tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15650564313338476222024-03-14T15:49:35.364-03:00The MMO ExperienceDanshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-19400167695935237052009-06-26T03:21:00.002-03:002009-06-26T03:23:43.127-03:00Not Dead, and Not playing WoW<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This shall be brief.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. I"m not dead. I've recently got promoted at work and have a ton of other things to do now, but with more pay. Huzzah for that.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. Part of the reason I've not posted is due to Internet issues at home *Thanks to a wireless USB adapter that has went insane.*.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. I am resuming my old course. WoW is currently boring me so I'm wanting to return to my old wanderings of different MMOs. I'm a "WoW" tourist as Tipa mentions in one of her posts, however I may say I'm enjoying my vacation.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I'm currently playing Runes of Magic and S4, which I will post some pics up and talk about each of the games once I find enough time to do so. Until then...uhh...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">*Vanish*</span></div>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-27607931851770971032009-05-19T13:32:00.005-03:002009-05-19T14:05:02.795-03:00Who says Frost can't dps?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH6LJlIuXMhi2OmJ759C6TTb1IfiHLl0cH97cTT0WWrN58Mji5ALbmgP5B6Dl4s-0Fu-W7H7Tc-dVjkOIHUcb9mDx6YrtgeA8dQKtttJkGO93uYEpVEHPng41rLJl1C9vngI4PkdnIBs/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_050909_220648.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH6LJlIuXMhi2OmJ759C6TTb1IfiHLl0cH97cTT0WWrN58Mji5ALbmgP5B6Dl4s-0Fu-W7H7Tc-dVjkOIHUcb9mDx6YrtgeA8dQKtttJkGO93uYEpVEHPng41rLJl1C9vngI4PkdnIBs/s400/WoWScrnShot_050909_220648.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337574764030080946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">No comment required I hope.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Ah, it has been some time has it not? However I'm not here to go on about how I shall soon post and to tide you over here is a few sentences. No, I'm actually going to sit down and type out some conversation and hopefully get some feedback to said conversation. It has been a long time, so let me make some updates.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Onyxia&n=Vharian">This is me.</a></span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />While I have some decent gear I suppose, my weapon leaves much to be desired. Regardless I do some decent damage, upwards to 3.5k - 4k on raids. Sometimes even more depending on the fight and other misc. circumstances. So why is the first topic called "Trash Talking"?<br /><br />I went to a 10 man <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Naxxaramas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PuG</span> (Pick up group), hoping to finally get an upgrade for my weapon. While I didn't get an upgrade, something did occur on the raid. With us was three guild members from a raiding guild. One of them was a rogue by the name of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Spacebott</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Onyxia&n=Spacebott">This is his gear.</a> (He may have different gear for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pvp</span>, so if it doesn't look like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pve</span> gear..it probably isn't what he was wearing to the raid.)<br /><br />As we were progressing through the wings, his two <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">guildies</span> started to give him crap for being beat on damage by me. ( I am referred to as " That <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Deathknight</span>", instead of my characters name/whatnot.) As we make it up to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Patchwerk</span>, the rogue starts talking on vent on how no one ever beats him on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Patchwerk</span>, and my damn <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">AoE's</span> will not pull me ahead like it has been during the whole raid. Then he goes on about how DPS is nothing compared to damage done. (Mind you, I'm beating him on BOTH damage done and DPS.)<br /><br />So we start it up. I wish I had pictures of my recount, but sadly I didn't think I would write an article about this encounter. So we kill <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Patchwerk</span>, and the rogue is talking to his other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">guildies</span></span> about random BS. I, on the other hand, politely mention that his perfect record just got soiled.<span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Vharian</span> - 786k Damage done<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Spacebott</span>- 725k Damage done<br /><br />He then says yeah right, and doesn't talk anyone but his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">guildies</span> for the rest of the raid...which was just one more fight as all three of them left soon after.<br /><br />As a little side note, I'm frost DPS spec <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">btw</span>. =) .<br /><br />So what's the topic today? Trash talking and things of that nature. What do you think about the whole trash talking aspect in not only <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">MMOs</span>, but most games in general on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Xbox</span> Live and PlayStation Network? Leave a comment..or suffer.</span><br /></div></div>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-54316782888874649842009-04-27T20:34:00.005-03:002009-04-27T20:41:38.632-03:00Still Alive<span style="font-size:130%;">I find that the song " Still Alive " From Portal is running through my head as I type this during my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lunchbreak</span></span> at work. After reading a few comments about rather or not I still remain in this mortal coil, I've decided to make a small post about any updates with myself and a type of ETA of when the site will resume normal functions and the like.<br /><br />Well, my new job goes well and I'm making more money then before, which is <3.> I've become hooked to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Deathknight</span></span> class and just recently got mine to 80 and starting to do heroics and get epic gear.<br /><br />In short I'm having a lot of fun, though I miss writing desperately. The only kind I have been doing o late is trying to gather notes together to write a small novel idea that's been stuck in my head for several months.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'm going to try to write an entire article about something that went through my head when my group and I went through <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Oculus</span></span>. This was the first time any of us had went to the instance, and none of us bothered to look up the fights. Needless to say, we died a few times on a few of the bosses, but had a blast figuring out what to do.<br /><br />Well that's that for now. I'm sorry for the lack of posting, but know that I got 2 epics today for my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">deathknight</span></span>, so huzzah for me? (Epic belt from H Nexus, and Epic legs from H UK.)<br /><br />Oh, and while I get beat the crap out of by others I'm sure, my DPS is 2.5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ish</span></span> k in heroics. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Rawr</span></span>.</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-83088034743378438732009-03-24T11:17:00.005-03:002009-03-24T11:48:18.231-03:00Walking Manual?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO28vKpPyll8-PfbZ-zL0eEOK4zmOZYF3ppU4Ly3oL1bKTU6un2q2TZc5G9hba-1idQjaK65Hbz6ukldiDDThUM1g54wuIHnbQuAsw6XdkTZeAnu4ZA4dhnJLnr5gRR7Ji2Ud0l9chjg/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_030809_114347.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO28vKpPyll8-PfbZ-zL0eEOK4zmOZYF3ppU4Ly3oL1bKTU6un2q2TZc5G9hba-1idQjaK65Hbz6ukldiDDThUM1g54wuIHnbQuAsw6XdkTZeAnu4ZA4dhnJLnr5gRR7Ji2Ud0l9chjg/s400/WoWScrnShot_030809_114347.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316758544156797650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Impossible! A post!</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">It has been some time since an update has graced the halls of "The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MMO</span> Experience", and for that I offer only my sincere apologies and blame Resident Evil 5, work, and my renewed interest in World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Warcraft</span>. Before I get into my topic of the day, which I have spoke about on Twitter a few days past, I'm going to go ahead and give a brief update on myself!<br /><br />Ahem.<br /><br />Well, I got my Paladin to level 55, mostly during a sick day from work where I tried to ignore the ravaging virus that plagued me by laying in bed and playing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WoW</span> on my wife's laptop. Thanks to a new recruit in the guild I'm in, I hit that requirement to make a Death Knight. Now I've played a Death knight before,(for all of 5 minutes) but I was really interested to have the chance to take my time and explore the overpopulated, overpowered, and overrated class. From what I've read on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Deathknight</span> blogs and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">web pages</span>(Too many to list here, but the foremost in my head is <a href="www.skeletonjack.com">www.skeletonjack.com</a>.), the introduction quests that lead you to 58 are amazing and filled with all kinds of intriguing quests, interesting tidbits of lore, and other such goodies.<br /><br />Let's start with the fact I love the storyline of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Warcraft</span>, though I still believe that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">MMO's</span> are a poor canvas for a storyline to be expressed. However I was quite impressed with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DeathKnight's</span> introduction quests, and I had a blast doing them. So kudos Blizzard, you proved to this cynical gamer that quests in World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Warcraft</span> do NOT have to be all "kill 5 rabid gorillas with chainsaws".<br /><br />Now, on to actual post as well as the hopefully lively discussion!<br /><br />/Casting Resurrection...<br /><br />The other day, while I was playing World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Warcraft</span> with my wife (who plays a Shadow priest), we decided to go hit up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Zul'Farrak</span>. I'm happily going as my level 51 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ret</span> Paladin, knowing full well there isn't much there in terms of gear or exp, but I just wanted to have fun and help my wife level up. So we invited a shaman, a warlock, and another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ret</span> paladin for our misadventure.<br /><br />We go into the instance, all of us talking and having fun, pulling 2-3 groups at once just because we can. However, midway through the instance, the paladin starts complaining. (Not me..the other paladin..)<br /><br />" God, you're not even <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">prot</span> spec, you shouldn't be tanking, we don't even have a real tank. " He says to the group, even as I pulled 2 groups and he pulled 2, resulting in a close call as I tried to steal aggro from his mobs before they <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">axe'd</span> my wife, who was healing. I laughed, said it didn't really matter at this level, and we went about goofing off.<br /><br />All of us but the paladin. (not me I said!)<br /><br />He then went after my shadow priest wife..<br /><br />" You're a shadow priest?!!!? ROFL! We don't even have a healer or a tank, this group is stupid, there is no way we can do this. Those spells you are using are stupid, they use too much <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">mana</span>!" He says as he pulls all the scarabs while we're killing toward the lizard boss. (The one who summons all the lizards...obviously.)<br /><br />What was she doing? She was using Holy Nova(I think that's the name, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">AOE</span> holy spell Priests have.) on all the scarabs the other paladin pulled. Is it expensive in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">mana</span> area? Yes, but thanks to Judgement of the Wise, she and the rest of the group had almost an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">overabundance</span> of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">mana</span>.<br /><br />It doesn't stop there.<br /><br />He next gazes at the warlock.<br /><br />" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">OMFG</span>! You're not using your imp?! Are you retarded? Imp is the best, or succubus, Stop being a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">noob</span>. "<br /><br />The warlock was using his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Voidwalker</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">in case</span> the other paladin pulled too many and I needed an emergency backup tank to take some off me or so the warlock told me in a tell in response to that accusation. I responded he could use any pet he wanted and I wouldn't pester him to change. If this was a heroic dungeon or a raid, then I would ask him to use the "best" pet for the situation, however it wasn't..<br /><br />We were just having fun.