Yearly Archives: 2010

How can you help your friendly neighborhood Game Master?

How can you help your friendly neighborhood Game Master?
By a long-term game master 

 

I’ve worked on a major title as a Game Master/Customer Service Representative. I’m writing this to give you guys some insight into the work of a Game Master, and to give you some pointers for when you talk with one, when you need the help, or when you write feedback. I’ve played online games for eight years, and have received all kinds of service, from excellent to horrible. I decided to become a Game Master to be able to provide players proper service and to aid you on your way to the phat lewt and glory. We all know you most likely pay to play and when you do that, you expect something in return, not just a good game.

 

I knew when I got the job that I wouldn’t be able to help all of you with all your queries, but I would do what I could to make sure that you got a good experience and to make sure that you understand that not all Game Masters are ego-tripping power abusers.

 

Game Master Warhammer Online
Warhammer Online Game Masters

 

As a Game Master I needed to level my own expectations with the expectations of the players and balance this with the policies and procedures of the company I work for. Although my player demands  the restoration of an item and  I see his case and genuinely want to help him out, I’m still representing the company I work for and for all the service to work, we have policies and procedures. You’ve no doubt heard about those and cursed them several times, when a Game Master has rejected your demands.

 

How can you help me to help you?

Game Master Runes of MagicThere are many different kind of players with different goals who have different expectations of a GM. I’ll try to explain how I can help you as a player. I want you all to understand that I know players are different. You guys are literally what make a game become a great game, and it takes time and effort to grow into the position, as a gamer, you’re in today. You guys are the reason I had this job, and I greatly enjoyed my job and the interaction with you! You can’t be put into boxes, but for the sake of this article, I’ve done it anyways. Most of you will fit into many of my boxes; some of you will not fit into any of them. Also I would like to make sure that you all know that not all Game Masters work like I did. We all have our different approaches to your issues, all within the procedures of our job. This is my main reason for writing I instead of we. All MMOs on the market today have more or less varying policies and procedures for their Game Masters to follow, so what you read here may not apply to the games you play.

 


Image: Runes of Magic Game Master

 

The casual players

They bimble around spending a loooong time completing quest chains, finding game specific fluff and chatting with their guildies. They like the lore of the game and want to suck it all up before heading to a new area where they can start over, with more lore and quests. They will most likely have issues with a quest they can’t complete for various reasons.

 

Pr0tip of the day:  I cannot give you hints about how to complete quests and find lore fluff. I can’t tell you where to find Wolf Skin; you will have to find it yourself. However, I can tell you that everything in your questline is currently working, so you shouldn’t run into any obstacles on your way. To help yourself, try making good use of one of the many, many sites that are dedicated for you to find the information you need right now.

 

The PvPers

They live for the heat of battle and killing other players. They spend a significant time on various blog sites, information programs etc, min-maxing their characters to become even better. Not to forget mentioning gloating about their own success and spreading it around them. They’ve most likely reported another player for abusing mechanics or bugs, harassment, ‘speed hacking’ and various other things that takes the joy away from the other players around them.

 

Pr0tip of the day: I need definite proof of another player doing something wrong. According to our policies, before I can take action towards him or her I need solid proof. Your screenshots and videos are unfortunately invalid information, as these can be tampered with. I need to see the offender doing something wrong with my own eyes, and get the proof myself. You also need to understand that it can take time to get this proof, and you might run into the offender again before I’ve taken the appropriate steps to keep him or her sticking to the rules in the future.

 

The PvEers

 They spend a lot of time on preparing for their weekly bash at the various encounters in the game. Just as the PvP’er, they can spend significant time on their character sheet. They’ve most likely reported an issue with a specific encounter and need help to get on with their raid. Or they finally killed the Boss and now the loot is gone.

 

Pr0tip of the day:  I can only give you limited assistance with your encounter. I can’t kill the Boss for you; you need to do that yourself, regardless of how tough it is. Also please understand that sometimes an encounter is just broken. Plain and simple. I can’t help you if that’s the case. I unfortunately can’t recode the game from my position. And I can’t help you get on with your raid. Sorry. I can, and I will, report the bugs you report to me to the developers.

 

Often when loot hasn’t dropped it’s a glitch in the game and I will let our Quality Assurance department look into it. I will do everything in my powers to make sure that you get your loot, however if you have deliberately killed the boss in a position where the loot cannot be reached, I can’t help you. You chose to kill him there, not me. Also in these situations, it’s vitally important that only ONE person from the raid, usually the raid leader, writes a ticket to me. If I have another 5, 10, 20, 40 people writing to me about the same issue from the same server, it will take longer to solve your issue.

