Turbine – Page 9 – MMO Fallout

Rules: Why Do They Need To Be Repeated?

While logging into Lord of the Rings Online several days ago, I noticed the above warning on the main page. Turbine is banning anyone who exploits a bug with the skirmish system, without warning (no slap on the wrist) or appeal. They can tell who is doing it, and are watching for those who attempt to slip by.

This, alongside other examples I will get to, continues to make me ask: Why do MMOers need to be constantly reminded not to break the rules? Are we that exploitative, selfish, greedy, or ignorant that we have to be reminded that exploiting the system, cheating in some fashion, or otherwise break the rules is, in fact, against the rules and is punishable? Or does this small minority just have the mindset that they are invincible, that they won’t get caught. To me, this is akin to a police officer who greets with “now you know stealing is against the law, we will arrest you if we catch you doing it,” to everyone walking down the street, because a couple unruly teens in the neighborhood decided to ransack and beat the tar out of one of the older gentleman’s house down the street.

More after the break.

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2010: The Blue Moon Year

We enter January as 2009 comes to a close, we look at the year before us, and the year ahead, and remember that life goes on, no matter what happens in the present. I’ve dubbed 2010 the blue moon year because it has the pleasure of beginning with a blue moon, an event that won’t be occurring on New Year’s Eve for a long time to come.

I’m going slightly out of character with this article, if anything just to be the one time a year I get to be a jerk and pick on the same companies I spend the other 364 days vying for the attention of (Thank you Tork, Hasbro, Aventurine, Cryptic). This is a comprehensive list of some questions I have going into the new year, that I hope to get answered by this time next year.

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2009: Surprise Sequels and Drama Aplenty

2009 has come to a close, and has brought us plenty in terms of surprise sequels and drama. Here is a comprehensive list of the surprise sequels and drama that hit this past year.

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A Downward Spiral Does Not Mean Death.

I like to take some time every now and then to detail certain parts of MMO Fallout, usually terms and expressions I use, that generates the most feedback from fans. More recently, I’ve had a few questions about my consistently ending certain product articles (Star Wars Galaxies, Age of Conan, Planetside, and several others) with “More on ____’s downward spiral as it appears.” Some of the readers appear to be under the impression that I’m calling the deaths of these MMOs, lovingly pointing out that I have said from day one that I will never predict the death of an MMO.

Well they are right, at least on the last point. When I say downward spiral, I always have facts to back myself up, and I am not always referring to subscriber numbers. Take Funcom for example, who not only cut off 20% of their staff, delayed a non-dated MMO, announced a massive revenue drop, and somehow is still finding the time to develop a free to play kid MMO. When I say Funcom is in a downward spiral, I mean financially that company is in a downward spiral, that changes direction depending on your hemisphere and leads right into the septic tank.

I don’t call death because, to be honest, it’s redundant. Dwindling subscriber numbers? Yes. Financial ruin? Yes. Ponzi Scheme? Stargate Worlds. Calling death on an MMO is akin to calling yourself a soothsayer and predicting that someone would die, but they would have financial gain at some point before they do. Not when they’ll die or what the financial gain is, and all that can be chalked up as everyone dies and, generally, everyone has an income at some point in their lives. Blamo, you’re the most generalized soothsayer in all the land.

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Dungeons and Dragons Online: MORE SERVER!

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“The corollary to that is if you’ve seen a game consolidate servers, you know it’s in deep, deep trouble — that’s not a healthy sign for an MMO, It will be the same for ‘Warhammer.’ Look at us six months out. Look at us six weeks out. If we’re not adding servers, we’re not doing well.”
-Mark Jacobs, Mythic VP

Thank you, Mark. What Mark Jacobs, Vice President over at Mythic Entertainment is trying to say is that success in an MMO can usually be seen by looking at whether or not the company is adding servers. Earlier in September, as we all know by now, Turbine turbine’d Dungeons and Dragons Online into a free to play game, with pay to play subscriptions as well as a microtransaction system. After the game relaunched, Turbine noted a 40% increase in subscriptions.

Well, Mark Jacobs can eat his heart out. Turbine will be opening a new server to deal with the incoming flood of players.