<br /><br />So what did I do? Well I was tired of this paladin ruining the fun of 4 other people (While the shaman didn't get hit with any messages, she made it quite known she hated people like that.), so after the event with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Bly</span>, he was booted from the guild and placed on ignore.<br /><br />What's is wrong in the makeup of the human psyche that some people are forced to try to point out that someone is doing something that isn't the most effective way of "doing things".<br /><br />Yes, I wasn't a tank spec and someone that is would have been more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">efficient</span> than the job I performed.<br /><br />Yes, Holy nova is a very expensive spell and there are other spells more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">mana</span> friendly.<br /><br />Yes, A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">voidwalker</span> is usually a poor choice for a group setting.<br /><br />Yes, I shouldn't gleefully jump on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">some one's</span> back in the parking lot and demand they take me to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Undercity</span> while out shopping.<br /><br />But there are "ways" of trying to help people use more effective methods in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">MMOs</span>. I once grouped with a hunter (I was on my hunter as well.), who asked if I knew how to double trap. I honestly didn't, though the process seems beyond obvious once he explained it to me. He didn't insult my intelligence, or go to mock my "newbie" hat that I was apparently wearing.<br /><br />Is it an inferiority complex that makes most "assistance" from people come off as insults instead of actual help? Do people just like to swagger in their Elite world of min/max and make sure to always point out to others where their mistakes lie?<br /><br />That's today's discussion kiddies. What do you think about people trying to explain how to play YOUR class?<br /></span></div></div>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-85596790395526500772009-03-07T19:49:00.004-04:002009-03-07T19:52:39.074-04:00Mini-Update + Mini MMO Discussion<span style="font-size:130%;">I'm about to play some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ol</span> "evil" Dungeons & Dragons, so there won't be an update until later tonight/early this morning. However just a quick "Here is what I've been doing.."<br /><br /><br />Raising <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">lock picking</span> is horribly boring, on par with fishing.<br /><br />So for a small discussion while I go immerse my players into a fictional world of madness and despair (I'm such a nice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">DM</span>), what is some of the most tedious activity you've done in an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">MMO</span> but did so for the benefit it brings?<br /><br />I bet most will answer with farming..so...mention something else eh? ;)<br /><br />Discuss.</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-70019838280179734452009-03-06T12:36:00.002-04:002009-03-06T12:53:15.901-04:00WoW Can Save Your Life?<span style="font-size:130%;">An interesting post I found while trying to kill time before work was about a boy who saved his sister's life on <a href="http://www.wowfailblog.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WoWFailBlog</span>.com</a>. So how does the brave young lad save his sister? Let me explain the story.<br /><br />And please understand that while this story is old, its news to me so I'm sharing it now. Probably not the best " We're back in business " post from The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">MMO</span> Experience , but I thought it appropriate. Expect future nonsense that strives to be serious soon as I try to sort out what I want to write about first.<br /><br />Anyway....<br /><br />This 12 year-old Norwegian boy saved his sister as well as his own skin from one of the most dreaded occurrences that can happen in a cold climate. No, not a snowstorm, not even hypothermia. Nay it was the dreaded " Moose" attack. While I'm obviously coming off as sarcastic, and while the scenario of a killer moose seems comical, these creatures ARE actually quite dangerous when they want to be.<br /><br />The boy was, apparently, an avid player of World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Warcraft</span>. When the moose started to act threatening toward his sister, he started to use "Taunt" , which he knew from his experiences in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">WoW</span> that it would make the moose stop attacking his sister and go toward him. (Is trying to keep a straight face while typing this) Once he was the "target", he then proceeded with another highly valuable <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">WoW</span> skill, Feign Death.<br /><br />Apparently the moose lost interest in the non-response boy and wandered off. Once the moose was no longer in sight the boy sprang up and ran home.<br /><br />While I must say Kudos to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">WoWFailBlog</span>.com for bringing this story to my attention, and obviously the most important matter is the child is safe, the source of his survival skills makes me blink a bit. I can't really put my finger on it, however it seems almost wrong that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">WoW</span> knowledge saved the day..but thankfully he didn't try to "bubble" and hearth away.</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-1014958798755904592009-02-25T19:28:00.003-04:002009-02-25T19:33:01.585-04:00The MMO Experience isn't Dead<span style="font-size:130%;">Sorry about the lack of posts lately. To give a reason of why The </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Experience has been so dead lately, I've been under the knife so to say for surgery, and I'm just now feeling up to tinkering around on my computer with somewhat coherent thoughts.<br /><br />Though, there were never many here to begin with eh? ;)<br /><br />Anyway, I should be back to posting and all that jazz soon. I'm truly sorry for the delay!</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-85065697803282690932009-02-17T03:41:00.012-04:002009-02-18T00:13:11.689-04:00Shocked, Stunned, and Confused<span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2eQ0m3hrwU3V_zm-2EkORbYlX8aveWxWHi9teoYGjfF5CHxvbKgz3hTpvGDu5uRu9X_zS0nyI_4d80J6Hvt2JrbxW9wSPwcZ-C99j8OLDsuQhREWn0SJ74KwS-Y_NLiWtI3OAaGZ5_4/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_025349.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2eQ0m3hrwU3V_zm-2EkORbYlX8aveWxWHi9teoYGjfF5CHxvbKgz3hTpvGDu5uRu9X_zS0nyI_4d80J6Hvt2JrbxW9wSPwcZ-C99j8OLDsuQhREWn0SJ74KwS-Y_NLiWtI3OAaGZ5_4/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_025349.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303967759380933762" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >My day started out normal...</span> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I've been playing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MMORPGs</span> for some time. Since the 90s actually way back when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">EverQuest</span>: Ruins of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kunark</span> was released and found it's way into my heart.(and wallet!) With that in mind, I've seen some really <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bizarre</span> things. From raining gold (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">EverQuest</span> 1 glitch), to everyone spawning high in the heavens and falling on top of each other, making a "Tower" of Death.(World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Warcraft</span>)<br /><br />In short, I've seen some wacky stuff.<br /><br />However yesterday must take the crown in sheer madness. I was in Thousand Needles in World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Warcraft</span>. I had just recently achieved level 30, got my class mount, and sold a pair of legs for 200g. It was a swell day as I was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Arikara</span>, a nice unique looking wind serpent to finish up a quest line. If you're unfamiliar with Thousand needles, or World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Warcraft</span> in general, the area I was in is basically huge flat lands with massive <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">un-worked</span> stone pillars going high in the sky. Some of these pillars are wide enough for small villages and the like, and have bridges connecting them.<br /><br />I was such a bridge..when..<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGA2Xl4COMxAgf8eyVHf06Vy3L_hWlTljJjXsfGceBxy-lhGKTx86EAflGH5Fo950tIxSKzP-d6Iyxs1kESpVoz65I27Yze5t2HtdtASZxs62UcHmRFSUT-jJVwJgdOjTH7l2xOEuLu8/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_025559.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGA2Xl4COMxAgf8eyVHf06Vy3L_hWlTljJjXsfGceBxy-lhGKTx86EAflGH5Fo950tIxSKzP-d6Iyxs1kESpVoz65I27Yze5t2HtdtASZxs62UcHmRFSUT-jJVwJgdOjTH7l2xOEuLu8/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_025559.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303973217799593266" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Inconceivable</span>!!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Yes. That's a huge dragon walking on a narrow rope bridge. Now I'm pretty <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">knowledgeable</span></span> <span style="font-size:130%;">about World of</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Warcraft</span>, though all the new stuff in Wrath of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Lich</span> King is , well, new to me. So imagine my shock when I gaze upon a dragon from all the way in the Caverns of Time in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Tanaris</span>.<br /><br />I was intrigued. A bit confused, which is normal, and perplexed. So I set off to investigate the matter like a good journalist.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBKDC2hUAv5wkD8lQhZcrfLGlPjJQ8yVvIsgCTNfouzBQ0Z71WJE0zfP_Ee4MVMIM_5fkZgVdFjpF5SenOtzsifGh63UQQIuOQMx15H1jNsglvnI4qoPjcIu4JkYs3lhYpP7nO_TNVEs/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_025627.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBKDC2hUAv5wkD8lQhZcrfLGlPjJQ8yVvIsgCTNfouzBQ0Z71WJE0zfP_Ee4MVMIM_5fkZgVdFjpF5SenOtzsifGh63UQQIuOQMx15H1jNsglvnI4qoPjcIu4JkYs3lhYpP7nO_TNVEs/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_025627.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303974846636220802" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Off to discover the truth...and the destination of this madness.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Apparently, two paladins had been pulling this dragon all the way from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Tanaris</span>. You can slightly see one of them in this picture, however you'll see more of them as I show the progress of this journey. So I hopped on my new faithful steed that probably wondered at his rider's sanity as he followed a huge dragon that could have sighed in his direction and destroyed him utterly.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6C3VHzMnolp5bkiuMw7yeb1GAjcZEbj3LqtA5kiYSBEcoClI_ZZrrgtXPBmbpkChQMw8UEDDzDRgZ4DUr8lcLF6hDE4Nv2WmFJ-VEfYo9OrBN_3f-unp6v_kL73pykBM4eNzX8R1ZDg/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_030041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6C3VHzMnolp5bkiuMw7yeb1GAjcZEbj3LqtA5kiYSBEcoClI_ZZrrgtXPBmbpkChQMw8UEDDzDRgZ4DUr8lcLF6hDE4Nv2WmFJ-VEfYo9OrBN_3f-unp6v_kL73pykBM4eNzX8R1ZDg/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_030041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303976414555919602" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Location: Lower Barrens, approaching Crossroads...</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">As I took screenshot after screenshot, not really knowing what I would want to use in this post, the most amusement I got was from other people that happened upon the scene. It would always some low level person in their low-mid teens running in my direction, seeing the dragon, stop, then immediately run the opposite direction. I can almost visualize their eyes widening in terror like a deer gazing at headlights as they simply stop moving for a good couple of seconds...<br /><br />Then flee.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIEw_UEyCOZQ6CQLLoOaC4LlzsPqdhC3zEqMqvfdNBgwgueky40cvbR5Ae0STzzzLb27f7hOE3K_xNFHXyhIqUmMlHJLIbtjmHaxS2HUXdmu4tvKt1JVYeZ1L8X6hJo4rmNI_3dgr6O8/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_031021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIEw_UEyCOZQ6CQLLoOaC4LlzsPqdhC3zEqMqvfdNBgwgueky40cvbR5Ae0STzzzLb27f7hOE3K_xNFHXyhIqUmMlHJLIbtjmHaxS2HUXdmu4tvKt1JVYeZ1L8X6hJo4rmNI_3dgr6O8/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_031021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303979088257452962" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >You can almost see the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">tauren's</span> eyes widen in pure shock and horror..</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The great journey continued onward for some time, until at last the destination was in sight..<br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHGZci75B8Ec1jpB048TKobAN9VLMAUlUMnWYO_6zTFWEHK4edLJXOV0LeeN0fO3WoXTgIsH_JI_nbZRK27DIIWtaPA-_jz_yxwWsy-3LKZU3KBQqF5sKhMpzcuwKBvh4TG3F6scQJxc/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_031754.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHGZci75B8Ec1jpB048TKobAN9VLMAUlUMnWYO_6zTFWEHK4edLJXOV0LeeN0fO3WoXTgIsH_JI_nbZRK27DIIWtaPA-_jz_yxwWsy-3LKZU3KBQqF5sKhMpzcuwKBvh4TG3F6scQJxc/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_031754.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303981048069779778" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Even the pigs came to stop and stare.