tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post1217912587294826497..comments2023-05-24T06:35:13.131-07:00Comments on Sara Amis: Viking women got more respect than gamer girlsSara Amishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07630805993208700804noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-31285928639448488102012-06-12T10:30:28.210-07:002012-06-12T10:30:28.210-07:00Hey there! I have a long, detailed response with s...Hey there! I have a long, detailed response with some suggestions about gameplay, and a couple of games to recommend you! Unfortunately, it doesn't fit in the comment size limit here, so I posted it to my journal. Please check it out here <a href="http://dev-chieftain.dreamwidth.org/920011.html#cutid1" rel="nofollow">On Dreamwidth</a>. <br /><br />In summary, this is what the comment says:<br /><br />1- MMOs are varied and some MMOs have tried to offer additional, non-violent content. They may not interest you but being totally outside the industry means you can't accurately gauge what's been tried and what hasn't. Blame the execs, not the developers-- the execs don't FUND the good ideas and thus avoid innovation. This is what makes Kickstarter great!<br /><br />2-Some MMO recsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-62289038962557996152011-08-30T18:51:56.802-07:002011-08-30T18:51:56.802-07:00Sorry I didn't see this comment before...
I d...Sorry I didn't see this comment before...<br /><br />I don't think WoW is being used as a "straw man"; it's being used as an example. There is a rather sharp distinction between the two. Nor are we addressing any "arguments" in the philosophical sense; we are talking about our experiences with various types of games.Sara Amishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630805993208700804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-10709218058407162952011-08-22T19:44:32.452-07:002011-08-22T19:44:32.452-07:00Eve Online seems to quite directly address many of...Eve Online seems to quite directly address many of the complaints about MMORPGs raised here, especially those about where what you do doesn't affect the world and the lack of non-battle career options. Wouldn't it make more sense to address your arguments to that, to avoid using WoW as a straw man?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-56580387026416592352011-07-10T01:50:43.698-07:002011-07-10T01:50:43.698-07:00I'm keeping an eye on the World of Darkness MM...I'm keeping an eye on the World of Darkness MMO being developed by CCP. Everything that the designers have written so far is quite promising -- they want to create a game whose heart is inter-player politics. The fact that CCP is involved is also promising -- EVE is quite an innovative MMO, although not for everyone.eeeickythumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05779996702869044084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-46379294180471002282011-07-09T17:14:49.587-07:002011-07-09T17:14:49.587-07:00That's exactly what I don't like about Sec...That's exactly what I don't like about Second Life...once you've walked around and looked at stuff, there's nothing much to do. But looking at how SL was built could be a good model; they have systems to manage everything. <br /><br />At one point I applied to Ga Tech's Digital Media PhD program; what I lacked was a project I'd already done on my own. I don't currently have the technical skills to do that stuff myself, but could probably acquire them. And turn it into a dissertation :)Sara Amishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630805993208700804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-25110138619781086882011-07-09T17:01:26.294-07:002011-07-09T17:01:26.294-07:00The trouble I have with Second Life is that, while...The trouble I have with Second Life is that, while I love the way it allows people to interact and be creative, there's no 'point' to it, no progression, narrative or otherwise. It's more of a very fancy chatroom than it is a game.<br /><br />On the opposite scale, something like WoW gives you a world with a fiction to play in - but then restricts your ability to affect this fiction to which order you want to kill some things in and with which weapons/spells.<br /><br />I don't see why something like you suggested shouldn't be possible - a game with a pre-defined fiction but whose world is directly affected by the actions of the players.<br /><br />In current MMOs you can only be a soldier of some description. All other occupations - shop keepers, town planners, law enforcers, blacksmiths - are taken by NPCs. If these roles could be filled by players, then the game would progress and evolve through genuine roleplay.<br /><br />There's no reason it couldn't work, other than the tremendous amount of work required to build the world in the first place. The developer would have to create systems to manage everything from building towns to crafting weapons. <br /><br />It's certainly an interesting idea, though, and one I think people will grow more inclined to attempt when the lure of current MMOs wears off. I know I'd play the hell out of it.Tom Batteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10641409449104410894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-14039878271018201702011-07-09T14:24:25.807-07:002011-07-09T14:24:25.807-07:00I think something that's modeled loosely on th...I think something that's modeled loosely on the way LARPs work might do it...where you have a lot of flexibility in creating characters, there are factions/groups you can join, and there's an overarching story...but what you do in the game can change outcomes and becomes part of the game. (That structure would naturally make social interactions...including intrigue...more of a part of the game). Allowing creative contributions a la Second Life would bring in the (HUGE GROUP OF) people whose main love in geek culture is the costumes. I think that it should be possible to do that..It would require moderators to be embedded in the game as characters, and might require a bit of policing. But it would be fun.