 

The RolePlayers

They spend a lot of time interacting with each other on a level that’s hard to understand for most other players. Roleplayers ‘live’ in the world that the developer has created and use this opportunity to meet people with same interests. These players are quite often also lore junkies. They often have an impressively well developed character that they roleplay exceptionally well. These players mainly report other people for not being ‘in-character’ in open chats.

 

Game Master World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft Game Master

 

Pr0tip of the day:  I really enjoy your dedication to your character. But honestly you also need to tone down your expectations of newbie roleplayers. Perhaps you could help and guide them on their way to become a good roleplayer, yourself?

 

The whiner

This kind of player is self-explanatory. They will whine and moan about literally -everything- in their path to supreme elitism. Nothing is good enough for them. A quest is not developed well enough, a boss hits too hard or not hard enough, Class A, B, H, M and X are all supremely overpowered or underpowered in comparison to the class they play themselves. Or the other players cheat and abuse the game, because they themselves got beaten in battle. And don’t get me started on the lore whiners. For me it’s easy to understand that a whiner usually whines from a good heart, they just want the game they play to be better, faster, harder!  But for other players, the constant stream of negative blah blah can be pretty annoying.

 

Pr0tip of the day: If you can stick to being informative, constructive and somewhat neutral in your criticism, I will make sure that the developers gets your feedback. However if all you can write is curse words and insults, you can be pretty sure that your feedback goes straight in the bin.

 

The fanboy

These guys just love the game. They will spend an enormous amount of time doing everything they can to get the most out of it; they will do PvP, PvE, do quests and sometimes roleplay, just to enjoy themselves more. These people have a genuine desire for the game to be successful in any way. They quite often get into heated battles with the Whiners on forums, blogs and other community sites. Fanboys can become rather extreme and even sometimes refuse to see that a particular aspect of the game actually is broken. Perhaps class X -is- overpowered, but to the fanboys class X is just ‘utilized’.

 

Pr0tip of the day: I generally appreciate your love for the game. It’s great to see someone genuinely enjoying all aspects of the game; however you don’t need to send feedback praise about the look of a particular tree in the world every other day. As with the whiner, keep your feedback constructive. Although it’s great to hear how much you love and enjoy the game, it does take time to process your query and that will take time away from people that genuinely need assistance in the game world.

 

Your community

The connection between all of you is that you want to enjoy the game. I for one understand that, I play the game myself after all. But often you also need to grab some insight into your own behavior. Game Masters don’t set the rules (our bosses do)  we only enforce them. It’s up to all you lovely players out there to make sure that you enjoy the game. A game community is a very, very strong assembly of people that share the same interest on various levels. Even if you have the opportunity to nail a newbie to a plank, you shouldn’t take it. You’ve been a newbie yourself at some point and everybody understands that it’s a tough job to grow as a player to get to where you are today. Help each other; be friendly and positive towards another player. If players rub you the wrong way, then turn your back to him or her. Use the ignore function and get on with your game. I promise you that with mutual respect and courtesy towards other players, you will enjoy the game even more. With that said, you shouldn’t accept any behavior from other players and if they generally become really nasty towards you, report them to me and I will take care of them from there on.

 

Game Master Workload Hard Work

 

It takes hard work

And dedication to be a Game Master, and more than anything I need to stick to the rules that I’ve been given. Otherwise I could lose my job. And to be honest, the 10 bucks a month you pay to play, does not outweigh my paycheck, at all. On the contrary, I’ve had some great hours with my players, and definitely also with my colleagues.  I can definitely recommend being a Game Master as a job, if you have a desire to help the people you play with. Just be aware, that you cannot be the bird, but every single day you will be the statue.

 

 

 Game Masters Statue Shit

Sneak-Peek! Tales RunnerÂ’s New Chapter, Chaos Genesis!

Sneak-Peek! Tales Runner’s New Chapter, Chaos Genesis!

 

Whose side will you be fighting for; Light or Dark?

 

TalesRunner, a fantasy casual MMO, introduces its biggest chapter since the launch, Chaos Genesis. The new content will be updated starting from June 1, and the highly-anticipated Chaos Battle will begin on June 17! Chaos Genesis features a battle and confrontation between two factions; Angel and Devil.  Players will be asked to choose their own faction and fight together to conquer the land. To add more fun to the battle, new angel and devil-themed alchemy armor sets, missions and maps will be updated.

 

Tales Runner Chaos Map
The Chaos Map

 

Chaos Genesis: New  Features

Chaos Wars

Choose a Faction…Angel or Devil!  Fight together with your Faction in order conquer the land and receive points for awesome prizes!  Prizes include Pets, Shoes, Wings, & More!  Will you be the one to carry your Faction into glory?

