, ARK Survival Evolved actually does have a story
Survival — or more? You might be surprised. When I first started playing ARK: Survival Evolved at the launch of its early access, it was an all-out dinoriffic survival game. And those of us who played in the beginning knew it just as that. As development moved on, more futuristic additions joined the primitive survival aspects. Some folks rebelled against this, balking at the inclusion of Tek. (Hey, some didn’t even want electricity and stayed playing on Primitive+ servers.) But the point of it all was not to rain on people’s dino survival parade, but because ARK has an actual story to discover. Yes, there is an ARK story. And after experiencing the conclusion of the first act this past weekend, I am way more stoked about it! Warning, there are some spoilers in pictures, so ogle them at your own risk! Too early, too late I admit, I was one of those folks who was not fond of the implementation of Tek in my dino survival world. That’s because I knew and loved the … [Read more...] about The Survivalist: Yes, ARK Survival Evolved actually does have a story
The Survivalist: How Aberration saved ARK
It’s no secret that plenty of people have felt disappointed by Studio Wildcard, disillusioned by decisions and direction. I was among that crowd. It reached a point where I had to give thought as to whether or not I felt I could continue to support the company. Added to that was the feeling of been there, done that in ARK: Survival Evolved that made logging in a drudgery. Not even the unexplored spaces of procedurally generated maps, Scorched Earth, or Ragnarok could rekindle that fire and entice me to delve back in with the regularity of my previous adventures; there just wasn’t enough to keep my interest or heart in it. I was reduced to mostly just making sure my dinosaurs were fed (because no way could I stand the thought of letting them die!). I had to decide, was it now time to move on? And then came Aberration. It is no exaggeration to say that Aberration saved ARK for me. Right when I was ready to relegate my ARK adventures to only memories, I found myself … [Read more...] about The Survivalist: How Aberration saved ARK
Massively Overthinking: The state of modern MMORPG raiding
Massively OP reader Sorrior recently sent in a question about raiding, a topic we haven’t discussed in a while. “I have noticed raiding tends to lead to more homogenization even without PvP and a bigger focus on numbers when making classes as opposed to their feel and style. I also see a correlation with a bigger emphasis on raiding and the decline of community quality. On a personal level, I feel like raiding should be about the joy of taking on foes you cannot defeat alone with allies/friends, but I feel many treat it as a chore or just see the numbers nowadays. Or they are just after the gear, which also seems to bring in a lot of people who focus on the numbers rather than the experience. I thought talking about why we raid and what we enjoy about it as MMO players while discussing ways to preserve the feeling of community might be fun.” I think talking about that would also be fun, which is precisely why we Overthink it in this column. So let’s do it: This … [Read more...] about Massively Overthinking: The state of modern MMORPG raiding