Comments for NecroRogIcon

Comment on Maps for Anvil Islands by Rog

Rog — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:13:45 +0000

Ahh yes, I have posted the other two updates elsewhere via my Flickr feed and I’m catching up here. I didn’t want to overwhelm so I’m posting daily until I’ve caught up to my current iteration of the map.

I’ll be explaining the central “river” in my next post. The short explanation is that it’s actually an ocean gap / channel between the islands and not a true river per se.

Comment on Maps for Anvil Islands by Tudor C

Tudor C — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:08:44 +0000

Pretty cool. I don’t know if you’re just getting it ready for another post, but I was able to see the first and second colored drafts of the Anvil Islands through the Screens browser on the left side of your blog. As such, most of the feedback I was mentally preparing was nullified when I saw the increased level of detail in your colored maps. The only thing I still have issue with is the flow of the central river running by Cordova. I don’t see a likely source as the water level to the north should be at pretty much the same altitude as the south. I was thinking that maybe there was a source somewhere along the river that fed both north and south streams, but it’s not very clear to me.

Anyways, this really seems like an interesting project, although it’s very vague, at this point, what you plan on doing with these maps, maybe a game or a novel. Whatever it is, best of luck Rog, creativity in any form is always fascinating to witness.

Comment on The Cost of Convenience by Nickle and Timing « Tish Tosh Tesh

Nickle and Timing « Tish Tosh Tesh — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:26:29 +0000

[...] 9, 2010 by Tesh Rog started this line of thought a while ago, and I’m just following up on it a [...]

Comment on Hell hath no fury by Tesh

Tesh — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:38:18 +0000

Perhaps notably, Puzzle Pirates has been the MMO that’s earned the most of my money. Daniel James *gets it*, and I wish others would, too. It’s perhaps an overidealistic notion that you make something valuable and enjoyable first, and only then put out a humble hat on the sidewalk, but it really does speak to my sensibilities. It may not be the path to wild-eyed jackpot success, but it is far more sustainable and palatable.

Interestingly, Allods *did* generate a lot of love by being a solid, beautiful game. This is a fantastic case study of how *not* to treat the people that like you.

Trivia: He’s a Brit, which might be why that quote bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain Beatles refrain. ;)

Thanks for the link! The more people that see the good Mr. James’ comments, the better.

Comment on The Cost of Convenience by Rog

Rog — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:49:49 +0000

Absolutely subscription games also are affected by their pricing model. That was sure critiqued a lot when UO came out as successful.

Just like anything else there are pros and cons. In some cases, I really like what’s being done with cash shops.

What makes me nervous is the trend this has taken in the markets where it started, in other parts of the world. Rich-kid-wins isn’t my idea of good gameplay. Allods isn’t in that direction yet, but it’s only just launching and this is an example of a foot in the doorway.

Comment on The Cost of Convenience by Tesh

Tesh — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:17:28 +0000

*shrug* So is the reliance on rep grinds, Achievements and raiding and other enormous time sinks in subscription MMOs.

It’s been interesting to see what Global Agency has done with its business plan and game design. “Persistent” effects are monetized via subscription, but the core gameplay is built on a one-time purchase like Guild Wars. Game design absolutely depends on the business model, in *all* business plans. That, in itself, isn’t a bad thing.

Comment on What’s wrong with a WoW clone? by Tesh

Tesh — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:45:58 +0000

I’ve oft lamented the loss of the “virtual world” design ethic. Perhaps that’s why I bounce between different MMOs, WoW clone or otherwise. I just love to explore new places and systems. I can’t get that same sort of exploration in a single game… especially MMOs of late. There’s too much game, not enough world.

Comment on The Cost of Convenience by Tesh

Tesh — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:40:05 +0000

I’m curious as to whether anyone has bothered to calculate how much the death penalty “costs” in WoW. If it’s either a time sink or a gold sink (sometimes both), and gold sinks are themselves time sinks, and we’re paying for the time we play the game… how much does it actually cost us to die in WoW? It’s certainly going to be a wide variance given different playstyles, but if one were to compare the death penalty dollar cost of a hardcore WoW raider compared to the same sort of player in Allods, I wonder how they would compare.

I don’t particularly like the Fear Of Death debuff, and I’d prefer a repair cost for a gold sink (naturally including repair widgets from the Item Shop if we’re going thataway), so I’m not really defending Allods on this one… just noting that death has a real cost in any game. We’re just used to ignoring the cost in a sub model because it’s already been paid with the monthly bill. It’s a sunk cost, rather than one we have to keep addressing. The psychology shifts how we look at it, for better or worse.

Comment on The Cost of Convenience by Rog

Rog — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:26:18 +0000

@heartlessgamer: There are some not-so-subtle differences in how it’s been implemented compared to a subscription-based game, which is pretty much 100% my point.

WoW’s death penalties have gameplay implications. Allod’s death penalties have a cash-shop lean to them.

Whether you think that’s a problem or not is up to you of course. It just really illustrates how the business model can dictate game design.

Comment on The Cost of Convenience by Longasc

Longasc — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:13:09 +0000

Wow, the first game that wants to affect my real purse through virtual death. I do not like this, as the idea is clearly driven by one incentive: To make people buy the perfumes to get rid of the nasty penalty.

Interestingly, you are the first to mention this. All others said the cash shop is really fine and made no detailed statements about it.