Random Dialogue: Quality over Quantity
Dialogue, 2004-03-17

• Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2 -
  Turbine is too nice (and smart) to say it, but we all know why they ditched Microsoft. The OS giant has proven that while it can have grand ideas, and occasionally squeeze out something shiny, in the long haul they're just not reliable game managers. The fine folks at Turbine are now working double-time to make sure their long time players are happy. Asheron's Call players just recently heard new discussion about the future of Pvp in AC, and frequent developer updates are keeping the players cued in to the small improvements the devs have in store for them. The most exciting news is likely the upcoming opening of a new server! No word as of yet when that will go down, as the shakedown from the buyout is still going on. Meanwhile, AC2 players are seeing their game begin to flow together with AC1 as the developers tighten the stories of both worlds. The new plot threads are sure to go over well with the players, as are the new quests and changes scheduled for this month. It's an exciting time to play a Turbine game!

• Star Wars Galaxies -
  While it's still lacking a great deal in depth, the galaxy far, far away has made some significant strides since the new year. Publishes are now coming on a consistent monthly basis, and the developer's choice to "theme" every major patch has resulted in very happy players. Publish 6, "The Imperial Crackdown" inserted a great deal of starwarsyness into the game that many players felt was seriously missing. Stormtroopers now roam city streets looking for Rebels and contraband, and the Tatooine city of Bestine is now a politics-plagued city torn between two ruthless groups. The SWG team has settled on the practice of introducing a new dungeon between every major publish. The Geonosian lab on Yavin IV was the treat between 5 and 6. As the midway point between the February and March publish approaches, testing is even now being done on The Correllian Corvette. Not only will this zone include a new vehicle schematic as rare loot, the corvette also bears the distinction of being a groups-only instanced zone: the first in the game! Publish 7, the March publish, will concentrate on droids and droid engineers. "The Droid Invasion" will not only add combat droid functionality (in preparation for more droids to come), but will add player craftable garages, tweak combat, improve art, add player mounts...the list goes on. Galaxies is still a new kid on the block (and they definitely had some problems out of the gate) but I have to hand it to the developers. They're making marked improvements at a tremendous rate. More power to em'.

• Everquest -
  The players had barely gotten used to the instanced zones of Lost Dungeons of Norrath before SOE dropped another content-ladden expansion on the loyal EQ playerbase. By all accounts while Gates of Discord isn't proving to be paradigm shifting like LDoN was, it's yet more featurefull content to impress and retain Everquest players. As a venerable soul amongst the current crop of games and with a feisty younger sibling on the way, you would think that EQ is getting ready for the MMOG nursing home. Instead Sony is working out more changes on the tradeskill interface, winning game of the year awards, and rolling out a whole new graphics engine! Everquest has got to be the best example of the kind of staying power a game can have if you keep the playerbase happy. 5 Years worth of staying power! While they've had their problems in the past both with their code and their community, EQ looks like it's going to be around for a long time to come.

• Shadowbane-
  Yes, Shadowbane is still up and running. And yes, it's here on my list of games that are improving. After a very rocky start and a precipitous drop in their playerbase population Shadowbane appears to finally be on the mend. They've closed down a server due to low population, but all reports indicate that the concentrated playerbase is improving community. Beyond that the SB developers are developing and testing a major patch they've entitled Rise of the Upstart Gods. In addition to significantly changing the world of Aerynth, adding many story elements to the game and reinvigorating the playerbase, the patch is being designed to take on some of the most pressing issues in the game. Sieges and siege weapons are being overhauled, new zones are being added (as well as a new race!), shrines to the deities of the world are being included with massive in-game significance, and even the foliage is being reworked to provide more immersion. Signs of life are evident from the ones who want to "crush". Look out for their return in a big way.

• Planetside -
  While PS is still suffering from low population and a general apathy in the gaming community, it sure as heck isn't because of lax developers. The Planetside dev team has done more visible work since launch last year than I would have ever thought possible. Patches are being incorporated on an almost weekly basis as the developers attempt to tweak the game into the perfect state. They've even incorporated player feedback into their changes, assuring that the playerbase has a say in the future of the game. More changes in the lattice system are on their way, including the fascinating force domes addition. Their big expansion, Core Combat, is getting a lot of tweaking attention as well. Changes to the gameplay to more securely integrate the Core Combat facets of the game to all players are underway, and they may just convince the hold-outs among the players to capitulate. If you're looking for Massive FPS action nothing on the market right now can beat Planetside. Here's hoping they can get a critical mass going so they can avoid turning their upward flight into a stall.

• Dark Age of Camelot-
  As far as population goes DAoC is one of the front runners here in the US, and it's not hard to see why. Mythic's dedication to quick turnaround on game issues and the almost constant stream of information they output to the community has earned them a great deal of respect from their playerbase. The weekly Grab Bag does a lot to answer players questions and regularly reveals information about upcoming changes to the game. What the Grab Bag doesn't cover, the almost daily patch notes do, in an incredible amount of detail. So they're responsive, they fix bugs and tweak the game at an inordinate rate...oh yeah, and they regularly release free downloadable expansion packs that completely alter the game. Mythic has the distinction of having been on the ball since day one, and their game has the happy players to prove it.

• Final Fantasy XI-
  Last on our list is the newest addition to the North American MMOG scene. As I said in my review, Final Fantasy XI is what you get when you allow the nation of Japan to beta test your game for two years before releasing it. As a thoroughly "broken in" world FFXI has been steady as a rock since those of us in North America began treading the paths of Vana D'iel. Despite that (or perhaps because of it), constant additions and modifications to FFXI have been implimented since the game went live here, sating the appetites of the long-term Japanese players and reassuring the American audience that they're in good hands. In true Final Fantasy spirit, distinctly non-technical world additions are also doled out on a regular basis, ensuring that players are engaged with the gameworld outside of the simple numbers and stats of their characters. Not everything is perfect in FFXI to be sure. Despite that, constant improvements, responsive developers, and the near-future prospect of an influx of new players is sure to make the average taru taru happy enough to emote for joy.

Everything I've just said should be taken into consideration with the understanding that every Massively Multiplayer game has flaws. MMOGs by their very nature are constantly changing beasts. What you like about a game might actually be something the developers are planning to phase out, and a game you hated last year may be a perfect fit now. I think it's important to note the strides that developers are making in raising the bar for the Massively Multiplayer Gamer. If you haven't been in touch with a game you played a while ago, go look it up again. Odds are, times have changed for the better.