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Immediately upon entering the city, I imagine the dragon wasn't too happy to see two dragon heads on pikes. However the residents were QUITE happy to see the great <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">wyrm</span>, as everyone and their cousin started beating the dragon down as he was continued to be pulled toward Thrall, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">orc</span> chieftain. What was hilarious was there were even a few people deciding to role play and goof off with the mini-event.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4zkL7PXNgUNs5s5NDR8AtFB9xdz0KUf_iwVzmRozq2vobUVPQp1NcYDRKK82MEhQbCx1BWFIYq9wCa4vj7fUP6FjmbMcXDTz99aUknsoMc1Gx9r53kXc07o8IHE8PHynuWv2ia1tej4/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_032214.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4zkL7PXNgUNs5s5NDR8AtFB9xdz0KUf_iwVzmRozq2vobUVPQp1NcYDRKK82MEhQbCx1BWFIYq9wCa4vj7fUP6FjmbMcXDTz99aUknsoMc1Gx9r53kXc07o8IHE8PHynuWv2ia1tej4/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_032214.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303983299717820514" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Read the text, it's worth a chuckle.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">All in all, this took a boring grinding night and turned it into an enjoyable experience with quite a few chuckles. Perhaps the best part to me was seeing how no one was attempting to grief or blamed the two paladins of doing such. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">In fact</span> the whole city seemed to gleefully jump in arms to slay the beast and play along. There were even people encouraging to do more events, perhaps <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">PvP</span> with the alliance, and "role" play the whole event for kicks.<br /><br />This warmed my little nerd heart, and reminded me why I enjoy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">MMORPGs</span> in the first place.<br /><br />So on to today's discussion! Tell me about some of the crazy events you've experienced in an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">MMO</span>. No glitches please.(that was another post.) It doesn't have to be World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Warcraft</span> related, just any <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">MMO</span> where something out of the ordinary happened.<br /><br />I close with a picture of the two paladins that pulled this off. The "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">tankadin</span>" is to the left of me, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Relea</span>, and the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">healadin</span>" is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Kanira</span>, who is on the huge <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">woolly</span> mammoth.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFklm6zS30LJIIbEc_PGIEQdt6CWAvAwLMfSbWuMQ3Fgy6CYXShLhZACZ55IcZqBNKXlW8vbLnSXxvIk8JN1qwt7ARYW4Sqtzo9qVSrYEeQio1CybIBK1_lWAsnZ0IPb682IHMOMftqyo/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021709_032253.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFklm6zS30LJIIbEc_PGIEQdt6CWAvAwLMfSbWuMQ3Fgy6CYXShLhZACZ55IcZqBNKXlW8vbLnSXxvIk8JN1qwt7ARYW4Sqtzo9qVSrYEeQio1CybIBK1_lWAsnZ0IPb682IHMOMftqyo/s400/WoWScrnShot_021709_032253.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303984802855832562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I want to be like these two when I grow up..</span><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-85879383141518045522009-02-16T03:53:00.003-04:002009-02-16T04:38:13.107-04:00MMO Issues: Dual Spec<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyJMI1ybSD3wiv3kBGn8ssl8ae1sHNoh9JL7ddaWSL-9DaMJBuxgqRDps4gPZRlt9vFCg5fyzKvRS5kNqfzjEh-VT4_oUSN9goEPBC-MsO5PRgwd8C55UXUpyFmT0X-oWq9DLUMYyr44/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_021609_024940.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyJMI1ybSD3wiv3kBGn8ssl8ae1sHNoh9JL7ddaWSL-9DaMJBuxgqRDps4gPZRlt9vFCg5fyzKvRS5kNqfzjEh-VT4_oUSN9goEPBC-MsO5PRgwd8C55UXUpyFmT0X-oWq9DLUMYyr44/s400/WoWScrnShot_021609_024940.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303308231593044018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A great <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">RazorFen</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kraul</span> run, got <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Corpsemaker</span>!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm fresh from an instance that was actually a decent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">PuG</span> run, and enjoying all the neat changes in the highly addicting World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Warcraft</span>. Today has been quite a fun day for me. Prior to ripping the heads off <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">razorfens</span>, I finished F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. While I must say the game is challenging, creepy(Terrifying at times), and overall fun, I was really <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">disappointed</span> in the ending. Why?<br /><br />I won't ruin anything, however it does end rather abruptly and is an obvious set up for the next game/expansion. It just seemed to sudden, and the game only clocked about a good 7-8 hours. While I will not get into my fury over how short games are these days, I'll simply go ahead and talk about what I wanted to converse about today.<br /><br />If you've been paying attention, Blizzard will release a new game mechanic called "Dual Spec". This will enable players to have more than one spec that they can switch between if they either..<br /><br />1: Go to the Lexicon of Power in any capital city<br /><br />--or--<br /><br />2: Use a new crafted item that summons a Lexicon of Power to them. The item requires more than one player to summon it.(Think how a Warlock summons someone.)<br /><br />Blizzard is using this new game mechanic to make it easier on people constantly having to switch from a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">PvE</span>(Player versus <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Environment</span>) and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">PvP</span>(Player versus Player) <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">specializations</span>. What is good for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">PvE</span> may not be good for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">PvP</span>. So instead of having players spend countless amounts of gold, they can just switch over. Also one could use a Solo spec, a raid spec, so on and so forth. The benefits are quite sound for World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Warcraft</span> players.<br /><br />What about the possible negative points?<br /><br />One issue I would like to bring up for open discussion(Give me your opinion) is how would this affect guild looting? Already there are people who want to take loot for their DPS set/Tank set/Healing set when that is currently not their spec, even though people who can use it now want it as well. What happens when this new game mechanic hits the floor?<br /><br />For example, let's say Retribution Paladin (which is a DPS spec) switches over to Holy(Which is a Healing spec) so the raid has enough healers. Then, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">hypothetically</span> speaking, let's say a weapon that Paladin has been wanting drops. Should he be allowed to roll/spend points on it over people that came to the raid in their DPS specs? How would that work to placate the other members that will be somewhat upset to have a "healer" try to take THEIR <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">dps</span> gear?<br /><br />Of course, this comes down to one of the MANY flaws of a game that bases it's character advancement with "gear" lust. People become obsessed with getting better gear because frankly there is all there is left progression wise for them to continue in a game like World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Warcraft</span>. Regardless, how do you deal with that type of situation?<br /><br />I know that I personally would allow that person to roll on the weapon, but what do you think? How should guilds set up their policies for dual specs? I frankly believe that many smart guild leaders and officers will already be discussing this issue to avoid any situations once the mechanic becomes live.<br /><br />So today's discussion: What possible policies or just "rules" should be implemented by guilds for dual spec, if any?<br /></span></div></div>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-16484114058966594712009-02-13T18:18:00.002-04:002009-02-13T18:29:31.438-04:00Epic Fail at GameStop<span style="font-size:130%;">This just happened...oh..maybe 10 minutes ago.<br /><br /><br />I walked into my local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GameStop</span>, where I'm somewhat well known to the employees. Not in a "This guy causes crap and needs to be feared" kinda way, but in the "We talk about our stupid customers to this guy" way. So I walk in, grab a copy of F.E.A.R. 2, 2 copies of Wrath of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Lich</span> King(One for me, one for my wife), and I wanted to pick up a 60 day subscription card for myself.<br /><br />Sorry, this particular one isn't for the website...but I may have another giveaway soon.<br /><br />So I walk up to the desk, give the initial greetings and explain why I haven't been to the store in a few weeks. I then INTEND to ask for a World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Warcraft</span> subscription card...instead I say...<br /><br />" I need a World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Warcraft</span> prescription card please. "<br /><br />To explain myself. I work for 1800 Medicare, and thus I deal with medication and other health information daily. It was an innocent slip.<br /><br />The employee looked at me funny, and I then correct myself and ask for a subscription card in which he replies by laughing his ass off, shaking his head, and telling me..<br /><br />" No, you were right the first time. "<br /><br />Epic Fail or Epic Accidental Joke? You decide. </span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-34379854316214273042009-02-12T23:04:00.002-04:002009-02-12T23:21:05.042-04:00Contemplating the MMO Experience<span style="font-size:130%;">Since late last night, a question has been plaguing me. I couldn't shake it all day at work, on my drive home, or even now as I sit at my desk. I'm surrounded by the spoils of nerd war, and yet a question nags at me and I cannot begin to answer it.<br /><br />Where better to write about my thoughts than my own site that is some strange lovechild of blogging and a pseudo attempt at video game journalism? Perhaps in the course of writing out my thoughts I'll discover the answer, or one</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> of you, my readers, will assist me in some way.<br /><br />I don't know where to go from here, with this website.<br /><br />Forgive me if that sounds horribly depressing or extraordinary "emo". I don't mean that I have NO path to go, just too many to choose from. I would love to have a fraction of the hits and popularity of sites such as <a href="http://www.worldofmatticus.com/">WorldofMatticus</a>, yet there are so many paths to go from there to reach that that I stand at the crossroads.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Should I go the route of paid advertisement on sites, GoogleAdWords, and others? Should I continue the route of posting on other peoples forums/sites/twitter/and other social networking? Should I do both?<br /><br />I apologize if this is coming off as whining, I'm simply saying my opt</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ions are a bit overwhelming in the terms of how many I have. I know the end result which is to have a respectful, interesting, and somewhat cult popular website. Perhaps even make actual money writing in some type of career in the future.<br /><br />I will end with this. The most insightful information I've learned regarding blogging and websites in general have been from others. So I'm asking for your insights or opinions as I try to see how to make The MMO Experience grow. After since my first giveaway I've really wanted to make this successful to do fun things like that in the future, with perhaps a much larger number of participants. Let me kn</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ow, and thanks in advance for both your patronage and your wisdom.<br /><br />Danshir<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">PS: To make this MMO related and to kill the somber mood...<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMAr8Ozh3K_k5g0NN9HRE-6m3_eySzoQFYeUHcmdSEH2nRYCygMEULpie1NHfLrlCnE6mXC5dEqbnFPoYpS2NnFdrc_ZhOjq53KXwzmRXyjXk0E5pg9mWbeDcDZ0Fej_-Qomil-Q3u3Y/s1600-h/attack-big-toe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 392px; height: 348px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMAr8Ozh3K_k5g0NN9HRE-6m3_eySzoQFYeUHcmdSEH2nRYCygMEULpie1NHfLrlCnE6mXC5dEqbnFPoYpS2NnFdrc_ZhOjq53KXwzmRXyjXk0E5pg9mWbeDcDZ0Fej_-Qomil-Q3u3Y/s400/attack-big-toe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302116555570425282" border="0" /></a>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-71445914641857193812009-02-11T01:24:00.006-04:002009-02-11T05:31:01.002-04:00The Art of DPS - Also an MMO Rant<span style="font-size:130%;">An interesting post found by <a href="http://holydiscipline.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Holy Discipline</a> made me think about today's post, which is the first since my first giveaway here at The MMO Experience. The post is regarding some basic rules that DPS classes must follow to be "good" at their class. While for the most part they are really common sense (Which doesn't mean people FOLLOW them, they're just common sense for anyone with a brain.) , the entire thought of guidelines for a person to follow just seemed to click in my head with something I was thinking about throughout the day yesterday.