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Random Bytes - May 31st
By Cameron Sorden | May 31, 2008
I saw a few things today that I wanted to quickly mention before I got off the computer for a bit:
Random Byte: Tobold’s got a post discussing AoC’s combat up, citing it as the reason for the game’s successful launch. It caught my eye because I don’t agree with his analysis of the combat. I actually got bored with it pretty quickly. However, I also thought it was interesting that we disagreed about Vanguard and LoTRO’s combat systems — I find VG’s combat to be much more interesting, fun, and involved than LoTRO’s, which made me wonder if it’s actually something to do with the fact that I got my start on EverQuest (and Vanguard is super-similar). Maybe I’m resistant to innovation and really enjoy the DIKU gameplay. Huh. Something to consider.
His discussion on the basic repetitive unit of combat is a really good way to describe it, I think, but for me personally, I can’t see myself enjoying that combat system for long-term usage in the same way that I enjoy WoW or Vanguard (which is also seemingly the same basic system that WAR will use). I think this might be one of those cases (for me at least) where innovation is good, but innovating the wrong thing and making it unfamiliar is bad. In any case, I hope those of you still playing AoC are having fun. I just can’t get into it, despite how much I love the setting.
Random Byte: When I saw a post on Massively today about Grockit, a self-proclaimed MMOLG (that would be “Learning Game” I assume), I immediately dismissed it as another failed initiative to marry education and games in a legitimate way. However, I went to their site and poked around a bit because I was curious. Their blog has some pretty interesting articles on the topic of education (though I’m a sucker for a good operations management reference - I think it’s a cool field), and since they seem to be drumming up some funding, it’s definitely at least worth watching to see what they do. If this kind of thing interests you, start reading them (I’m going to).
Random Byte: Apparently, an anti-terrorism group is so out of touch that they can’t tell the difference between video game concept art and a terrorist threat. /facepalm
Okay, that’s all. I’m off to play some WoW or Vanguard.
Topics: Random |
May 31st, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I never did EQ but in general I don’t see much difference *overall* in Vanguard and LOTRO. Vanguard has the additional chain or reactionary moves, which are cool. LOTRO has reactionary moves and buffs, they just don’t pop up a separate toolbar and force me to move the mouse to them and click the button (I’m a key-presser kinda guy). If anything, LOTRO let’s me play the game more rather than playing the UI. I’d thought initially AoC’s combos were aiming at letting me play the UI less, and maybe if I ever fully memorize them it will, but in the meantime I’m playing the UI more than ever, it’s just the combo UI rather than the normal hotbars.