Random Dialogue: Brain Dump
Dialogue, 2004-02-23

WoW

Just like everyone else in MMOG-space, I'm waiting for the World of Warcraft Beta. While the anticipation isn't killing me like it is some people, I will freely admit to hitting MMORPGDot, worldofwar.net and WoW WarCry every day to see if there is any new information to be had from the community. Every announcement seems to refresh in my mind the level of commitment Blizzard has to polishing WoW and making it fun. The recent Death Min-FAQ makes the death penalty sound not only reasonable, but enjoyable. From the sounds of it there will actually be quests that are only available after your death. Leave it to Blizzard to even make the experience of unlife fun.

Everquest

With the Wow Beta an undetermined amount of time away, and the reviews I currently have on my plate distinctly non-traditional as far as MMOGs go, I and my fiance have picked back up our haflings and are once again treading the Qeynos Hills and plumbing the depths of Blackburrow. I've definitely been around the block as far as MMOGs go, and I'm always a little bit shocked when I come back to Everquest. Shallow gameplay, aging graphics, tired storylines...and yet, there is a reason it's the seminal work when it comes to Massively Multiplayer Games. The new expansions have added a lot to the game as well. One of the simplest things that I've noticed since getting back into the game are the new particle effects for spells. Even something simple like "Skin Like Wood" has a new twirl to it. It's pretty gratifying to see that despite all of the baggage that Everquest and EQ players have, SOE appears dedicated to making sure the game never gets too stale. I, for one, am greatly looking forward to the graphics upgrade.

MMOGs in the News

You and I may know that MMOGs are important and interesting, but something that I've been noticing of late is that the world at large seems to be adopting that opinion as well. From academic exhibits to high powered big business, MMOGs seem to be everyone's cup of tea right now. Even the US Army is apparently a fan of the genre. The most interesting article I think I've seen of late along these lines is this one, talking about how game developers can assist lawmakers in patching the systems that make nations run. It's a good time to be a MMORP Gamer.

Next Week

Next week....I hope....I will finally get to that persistence article. Now it's been two weeks coming and I feel really bad about not ponying up for you guys. It's not even going to be that long of an article. Anyway, next week, persistence. See you then.