<br /><br />I'm not going to be so arrogant and tell you I'm some paragon at ANY type of game, or any aspect of life. I've never understood how people could go to someones website and feel as if they are in the virtual presence of someone greater than themselves because said person is recognized as a great player. However I will state that I have played 3 Rogues and 1 Hunter, got them both to "high" end raiding status, and was known to at least be considered "good". (If anyone says differently, stating something along the lines "Danshir used to wipe us constantly, don't listen to his delusional nonsense"....urr...pay them no mind!)<br /><br />What these various guides do not tell you is how to go beyond a typical "good" player. It's all well in good to know that one of your LEAST priorities as a DPS class is actually focusing on the damage aspect, but going from good to great is....what?<br /><br />I can give my opinion on it.<br /><br />A good hunter will trap on pulls, making sure to pull the target away from the group to avoid AOE damage, and time his trap so he can get 2 down to maximize how long the monster will be taken out of combat. A good hunter will use misdirection and all his tools available to ensure the aggro stays where it needs to be, on the tank, and not gank aggro himself. That and having a decent amount of damage in between these various tasks will mark you as a good hunter.<br /><br />However you won't make people shocked and stunned with JUST that sadly. How do you go beyond that and truly make you it a work of art for people to praise you for? (Again, only my opinion, my person experience, and what SOME probably disturbed minds have said about me.)<br /><br />A GREAT hunter, or any dps class really, will focus on all those tasks as WELL as keeping his dps high. Recognize the limits of your group/raid. For example, on my rogue if I was grouped with someone that seemed to be a decent tank, I would start using Blade Flurry and see if I could gank aggro on the 2nd monster.<br /><br />If I ganked, I stopped using it. If I didn't then I had just made a note in my lil brain that I don't have to be so cautious with aggro, even on secondary monsters. This enables more options to increase your dps WHILE maintaining the unity of the group. (IE You're not constantly ganking dps and making everyone mad.)<br /><br />Of course it's easy to say you need to do this WHILE maintaining your DPS as high as possible, but in execution it's rather difficult. Especially if you're participating in a "Pick Up Group" where you never know how good a tank is until the group has started and you've probed a little bit. So here is my set of guidelines to not only be a GOOD dps class, but to excel and have people make you their friend in case they need DPS for a heroic instance. (This practice is generally reserved for Healers/Tanks, as DPS classes are a dime a dozen. However I've had quite a few people make me their friend not because I was INSANE dps, but because I was a good player with good dps at the same time. At least that's what they said. I'm still under the firm belief I epic fail. Though on one occasion the rogue in our group had 500k dmg over all, I had over 1 million. *toots own horn*)<br /><br /><br />1: Always see what limits you have to work with. Bad tank? Hold back a little until you find a good pace. Great tank? Let loose and go insane!<br /><br />2: Always verify with the group leader which icon they want you to pay attention to for whatever (if any) type of crowd control you need to perform. Do it quickly then resume your dps<br /><br />3: No matter how squishy you are, if the healer is about to get sent to the abyss, take one for the team and take aggro if you can. The healer is almost ALWAYS more important than a dps class in terms of group survival.<br /><br />4: Don't get lazy. There will be times that a situation calls for an entire switch of play styles. A great example is back in BlackWing Lair when all the tanks fell down dead on Vael, and I, the wittle Rogue, became a tank. You can either stay where the DPS goes and wipe the whole raid, or you can show that you listened to the WHOLE raid strategy and go where the tank needs to go, pop evasion, and become a hero. (I didn't, I did the former and wish I hadn't became lazy. Learn from my mistake eh?)<br /><br />5: The Number 1 Rule for a DPS class is this: Your DPS is 0 if you're dead.<br /><br />--------------------<br /><br />Today's discussion has nothing to do with my rambling that you've just read. If you learn anything from what I've typed above, then you've learned something from a madman! Good for you! Anyway, today's discussion is about parts of group edict in MMOs. What made me think of this was today I was invited to heal a Razorfen Kraul group. I was the last person they needed. However we couldn't start the dungeon because 2 members of the group continued to delay stating they were off doing something else and we would have to wait.<br /><br />What is your opinion on people making the whole group wait while they do something by themselves? Should they be booted from the group? Should you wait on them in silence? Is that proper group conduct? Discuss =).</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-83863609016537332592009-02-08T16:59:00.005-04:002009-02-08T20:15:30.969-04:00Winner of The MMO Experience Giveaway!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EKnVaBbiLTV5cSr5rtqvLd-lAZOBiLtI2A50Mtuvn6kIV7gVIXw29wBR4mzDbv8-PsmRNa7HaJih9v7mfgPA9HJrb2YqDUTLXegLfUHccIAwVPx1Exkhb-kies51fFVZWnhDhAJmOsE/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_020809_155728.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EKnVaBbiLTV5cSr5rtqvLd-lAZOBiLtI2A50Mtuvn6kIV7gVIXw29wBR4mzDbv8-PsmRNa7HaJih9v7mfgPA9HJrb2YqDUTLXegLfUHccIAwVPx1Exkhb-kies51fFVZWnhDhAJmOsE/s400/WoWScrnShot_020809_155728.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300534678657140706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >We have a winner! Number 7!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">It's official! The number drawn *you can see proof of that from the picture above* was lucky number 7. Which happens to be </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">RavenPhoenix</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, so congratulations to her! She's already received the card number and made sure it works, and all emails sent to me with your physical addresses were deleted.<br /><br />So there will be NO evil plots being hatched by yours truly using them. I swear...would I lie?<br /><br />I must say I truly enjoyed running this event. It was a blast to organize it, get all the stuff together, and finally roll the dice. I fully plan on doing this again, though WHEN is a question I can't answer at the moment.<br /><br />Due to some medical issues going on, I'm having to fork over $1200 more than I thought I would have to, which is the reason why there are no runner-up prizes like I wanted to do. I do apologize for that. However I did the budget to where I could still purchase the card, as I had promised to do the event and I didn't want to let you (my readers) down.<br /><br />So the next giveaway will probably occur just when I can afford it. If you're feeling generous you can donate to the site, which will go toward hosting events like this in the future. However it is not </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:130%;">necessary</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> in any way.<br /><br />Again, congratulations to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">RavenPhoenix</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> for winning The </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Experience's first giveaway!<br /><br />Tomorrow will begin normal topics/discussions. One of them being my first time healing in an instance!</span><br /></div></div>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-87823047125383624552009-02-07T13:13:00.003-04:002009-02-07T13:28:52.074-04:00Last Day for The MMO GiveawayThis is just a reminder. Today is the last day to enter. You have until 11:59pm EST or you will sadly be disqualified. Make sure you have BOTH a comment on either this post OR <a href="http://www.themmoexperience.com/2009/02/mmo-raffle-has-begun.html" target="_blank">this one</a>. Also please remember, because there are some people who have not, to email me with SOME part of your physical address otherwise your entry is considered incomplete and you won't get your number mailed to you prior to the drawing.<br /><br /><br />With that said, good luck to everyone!<br /><br />There will be no "normal" post, as far as normal goes around here, today. It's my daughter's first birthday so I'm going to be doing that all day.<br /><br />Take care all, enjoy your Saturday!Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-69121871328884142482009-02-06T00:01:00.006-04:002009-02-06T01:41:54.783-04:00World of Warcraft: Subliminal Messaging<span style="font-size:130%;">Just a brief reminder about "The </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Experience" raffle going on. If you want your free 60 day World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> subscription card, remember to sign up <a href="http://www.themmoexperience.com/2009/02/mmo-raffle-has-begun.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Now on to the post!<br /><br />A little rumor going around in the World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> community is the possibility of the Spirit Healer's unearthly whispering is in actuality some subliminal messages. According to rumors, the messages range from..<br /><br />"Play World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">..."<br /><br />--to--<br /><br />"Give us your money.."<br /><br />Here is a brief video found on YouTube </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:130%;">demonstrating</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> the event.<br /><br /><center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P-Bzyq-Xag8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P-Bzyq-Xag8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><br /><br /><br />A few interesting facts one should should note is..<br /><br />1: This person plays on a private server.<br /><br />2: He states this is (or part of) the reason World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> is so successful.<br /><br /><br />I must say I was curious when my wife brought this to my attention. So she promptly died in-game so we could listen in on the supposed brain washing done by the evil hypnotists known to us publicly as Blizzard Entertainment. All sarcasm aside, we actually did hear the phrase "Give us your money". Rather or not this was due to us actively listening for that particular phrase and hearing something LIKE it I can't tell.<br /><br />So listen to the video, and discuss what you think about this. Even if IT actual subliminal messaging, do you find yourself insane with righteous anger toward Blizzard? Do you even care? What are your thoughts toward more...questionable forms of advertisement?</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-63605135811178488362009-02-05T00:36:00.004-04:002009-02-05T01:12:53.737-04:00Rogue vs Paladin<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsbIktAa8pb6uN6g5njxwTorIxTz_mHXTnTV1aMMwGPIhdASKensDu8fkIzY9OT_pyRegtB-oKLedQehWFaCJdbThL-qskF5eEqeRmzMA5BadMu1Nzbe5vxhirjUBPbg9fsf8UC0oCSc/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_020109_102350.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsbIktAa8pb6uN6g5njxwTorIxTz_mHXTnTV1aMMwGPIhdASKensDu8fkIzY9OT_pyRegtB-oKLedQehWFaCJdbThL-qskF5eEqeRmzMA5BadMu1Nzbe5vxhirjUBPbg9fsf8UC0oCSc/s400/WoWScrnShot_020109_102350.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299167712935098066" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >This has nothing to do with today's post.<br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">Lately I've been having a somewhat of a </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">conundrum</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> upon my head, that is quickly going from an annoyance to brain wracking madness. A problem I've had in the past from all the way to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:130%;">EverQuest</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> to whatever </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> I'm playing is sticking with a character. I can't really explain the whole situation, but I must be some type of dilettante in the sense that I constantly want to sample other classes.<br /><br />What's </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">fighting</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> in my head now? Paladin vs Rogue.<br /><br />Logically speaking, the Paladin is the best choice. A Rogue can ONLY ever be a </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:130%;">dps</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> class, while the paladin can fulfill all three main roles. (Tank,Healing,DPS) However I truly can't decide to the point where I feel as if my mind is made up.<br /><br />It probably doesn't help that I've been trying to get everything organized for the big "The </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span> Experience" raffle that is currently in effect. (Please check <span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.themmoexperience.com/2009/02/mmo-raffle-has-begun.html" target="_blank">here </a>for more information on how you can enter for a 60 day World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> subscription card.). However despite the work it is, I'm having a lot of fun offering a gift to the community. Depending on how well this goes I may do this much more often than I had originally planned.<br /><br />I know I'm not the only one that just stares at the character creation screen, pondering what class/race/name/etc. Is it the large investment of time that makes us so carefully pick out a character in these types of games? After all, we will be looking at them for a long time if we intend to stick with these characters until late game raiding.