<br /><br />You actually asked about premise rather than structure...An example of the kind of thing I am talking about would be, say, a medieval-style principality where there are noble houses (who are always trying to do one another dirt), a priesthood, a college of mages, maybe a cohort of mercenary women soldiers like the Free Amazons in Darkover as well as regular old mercenaries, town guards, and a secret thieves' guild like the Court of Miracles in Hunchback (as in you wouldn't even know it existed when you start). You could potentially join any one of these groups and would get an in to certain professions that way; but in order to join them you have to actually go and talk to the people in the group. The overarching story could be an invasion preceded by a lot of strange creatures showing up and of course, there's bound to be somebody in town who is collaborating with the invaders...so basically there's something for both the hack-and-slash and the intrigue/detective work aficionados to do. I think that would be a lot of fun both to create and to play.Sara Amishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630805993208700804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-31877109984319630022011-07-09T13:59:53.659-07:002011-07-09T13:59:53.659-07:00Interesting perspective. As a male gamer, long-ti...Interesting perspective. As a male gamer, long-time consumer of mainstream console games, and holder of a Creative Writing MA, I find I sympathise with your views.<br /><br />I've never been able to invest in an MMO for largely the reasons you outlined; I find it impossible to engage with a game in which all there is to do is kill stuff and level up.<br /><br />I've always been drawn to Japanese RPGs, which are largely linear, story-driven, solitary experiences, because these tend to be structured around narrative progression rather than character progression. You progress to experience the storyline, not just to grow stronger and conquer the next boss. I've yet to find an equivalent in a social multiplayer game.<br /><br />If you'd indulge me, I'd love to know what, within current-generation hardware limitations, would be the premise of your ideal videogame?Tom Batteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10641409449104410894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-72123039737585548932011-07-08T18:10:14.880-07:002011-07-08T18:10:14.880-07:00Maybe. I intend to conduct a wider survey of games...Maybe. I intend to conduct a wider survey of games when I get the chance (my teenage son has been trying to get me to play for AGES). I might even learn to code a little bit...I am, as mentioned, not completely unfamiliar with the concept.Sara Amishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630805993208700804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-80528480829185562572011-07-08T16:54:01.501-07:002011-07-08T16:54:01.501-07:00How about The Secret World? Since its been made wi...How about The Secret World? Since its been made with Ragnar Tornquist's vision it might actually marry story and action without been obnoxious about it (I'm looking at you, The Old Republic).<br /><br />All is such speculation at the moment since its only just revving up the hype machine, but hey, it might be something worth keeping an eye on.Harley Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12867948107256296598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-34958073372558953772011-07-08T08:48:53.246-07:002011-07-08T08:48:53.246-07:00I like the flexibility of Second Life and the crea...I like the flexibility of Second Life and the creativity people bring to it, but get bored there too. I think something like that, only with a real social structure, an actual plot and adventures, would be cool.Sara Amishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630805993208700804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-60684950625112096442011-07-08T08:37:41.747-07:002011-07-08T08:37:41.747-07:00Hi there Sara!
I found your blog via your comment...Hi there Sara!<br /><br />I found your blog via your comments on Love, Joy, Feminism. As another gamer girl, I couldn't agree more! <br /><br />What you said about boredom is especially true. It must be a difference in the male brain, but my spouse is willing to spend hours grinding in an MMO, or getting every detail of the stats for a Pathfinder character perfect, and I would rather have teeth pulled! It was probably part of why many of the women I know who played WoW had a dozen beginning characters...for the first 20 levels, the plot kept up at a good clip, but then after that I would have to play for hours to get the story rolling again. It eventually killed my interest, and just dying things pink would not have helped (Heh!).J.W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3491139049757183162.post-71964468431785000442011-07-07T16:20:52.069-07:002011-07-07T16:20:52.069-07:00** "Find someone just like me, only with tits...<i>** "Find someone just like me, only with tits" is not actually a diversity strategy.</i><br /><br />Best. Footnote. Ever!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com