Asheron’s Call Hits Double Digits

Like the rest of us, MMOs are born, they live, and eventually they all die. Although 2009 has seen the passing of Richard Garriot’s Tabula Rasa, Shadowbane, and The Matrix Online, it has also seen the continuing run of Ultima Online (celebrating twelve years), Everquest (ten years), and now Asheron’s Call hitting ten years old. Sadly, we celebrate this over the death of Asheron’s Call 2, that occurred less than four years ago.

Happy birthday Asheron’s Call! Have a seat…no, not there, that’s the chair that hurts your back. Sit in your rocking chair, right over there. You old coot you.

I think he just fell asleep.

Asheron's Call Hits Double Digits

Happy birthday Asheron’s Call! Have a seat…no, not there, that’s the chair that hurts your back. Sit in your rocking chair, right over there. You old coot you.

I think he just fell asleep.

Hunting Transgenders, the Chinese Way…

zombie-austin-powers — That's no baby, baby. -banned-

Imagine this, gentlemen: You’re walking through the streets, and at the corner you come across a beautiful woman, clad in nothing but a frilly bra and underwear. As she looks at you seductively, using the hottest /dance emote available, she says “4g 4 l4p d4nc3.” All of a sudden, you notice something about her is wrong. The chin, the hairy arms, the Adam’s Apple. IT’S A MAN, BABY!

If you’re a player who enjoys the occasional pixelated groping, or you work as a GM on Age of Conan, you’ll be glad to hear that, at least on King of the World that you won’t have to worry about that woman actually being a man behind the screen. Taking the phrase “pics or it didn’t happen” literally, and requires players to submit webcam pictures of themselves, otherwise male players playing as female avatars will be banned.

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Headstarts, Expansions, and Free to Play

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It’s a busy day today for MMOs. First off, those who preordered Fallen Earth will find that the headstart servers are now open for them to start roaming and utilizing those preorder bonuses before all the lazy people come in. Fallen Earth has been on my radar for quite some time now, not just because I was invited to the closed beta, but because it taught us a lot about false pretense. I’ll admit I was suckered into the idea that Fallen Earth would be an MMO take of Fallout 3, until I actually played the game and found that the two are different as day and night. Fallen Earth is a fully realized MMO set in a massive persistent world, with a unique system of crafting, leveling, and fighting. Those of you who did not preorder can dive into the live servers when the game fully launches on September 22nd, barring any future delays.

LOTRO

Secondly, an oldie comes back for a rejuvination. Today, Dungeons and Dragons Online goes fully free to play, alongside the newest expansion: Eberron Unlimited. The level cap has been raised to 20, and free players have access to most content, with a number of classes, items, and other features paid for through the game’s VIP system. Grab your 20 sided dice, get your party ready, and go deep into this title today! No doubt MMO Fallout will be focusing more on Dungeons and Dragons Online, what with the ongoing lawsuit between Developer Turbine and Publisher Atari.

Lord Of The Rings Online: Still Kicking

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Turbine has a modest list of titles, three to be exact (Asheron’s Call, Dungeons and Dragons, and Lord of the Rings), but I have no doubt that Turbine has a vested interest in all of their products (as long as you don’t bring up Asheron’s Call 2). Even Asheron’s Call, that hits a decade old this year, still receives updates regularly.

So I’m glad to see Turbine is bringing about the epic conclusion to Volume 2 in Lord of the Rings Online, with the upcoming expansion: Siege of Mirkwood. Turbine isn’t just looking for the normal increased level cap, new areas, new items, and balances, oh no. Siege of Mirkwood is expected to bring in a new skirmish mechanic, that allows players to run customizable soldiers through randomized instances, leveling them up as they go along.

Those of you who know Turbine will know that they do PvE, and they do it well. Whether Lord of the Rings or Dungeons and Dragons, any player who delves deep into the story will be asking themselves, “What PvP?”

Siege of Mirkwood is launching as a paid expansion this fall. If you’re interested in diving into the existing game, LOTRO costs ten dollars USD a month, only two thirds the cost of most mainstream MMOs

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