<br /><br />So today's discussion is this. What made you decide to play your current character in what ever </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> you are playing? Was it just random chance that you found your character or was it careful consideration? Discuss, and please sign up for the raffle!<br /><br />Author's Note - Supposedly the Spirit Rezzer in World of Warcraft whispers the words " Give us your money ". I just listened for some time to try to verify this rumor...and it seems true.</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-49706732030388086732009-02-03T22:35:00.004-04:002009-02-05T22:46:50.636-04:00The MMO Raffle has Begun<span style="font-size:130%;">If you want to score some free game time in World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, you've come to the right place! The </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Experience Raffle has finally started. So how do you get signed up?<br /><br />There are steps, and evil rules...<br /><br />1. Make a comment to any of the raffle posts*there will be one each day until Sunday, which is when the winner(s) will be chosen. You need to use some type of account.(Blogger, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">WordPress</span><span style="font-size:130%;">,etc)<br /><br />2. Send me an email with your </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">username</span><span style="font-size:130%;">/email and address. This won't be used for evil purposes, just to prevent people from cheating. Plus if you want the actual physical card instead of me just giving you the number on the back, obviously I would need your address anyway. Send all emails to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:130%;">ThaShirow</span><span style="font-size:130%;">(at)</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:130%;">gmail</span><span style="font-size:130%;">(dot)com.<br /><br />To enter into the contest you have until Saturday 11:59pm. From there I will be getting all the names together and where they will be associated with a number. To make this more </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">related, I will then /random 1-*how many entered* to pick the winner. The first winner will receive the card, while 2 more winners will receive runner up prizes.<br /><br />Luck to you all!</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-56840293150132481422009-02-03T00:07:00.003-04:002009-02-03T02:00:29.510-04:00A Stroke of MMO Genius?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSzfrqwl6NfbviaONVLbkEajnUkuu69kNu2lnanpewWC_3-AZnPnKpYelExOhyphenhyphenlZiPrrald7pSgvGRQjTvoVk_dUvzgJ8eLgWVuHxHZrZfv9VEWVXAvrrOZMjGuLHqKwSsarFYmY5x6s/s1600-h/Stroke+of+Genius.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSzfrqwl6NfbviaONVLbkEajnUkuu69kNu2lnanpewWC_3-AZnPnKpYelExOhyphenhyphenlZiPrrald7pSgvGRQjTvoVk_dUvzgJ8eLgWVuHxHZrZfv9VEWVXAvrrOZMjGuLHqKwSsarFYmY5x6s/s400/Stroke+of+Genius.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298423306663580898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I look like this all the time..</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I truly wonder how many readers I'm going to lose/gain with this post...<br /><br /><br />An idea I had while mindlessly informing people that they had absolutely no idea what they were talking about (I work at a call center...help me.) refused to get out of my brain today. The internal struggle between flesh and idiotic brain was quite an epic conflict. However, as usual, my brain told the rest of me to shut up and to talk about what it wanted me to talk about.<br /><br />You may could have guessed it already, but I'll spell it out for the blissfully ignorant.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Magic: The Gathering</span>.<br /><br />Yes, that evil card game that is bound to summon Lucifer himself. (An interesting story, in high school I was once informed by a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">substitute</span> teacher that the game was evil incarnate and I was going straight to hell for playing it.) While I don't play the game anymore, nor have I in several years, I do still read the novels that is either based on the game...or the game is based on.<br /><br />I don't recall which. Obviously it didn't start that way..but..anyway.../endtangent.<br /><br />An <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">MMO</span> based upon the STORY of the whole <span style="font-style: italic;">Magic: The Gathering</span> series, most pointedly in the era of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Urza</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Planeswalker</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Phyrexia</span>. Now while I wouldn't recommend it to be a "card" game a la Wizard 101.(Wizard 101 does it very well, but this isn't what I had in mind for this idea.)<br /><br />Now what does it have? The ability of "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">planeswalking</span>" enables there to be several worlds of vastly different geographies, populaces, races, monsters, and challenges. There is already an established storyline that is truly enjoyed by a large number of nerds. You even already have two factions that a player could pick between.(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Urza's</span> Academy and the Spheres of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Phyrexia</span>, a place of evil sentient artifacts to put it simply.)<br /><br />Now obviously this idea would pitch better to someone who has played the game or read the books than someone who has done neither. However I just wanted to share the little idea in my head because, to me, it sounded like it could be quite a bit of fun.<br /><br />So today's discussion is what type of world in either novels, movies, television, etc would you like to see translated into some type of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">MMO</span> fashion.<br /><br />Oh, a small note. I just noticed all the insane changes Blizzard has done to the Paladin class. I'm now stuck in Limbo trying to decide to play a Paladin*To eventually be a Healadin* or continue on my Rogue.<br /><br />/sigh</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-19028481258335465732009-02-01T12:55:00.004-04:002009-02-01T14:03:22.382-04:00MMO Questing - The Creator and Bane of Atmosphere<span style="font-size:130%;">Before I begin today's post, there is something I want to go ahead and get out of the way. After some earlier comments about the whole "Ads vs Donations" discussion a few days back, I've decided to go ahead and throw up a donation button. I may make it something more elaborate later where it can show how much has been donated, the goal, and just some type of funny interaction. But as I have no earthly idea how to do that (If you do, I would love for you to drop a comment/email and explain how.) it's just a plain </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">ol</span><span style="font-size:130%;">d button until any future modification can be made.<br /><br />Now WHY should I have the audacity to ask for donations is something you may be thinking.<br /><br />It's really there for a couple of reasons. One is my whole raffle idea seems to be very popular, and I'm quite excited to give out presents to people such as a </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >World of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" >Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> subscription card, Key chains from </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Jinx</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, and other nerdy items. I could either...<br /><br />A: Do this maybe a few times out of the year using my own funds<br /><br />--or--<br /><br />B: Accept donations from the community, help pay back what I spend on the site and help fund more events such as this.<br /><br />To put it simply, the button is there if you want to use it. Nothing will change with the site if you do or do not except for perhaps more public fun events where I can give out prizes.<br /><br />Now on to the post and discussion for today!<br /><br /><br />--------------<br /><br />Imagine this, if you would.<br /><br />You had just recently killed </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">Illidan</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">Stormrage</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, Lord of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:130%;">Outland</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. You are at the apex of power in your little </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >World of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" >Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, and there is no longer any challenges left to conquer. Then you go on to fight </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:130%;">Kil'jaeden</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, the last known leader of the Burning Legion...<br /><br />So what are some of the first quests for the next expansion, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Wrath of the Lich King</span><span style="font-size:130%;">?<br /><br />Kill 6 snow mice.<br /><br />..........................<br /><br />My thoughts for you today are about questing in </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="font-size:130%;">MMOs</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. How effective quests can truly immerse a player into a </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" style="font-size:130%;">virtual</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> universe and make them feel like the actual hero they are playing, and how a horrible quest can utterly ruin the experience to bored tedium and /quit.<br /><br />So what IS questing exactly? Well kiddies, it's basically a task given to you by an </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" style="font-size:130%;">NPC</span><span style="font-size:130%;">(Non-playable Character) for you to perform for some type of in-game reward. Generally there is some type of lore associated with the task as well in an attempt to draw the player more and more in that virtual universe. This generally ranges from very menial tasks for low level characters (IE Delivering items from one </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" style="font-size:130%;">NPC</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> to another, Killing low level monsters, performing some type of task that can be done without any </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" style="font-size:130%;">assistance</span><span style="font-size:130%;">.) to assisting with a threat to a kingdom or the entire world.(IE Killing </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" style="font-size:130%;">Onyxia</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, Stopping </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" style="font-size:130%;">Rallos</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" style="font-size:130%;">Zek</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, Stopping the fabric of Time being ripped.)<br /><br />It's interesting to note that the game </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" >EverQuest</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> was really lacking in the whole quest department until recently. Most players would only ever complete maybe 3-6 quests during their entire time playing. Not a day, but from the day they started to the day they quit the game entirely. However one of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" >EverQuest's</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> strong points in my opinion was the "epic" quests for each class. Each class would have a quest specific to them alone that could take months, even years, to complete. Part of the reason was due to the game's horrible use of low drop rates on rare items and their use of "place holders" for monsters.<br /><br />(Simply put. You would have maybe a 5% chance for the "rare" monster to spawn instead of a normal one, then a </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" style="font-size:130%;">similar</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> chance for the item you want to drop. It could take hours/days to get the monster you want to spawn....let alone drop the item you wanted.)<br /><br />Now while the process could be horribly </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" style="font-size:130%;">tedious</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, the tasks you were performing were not menial in the sense of some level 80 </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" style="font-size:130%;">Deathknight</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> being told to sweep the floor. With that point let me escape this tangent and get back to the main subject.<br /><br />A good use of questing to make the player (YOU) feel like you're part of the game's "story". That you are changing it with your actions instead of the world staying forever in a static state of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" style="font-size:130%;">existence</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. (Which it is, why haven't the gnomes moved back into </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" style="font-size:130%;">Gnomeregan</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> yet? I've killed </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" style="font-size:130%;">Thermaplugg</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> at least 20 times..) This is called immersion, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" style="font-size:130%;">ambiance</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, atmosphere, and what have you. This was the charm of Dungeons&Dragons and many popular single player </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" style="font-size:130%;">RPGs</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. A good use of questing is also simply good story telling, except you're letting the player take an active part of that story..<br /><br />Which is what the player wants.<br /><br />The polar opposite applies as well. Horrible use of questing only breeds boredom. Having players perform drudgery isn't going to make them happy, no matter what the in-game reward happens to be. It also a clear reminder that the player is doing just that, playing a video game. Now while menial tasks is expected at low levels, it shouldn't be expected after a player has just recently slain a </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" style="font-size:130%;">demi</span><span style="font-size:130%;">-god.<br /><br />Let me play Devil's </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" style="font-size:130%;">advocate</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> here however. Is it feasible to ask developers to make every single quest an epic encounter? No. For the simple reason that eventually what is epic and the highlight of your </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> career is suddenly the norm. I wouldn't be so proud of my achievement of finishing my Paladin's epic quest in </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" >EverQuest</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> if I had performed dozens of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" style="font-size:130%;">similar</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> quests. A player wouldn't be proud of doing the Wrath Gate quest series in </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >World of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" >Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> if he had done a few hundred </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" style="font-size:130%;">similar</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> quests prior/after.<br /><br />So where is the happy median?<br /><br />...<br /><br />That wasn't a rhetorical question! What is it?! That is today's discussion. What is the balance needed for fun, entertaining quests and to keep the epic quests from becoming simply average? Or if you want, just talk about your experience with questing in various </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" style="font-size:130%;">MMOs</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> in general, or any quest that you found </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" style="font-size:130%;">particularly</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> memorable.<br /><br />Discuss, and enjoy the Super Bowl(</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" style="font-size:130%;">Commericals</span><span style="font-size:130%;">)!</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-86535192740702001462009-01-31T20:59:00.008-04:002009-01-31T21:54:25.390-04:00The MMO Recap<span style="font-size:130%;">You know those kind of episodes from your favorite television shows that are really just a huge collection of clips from previous episodes?<br /><br />This post is the written equivalent!<br /><br />Now before you run off, damning me to the last layer of Baator to have a nice chat with Asmodeus,(I'm about to play D&D...leave me be I know what kind of horrid nerd I happen to be.) this one actually kinda makes sense.<br /><br />At least it does to me.<br /><br />I've recently received a much larger reader base, which truly makes me smile a bit when I think about it. I appreciate your patronage, your comments, and all that other crap. However since I've got this influx of readers I've not got to show some of my best(By that I mean hilarious) work that I've done in previous days. This also gives me more time to write the article that I was going to post today, and more time to reveal a secret surprise I have in the oven.<br /><br />Not literally in the oven.<br /><br />So....Recap!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.themmoexperience.com/2008/12/mmorpgs-are-evil.html" target="_blanl">MMORPGs are EVIL!!!!111!1</a> - A satirical piece written by me in response to someone blaming videogames on acts of violence.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.themmoexperience.com/2009/01/world-of-warcraft-experience-gender.html" target="_blank">Gender Switch-a-Roo</a> - A true story that happened to someone I knew. This was prior to being able to switch genders in World of Warcraft. It involves virtual love between a virtual man and a virtual woman....and neither one of them is a woman. One of them didn't know that...just..read it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.themmoexperience.com/2008/12/paragon-of-humanityplease-look-up-word.html" target="_blank">Paragon of Humanity</a> - Another satire. Written in response to the whole "If Blizzard doesn't release an "elite" patch, then a lot of casual players will lose their heroes and role models as the hardcore raiders will leave the game."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.themmoexperience.com/2009/01/station-cash-was-just-prelude-prepare.html" target="_blank">Subscription vs MT</a> - A post about the hate that most subscription MMO players have for their arch-nemesis, players of Micro-Transaction games.<br /><br />The special "surprise" is that I just sent an email to RedEagle games about an interview concerning their </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Wheel of Time </span><span style="font-size:130%;">MMO being developed. I'm hoping they agree to chat with me as I'm a fan of the series written by the late Robert Jordan.<br /><br />Have a great Saturday!</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-65023352575715257952009-01-30T22:58:00.004-04:002009-01-31T04:25:28.143-04:00A Question of World of Warcraft MMO Lore<span style="font-size:130%;">It's </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">friday</span><span style="font-size:130%;">! Huzzah!<br /><br />I'm about to go out and celebrate the fact that for a few days I won't have to assist people with their Medicare issues by enjoying the company of some friends. Now however I would still like to get a conversation started of a more casual nature. Tomorrow I'll post a few ideas I had at work..but that's another story.<br /><br />With the release of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Wrath of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Lich</span> King</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, and the future patch that will let players face off against King </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">Arthas</span><span style="font-size:130%;">/The </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">Lich</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> King/</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:130%;">Ner'zhul</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, the storyline will soon have most of it's characters with evil delusions of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:130%;">grandeur</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> axed.<br /><br />So if you're interested in the lore of World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, where do you think the story will go from here? Will </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:130%;">Deathwing</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> the former Earth Warder finally take center stage in World of Warcraft? Will </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="font-size:130%;">Sargeras</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> somehow be resurrected and lead the Burning Legions?<br /><br />Where do you think the storyline will go from here? Let's discuss. Personally I would love to see </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" style="font-size:130%;">Deathwing</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> be the lead </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" style="font-size:130%;">villain</span><span style="font-size:130%;">.</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-38191434879551594222009-01-29T23:59:00.005-04:002009-01-31T04:26:11.043-04:00An MMO Idea: Fellowship Benefits<span style="font-size:130%;">Shouldn't loyalty be rewarded?<br /><br /><br />If you've spent any length of time in </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">MMOs</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> such as </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >World of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" >Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, you've met the people that once they've obtained what they want from the hardest instance your guild can conquer, they /</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">gquit</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> and join a guild further up the chain. Now I won't go into the subject of whether or not this type of behavior is "right" or "wrong", but rather or not should an </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">MMO</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> developer reward someone the longer they stay in a guild.<br /><br />Here is my idea.<br /><br />To put it very simply, have a brand new </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:130%;">NPC</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> be available near where you purchase a guild </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:130%;">tabard</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> and start a guild charter. This </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:130%;">NPC</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> will sell special "pets", patterns, and other cosmetic items as a reward for players that have remained in a guild for an X amount of time. The longer you stay, the more rewards you can purchase. I was even considering the idea that after a certain amount of time you can get special "buffs" that you could use perhaps once an hour.<br /><br />Now I'm not certain what type of buff this would be. Obviously it would have to be to the extent it wouldn't break the game in any way, just be an added benefit for not switching guilds constantly.<br /><br />So today's discussion is this. Should developers reward players for being loyal to their guild and not switching, or should this fall under the actual guild leaders to try and maintain loyalty? Express your opinion about the whole "I got what I wanted and now I'm gone" attitude.<br /><br />Happy hunting!</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-66726826999807453272009-01-28T23:16:00.003-04:002009-01-29T00:53:10.146-04:00The Worlds.com "Interview"<span style="font-size:130%;">12/30/08<br /><br />That is the date I asked Worlds.com for an interview concerning their recent lawsuit against </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NCSoft</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">, creator of such gems as </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >City of Heroes</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> and </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Guild Wars</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. This was the pipe dream of an aspiring writer/journalist wanting to try to do a somewhat important interview. I didn't expect to get it, and I told some of my blog friends (Such as </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:130%;">Tipa</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> of <a href="http://westkarana.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WestKarana</span>.com</a> and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">OpenEdge</span><span style="font-size:130%;">1 at <a href="http://simple-n-complex.blogspot.com/">Simple and Complex</a>.) about me sending out the email.<br /><br />01/05/09<br /><br />The date that Thom </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Kidrin</span>, the CEO of <span style="font-style: italic;">Worlds.com</span> answered my sally at fame. His answer?<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Danshir</span>:</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:130%;">I welcome your questions and to the extent I can provide answers to them I will.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:130%;">You can post my email but I would also like to review your website.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:130%;">Thom</span></p></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">The next day I started to send out my questions to Thom. To be kind, my first question was the typical "Tell me a little about your company, what you do, etc". Immediately following that was a series of questions relating to the actual lawsuit, what Worlds.com thought about the outrage towards them from the online community, and other such tidbits. I'll list a few of the questions I had..<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">Question 3. No sense in ignoring the huge elephant in the room so let's discuss your lawsuit with </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:130%;">NCSoft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. A question on a lot of gamer's minds are why Worlds.com is starting the lawsuit now. The two patents that have been infringed upon, if I'm reading them correctly, have been for infringed upon for several years by different companies. Yet it wasn't until near the end of 2008 that Worlds.com took legal action. Why?</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">And...<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">Question 4. Another question I'm hearing on blogs, forums, and news websites are "why </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:130%;">NCSoft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">?". Was there something in particular that made Worlds.com choose that company over other companies?</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />These are obviously the questions that I, and a lot of people I've spoke to on forums and blogs, want the answers to. These questions, and quite a bit more, were sent out on 01/06/09. The only answer I've received from him is the answer to the very first question, the "shameless self advertisement" one. Not that I'm above shameless self advertisement, but I generally try to provide entertainment too, or at least information.<br /><br />So what to do?<br /><br />I'm going to release the information that I have on hand of course. Why? Because some of my answers are within what he gave me, if you move it underneath the monocle.<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">In 1994 Worlds was spun out of Bill </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="font-size:130%;">Gross's</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Knowledge Adventure; an educational software publisher that grew to be the third largest educational software publisher in the world and was initially know as Knowledge Adventure Worlds. Titles included; Dinosaurs 3D, 3D Body and Undersea Adventure. When Worlds Chat was launched in April 1995 the company name was changed to Worlds Inc.<br /><br />Worlds partnered with Steven Spielberg, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" style="font-size:130%;">Starbright</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Foundation, Sprint, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" style="font-size:130%;">UB</span> Networks, Tandem, and Intel to create an avatar virtual world for kids confined to hospitals, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" style="font-size:130%;">Starbright</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> World. The worlds came online at five pediatric hospitals in the United States in late 1995. Patent 6219045 was filed on November 13,1995.<br /><br />In 1996-97 under contract Worlds developed private worlds for IBM, Visa, MGM, Sony and Disney.<br /><br />In 1996 we also launched Alpha Worlds now known as Active Worlds which had everything that Second Life now does.<br /><br />Worlds Inc. was acquired by Worlds Acquisition Corporation in Nov 1997 and changed the name to Worlds.com<br /><br />Between 1998 and 2001 Worlds developed and launched the following worlds in revenue sharing partnerships with the following brands:<br /><br />Universal Pictures Animal House, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" style="font-size:130%;">Polygram</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, Hanson, David Bowie, NY Yankees, British </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" style="font-size:130%;">Telecom</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, World Wrestling Federation, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" style="font-size:130%;">Aerosmith</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> and Coca Cola China.<br /><br />Across all our 3D Worlds network our registered user base reached over 1,000,000 by the end of 2001.<br /><br />On August 3, 2000 Worlds filed additional claims as a continuance to our 1995 patent 6219045 which resulted in patent 7,181,690 issued on February 20, 2007.<br /><br />In June 2001 Worlds terminated all full time employees as a result of the .com bust and resulting </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" style="font-size:130%;">Internet</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> market meltdown. The company continued to maintain its service as well as continued software development on an as needed basis and under contract licenses.<br /><br />During the intervening years there have been thousands of user created worlds and Avatars developed using Worlds tools and hosted on the members </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" style="font-size:130%;">PC's</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. This user created content has been an experiment in organic growth and the sharing of virtual construction between thousands of Worlds users. This user created content on Worlds Peer-to-Peer 3D network now has hundreds of private user worlds<br /><br />In September 2007 Worlds began a restructure which entailed a new Board to bring the company back into SEC compliance and to upgrading the core technology platform.<br /><br />November 2007 Worlds signs a private development agreement with MTV.<br /><br />July 7, 2008 Worlds signed Rapper </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" style="font-size:130%;">DMC</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> of Run </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" style="font-size:130%;">DMC</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> to develop </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" style="font-size:130%;">DMC</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> World set to launch early 2009.<br /><br />December 11, 2008 Worlds retained Lerner David </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" style="font-size:130%;">Littenberg</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" style="font-size:130%;">Krumholz</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> & </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" style="font-size:130%;">Mentlik</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" style="font-size:130%;">LLP</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> (</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" style="font-size:130%;">LDLKM</span><span style="font-size:130%;">), to enforce Worlds' patents.<br /><br />December 24, 2008 Lerner David </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" style="font-size:130%;">Littenberg</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" style="font-size:130%;">Krumholz</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> & </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" style="font-size:130%;">Mentlik</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" style="font-size:130%;">LLP</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> files patent enforcement action against NC Soft on behalf of Worlds.<br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">Isn't this interesting? In 2001 Worlds.com terminated all their full-time employees during the .com bust THEN they began reconstruction in 2007. Perhaps I'm being too cynical here, but why is the picture of an innocent company suddenly finding itself in the grip of an evil tyrant in my head? </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" style="font-size:130%;">Ok</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, what I'm getting at is this...<br /><br />Why suddenly sue companies that have been infringing upon your patents when you could have done this prior to now? Why after 6 years from it's collapse did the company suddenly begin to reconstruct itself and </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" style="font-size:130%;">establish</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> a new Board? I know I'm leading, please forgive me, I'll stop being subtle.<br /><br />What if Worlds.com didn't WANT/CARE to sue prior to this? What if Worlds.com was reconstructed for the sole purpose of this lawsuit? I know that what I'm saying is very conspiracy </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" style="font-size:130%;">theroy</span><span style="font-size:130%;">-</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" style="font-size:130%;">ish</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, but hear me out. The patent they filed wasn't </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" style="font-size:130%;">official</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> until </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" style="font-size:130%;">Feburary</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> 20</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" style="font-size:130%;">th</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, 2007. A few months after that they began to renew their company and then over a year later the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" style="font-size:130%;">infamous</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> lawsuit between </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" style="font-size:130%;">NCSoft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> and Worlds.com was born.<br /><br />So why </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" style="font-size:130%;">NCsoft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">? It's simple. </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" style="font-size:130%;">NCsoft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> is the weak member of the herd at the moment for this type of action for two reasons. One is the downfall of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Tabula</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Rasa</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">, and the other is the fact </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" style="font-size:130%;">NCSoft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> is a Korean company. Now why does that fact matter? Here is an excellent quote from</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/12/worldscom-v-ncsoft-update.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">VirtualWorldNews</span>.com</a>...<br /><br /></span><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:130%;">"Being a foreign defendant in Texas is not a pleasant thing," he said of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" style="font-size:130%;">NCsoft</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, which is primarily a Korean company. "The juries are, many would say, biased towards American plaintiffs and have a propensity to offer high damages. Some defendants might view them as an unfriendly jury and it might make the defendant more likely to settle."</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">Many observers have speculated that since <a href="http://www.google.com/patents?id=wv5-AAAAEBAJ&dq=7,181,690">Worlds.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">com's</span> patent </a>was only granted in 2007 and filed in 2000, there may be too many examples of prior art, including </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" style="font-size:130%;">NCsoft's</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> own games, for the patent to stand. Roth explained that the patent itself is actually continued on from a much earlier filing date, November 13, 1995, putting it ahead of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" style="font-size:130%;">NCsoft's</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> founding in 1997. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">I rest my bloody case. I wanted to be neutral in this matter with Worlds.com, I wanted to try to be a good "journalist". However I can't stop feeling somewhat dirty for even offering the chance for Worlds.com to give their side of the story. So while I do apologize to all of you that I couldn't get the answer from the mouth of Worlds.com as I had promised, I hope you found this article somewhat enlightening and entertaining.<br /><br />My discussion for today? What do you think of this lawsuit? Who do you side for if anyone? Leave some comments and let's discuss shall we? Now excuse me while I take a bath.</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-85742725035968103882009-01-27T22:02:00.009-04:002009-01-28T01:11:39.627-04:00An MMO Story: Why I love my Rogue<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop5sDqIlhdKAGrpWVlf7tcH-_dfTsA6PEvfxCtytseweWH5OfxrLbXjlBVFidoa50ywaqPqFu-OyenpmmIqfNQB_Mh0NT9kGkAqnPYlZCSt0GqTZkLdTUtHcWNO-xPds8PZcq6E2Sl9c/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_012609_133828.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop5sDqIlhdKAGrpWVlf7tcH-_dfTsA6PEvfxCtytseweWH5OfxrLbXjlBVFidoa50ywaqPqFu-OyenpmmIqfNQB_Mh0NT9kGkAqnPYlZCSt0GqTZkLdTUtHcWNO-xPds8PZcq6E2Sl9c/s400/WoWScrnShot_012609_133828.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296188108574240914" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I couldn't think of anything witty to say here, so, Stab!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The past few days have been pretty interesting. Before I go into my </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">lil</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> story of a boy, some swords, and a Troll being oblivious to his impending doom I would like to give a few updates about the site, myself, and that poor gnome I keep telling you to kick.<br /><br />First you may have noticed the utter destruction of advertisements.(unless it's image exchanges between blogs) This was due to a few complaints heading my way about them. So I've decided to go without ads until I figure out a way to do it in a very pleasing manner. Someone mentioned to me to have a weird </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:130%;">PayPal</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> donation box, but I kinda feel like that's even worse than having ads. The next step is probably throwing a shoe at someone and demanding cash for it.<br /><br />Not a bad idea for some people though.<br /><br />As for that gnome...who cares?</span></div></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs41xpg0ngLWaWPuLl1iKYF-wzw4zXf_JLYOiqtPyoQBz3OBV1jKx0dcews0PAQag1ZQAfr8LC-nR1cERAXffztngwAiV2NcwFqN_3g0ZhibWxTXJzBK7vjGWEYWbrqbinRyiphh7dXf8/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_012609_135253.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs41xpg0ngLWaWPuLl1iKYF-wzw4zXf_JLYOiqtPyoQBz3OBV1jKx0dcews0PAQag1ZQAfr8LC-nR1cERAXffztngwAiV2NcwFqN_3g0ZhibWxTXJzBK7vjGWEYWbrqbinRyiphh7dXf8/s400/WoWScrnShot_012609_135253.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296187028265728450" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Excitement at it's finest....</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Aside from fishing, I've had a blast playing World of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">Warcraft</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> again. For one I got to play in probably the best designed low-level zone in the game, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" >Ghostlands</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. This place is truly heaven incarnate if you want to level quick, get decent quest rewards, and overall have fun. While I was happily stabbing things in vital organs with my happy-go-lucky attitude, someone slams a flag at my feet and demands a duel.<br /><br />Which was....odd.<br /><br />So I gaze at this flag wielding madman, and discover to my surprise he's another rogue, just like me. We're the same level too. So what do I do? I mean I haven't played a rogue in over a year, WELL over a year in fact.<br /><br />Deep breath, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:130%;">Danshir</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. Focus....<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPE0WmBcOJ4eukLYxMtuhb8xqeC2GEE3KEfpAAe22gy_fa3mlRcstGwjrl7kVxEY1n7ctXloaBQT9yQuRrGB8EMOOkxSzgGkiM8cDU04TzXgoeckH4bzcC3Ae8wOKZtB4H86Y5Z_Vb90/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_012609_123705.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPE0WmBcOJ4eukLYxMtuhb8xqeC2GEE3KEfpAAe22gy_fa3mlRcstGwjrl7kVxEY1n7ctXloaBQT9yQuRrGB8EMOOkxSzgGkiM8cDU04TzXgoeckH4bzcC3Ae8wOKZtB4H86Y5Z_Vb90/s400/WoWScrnShot_012609_123705.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296198533708779554" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I threw a shoe and demanded money....and it worked!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">After giving the other guy some first aid,(It's amazing what a band-aid can fix! Horrible gaping wound with ruptured organs? No problem!) I went on through out </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" >Ghostlands</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> doing quests left and right. I really cannot stress how well designed this area is. However there was one quest in particular that I couldn't do by myself, one involving two huge abominations that weren't too friendly to Blood Elves.<br /><br />I know I probably should have asked in chat who wanted to group up and do this quest, gathered a party together, and slay the beasts with teamwork and tenacity. Instead I decided to take the quick easy fix by asking a level 80 </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:130%;">DeathKnight</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> to "...just wade in there, sword swinging.".<br /></span></div></div></div></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqo5OHQT8hSsqmJ_l_ckTSkxfhYRqbWtgyQ8eqUxFK8XKTRVbcUEOuHb78uM4-gCtYKsSbZfvBfY3SVFaP671rxZMGbxpsuLRFKhJSjUYt8nRw-6TqlFjaZIB3Zpq3_mOGO9EnVpJM1ss/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_012609_150051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqo5OHQT8hSsqmJ_l_ckTSkxfhYRqbWtgyQ8eqUxFK8XKTRVbcUEOuHb78uM4-gCtYKsSbZfvBfY3SVFaP671rxZMGbxpsuLRFKhJSjUYt8nRw-6TqlFjaZIB3Zpq3_mOGO9EnVpJM1ss/s400/WoWScrnShot_012609_150051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296201404825426818" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >If you help me, I swear I'll post a picture of you on my website...</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">All in all it was a very interesting day on my Rogue.I'm practically itching to get more into the end game challenges. Between killing elite monsters solo, dueling some </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:130%;">Orc</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> chap in </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >The Crossroads</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> about 15+ times(He won three, I won the rest, but he was pretty good.), and raising the pick lock ability (Which is SO much easier now, if your new to </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="font-size:130%;">WoW</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> you have no earthly idea how hard it was back when </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" style="font-size:130%;">WoW</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> came out.) I've had plenty of entertainment and things to write about. Even at this low level, which I didn't expect.<br /><br />So that's all for today. I have something very "special" in store for tomorrow so stay tuned for that! Also, wish me luck as I've applied for a paid writing job that may be my foot in the door to bigger and better things than being a </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" style="font-size:130%;">CSR</span><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /><br />For today's discussion I have a two part question to hand to you.<br /><br />1. What do you think about blogs/websites having Donation links?<br /><br />2. What was the most fun you've had in an MMO? This can be a particular event, a certain class, or an aspect of the game itself. Elaborate and let's talk eh?</span><br /></div></div>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1565056431333847622.post-25889352377892102382009-01-26T14:25:00.003-04:002009-01-26T18:28:04.607-04:00Interview with Tobold, Cult Leader of MMOs<span style="font-size:130%;">As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I've been speaking with Tobold from <a href="http://tobolds.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tobold's MMORPG Blog </a>about him and I having an interview regarding his opinion on certain MMO issues. He was ever so kind to shoo away his army of loyal readers for a brief moment and agreed to chat up with me. So here you go, the first official "The MMO Experience" interview. (The one with Eskil Steenberg was for NegativeGamer, and Thom from Worlds.com still hasn't responded in several days...so..yeah.)</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: Something that I've been curious about for some time, what got you into MMOs?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: I've been playing pen and paper roleplaying games since the early 80's. Which then got me into computer RPGs, and later MUDs. MMOs were just the next logical step.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: What is your favorite aspect of an MMO? The social aspect of it? PvE? PvP?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: I'm an ESAK Bartle type, that is my favorite aspect is exploration, not just the geography of the virtual world, but how everything works and is connected. Social aspects come next, I prefer playing in groups to playing solo, as playing solo I could do in a single-player game. Achievements are at third place, and Killing other players comes way last.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: There are several non-traditional MMOs possibly coming out this year such as Aion, JumpGate Evolution, The Agency, and so on. What are your initial thoughts on the 09' line up for MMOs? Is there any you suspect will be a dark horse or any that you suspect will go the route of Tabula Rasa and Hellgate London?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: I think Blizzard's competitors are making a wise choice to look beyond classical fantasy MMOs. I'm not saying that WoW couldn't be beat in that area, but it obviously would be much harder. A game with a different setting and different gameplay has a much higher chance of getting enough players together to be profitable. But I don't think you can predict the success of any of these games without having played a late beta. Success or failure are often determined by hard to grasp intangible things like "is the game fun?". You can't predict that from a feature list and some screenshots.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: Since you mentioned World of Warcraft, let's go ahead and discuss that. Considering how quickly some of the more "hardcore" guilds completed all the challenges that Wrath of the Lich King offered near immediately upon release, what in your opinion could Blizzard do to prevent this in future expansions?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: The only option here is to release expansions with more content. Blizzard did the right thing by making the first raid dungeon of the expansion, Naxxramas, accessible to a wider audience. But then you need at least one medium hard and one hard raid dungeon at release, not patched in half a year later.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: Is there something that isn't currently being implemented into World of Warcraft, or any MMO for that matter, that you would love to see?(My answer for this would be more interaction with one's environment)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: I'd love to see player housing in World of Warcraft, preferably combined with guild housing, including a system that rewards people for staying in the same guild for a longer time. I think houses add a lot of feeling at home to a virtual world.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: You may or may not have heard about some people wanting Blizzard to put in an "Elite" patch that would cater to the hardcore guilds. In their argument they stated that if Blizzard did not take action, that "normal" players would lose their heroes and role models, what is your opinion on THAT statement?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: I know a lot of ultra-casual players who aren't even aware that people like <span style="font-style: italic;">Ensidia</span> even exist. I don't think the "heroes and role model" argument is valid, because by definition someone is always "the best", even if someone even better just left the game. There will always be someone in full epics strolling around the auction house and getting admiring looks for his epic armor. Blizzard certainly shouldn't patch the current patch to make it much more hardcore. But what they <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> do is add more raid content, which would occupy the elite for a little while, and the rest of us for a longer time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: Since I used to lead raids in my guild back before I quit WoW, there are several aspects of raiding that I simply detested. Such as people wanting to loot items outside their spec(IE feral druid wanting healing gear) when there are people that could use those items immediately. Is there any part of raiding that you dislike? This doesn't have to be a personal experience in your own guild, just something you may have discussed in the past or heard about.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: The one thing I hate most about raiding is raid IDs and lockouts. Organizing the first raids of the week is so much easier than organizing the later raids, where you can't put people with different raid IDs together.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: Alrighty, let's talk about your website, <a href="http://tobolds.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tobold's MMORPG Blog</a>. Which do you enjoy the most to discuss with your readers? MMO Mechanics? Your own experiences? or do you enjoy your open discussion sunday's the most?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: I have to same MMO mechanics, the theory of what works and what doesn't work in an MMO. Personal experiences aren't as rich, because my personal experience how I killed that dragon in a raid in the end is neither personal not unique: Thousands of other players killed the same dragon using exactly the same strategy. This is one of the major weaknesses of WoW raid content.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: Recently on your blog you mentioned that you had to have readers register to some website(Blogger, wordpress,etc) to be able to post comments on your blog due to "trolls", was there some sort of final straw that caused you to decide this or were you just fed up with the whole thing?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: Final straw is maybe not the right word, it was more a resurgence of a problem I had before: Trolls claiming they had the right to tell me what to write or not write on my blog. A blog is a very personal publication of the author's thoughts, not like a magazine with a fixed subject, writing style, and chief editor to watch for coherence. A blog's content and writing style changes with the mood of the writer. Readers need to either accept that, or just skip the posts they don't like. As this is free content, it is silly to claim that the readers are entitled to anything, or have the right to harass the blogger if his content doesn't agree with their expectations. It is okay to disagree with me, and to tell me that, but don't tell me "don't write this way or I unsubscribe!". There is no subscription, nor subscription fee.<br /><br />Turning off anonymous posting was based on John Gabriel's Greater Internet Dickwad Theory, which says it needs anonymity and an audience to turn a normal person into a troll. Taking away their anonymity hopefully makes people on my blog behave better. Did you know that Wal-mart managed to substantially reduce shoplifting by hiring people to greet customers when they enter the store? Same principle, greeting people takes away their anonymity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danshir</span>: One quick question, since I've been trying to have an interview with Thom from Worlds.com concering the lawsuit against his company and NCsoft. What is your opinion on the lawsuit between the two companies?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tobold</span>: Sorry, I don't have enough legal knowledge to say anything about whether the patent is valid or not.<br /><br /><br />Hope you enjoyed the interview with Tobold! If not then his swarm of minions will more than likely dismember you limb from limb. Which is always pleasant. You should catch Tobold's current discussion over at his blog which talks about possible cost reductions done by Blizzard due to the financial situation.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Be sure to vote for what type of prize you would like in a hopefully soon to occur raffle.<br /><br />Until later...Kick some gnomes!</span>Danshirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022207369260811095noreply@blogger.com3