Tales Runner Angel Demon Chaos Genesis

 

Angel & Devil Alchemy

Two sets of Alchemy held the balance of the Tales Land for Thousands of Years…  Recently, the Devil Alchemy Set was stolen!  Fearing the unbalance of power within the Realm, King Henry ordered the unsealing of the Angel Alchemy Set as well…  Thus, began what will later be known as the Chaos Genesis…

 

Kai The Demon Child

They mysterious and dark adopted child of Dr. Hell will arrive to Tales Land this Chapter!  Find out about his story, history, and secrets!  Watch out!  If his emotions get the best of him such as in fury mode, his inner demon will appear!

 

The Guardian Dungeons

Hidden in a dark corner of the realm lies a giant secret dungeon where magical powers dwell…  For thousands of years, this giant dungeon housed the powerful Angel and Demon Alchemy…  Absorbing the powers  of these incredible items, the surroundings too grew powerful!

 

Some call them Demons while others call them Guardians…  Whatever they may be, they are angry at the removal of their precious source of power!

 

Fight together in a group of 8 to tackle on this new addition to racing!  Experience racing like never before where the key is to cooperate with other players to tackle on and defeat monsters!  PvE in a racing game?!  Now’s your chance to experience it yourself!

 

Tales Runner Chaos Genesis

 

Chaos Emblems

Elder Izarth realized that in order to curb the turmoil and chaos that is running amok in the land, we will have to find a Chaos Master.  A Chaos Master will have to go through many ordeals in order to proof himself or herself worthy of this title.  Therefore, Elder Izarth decided to travel to the Tales Land in search of a worthy Chaos Master…  Collect the 9 regional emblems to unlock the Chaos Master Emblem!  Be the first 5 to become a Chaos Master and be recognized as the ones to unleash the power of the “Redemption of Chaos” to the world!

 

Redemption of Chaos Alchemy & Mantras

Few individuals will ever evolve into the perfect being and the ones that do are deemed God-Like…  The effects are temporary and the retrieval of the Secret Remedy may prove to be difficult for many…  It’ll also take 5 Chaos Masters for this secret to be revealed to the world…  Experience the Power of the Redeemed and hold the Mantras of Archangels & Archdemons! 

 

Experience Racing Like Never Before!  The Fantasy World needs your help!  Choose Your Side and begin your tale in the Chaos Genesis!

 

Please visit Tales Runner website for further details on Chaos Genesis.

 

 

Heroes of Gaia: Rise of the Guilds Expansion Launches June 3

Heroes of Gaia: Rise of the Guilds Expansion Launches June 3

 

SNAIL GAMES USA today announced the release date of Heroes of Gaia: Rise of the Guilds, the latest expansion of the groundbreaking MMO RTS browser game, Heroes of Gaia (HoG).

 

With Rise of the Guilds (RoG), Snail Games USA will take free-to-play MMO browser gaming to the next level.  RoG introduces a rich variety of new gameplay elements to the already feature-rich HoG universe.  The expansion contains a new Guild Battle system which will create a deep Guild-versus-Guild (GvG) competition element, along with personal rankings, equipment forging, a number of new high-level NPCs, and a multitude of new functional and vanity items in the HoG Shop.
 

 

Heroes of Gaia HOG Guilds

 

“We are thrilled to give the HoG community things which they have been requesting for a long time.” said Scott Miller, CEO of Snail Games USA. “The Guild Battle system is unique in the world of F2P MMO games and the expansion is going to serve every level of player, from the most competitive guilds, who will have an opportunity to determine which is the supreme champion of HoG, to the novice player, who is just getting involved in the HoG community.”
 

 

The RoG expansion will officially go live across all HoG realms on the morning of Thursday, June 3 [Note: This date has been updated from the previously announced release date of May 27].  Players will be able to log on instantly and access all of newHoG: RoG features at no cost and with no downloads.
 

 

“There is a lot going on here at Snail – and the RoG expansion is just the beginning.  We will have an announcement very soon about our next game, which is coming this summer and will set a new high-water mark in MMO browser games.  Stay tuned – it’s going to be a big summer.”
 

 

Heroes of Gaia Screen

Allods Online Patch 1.1.0: Revelations of Gipat

Allods Online Patch 1.1.0: Revelations of Gipat

 

Gala-Net, Inc., a leading free-to-play online game publisher, announced today the upcoming release of the first Allods Online expansion – Patch 1.1.0: Revelations of Gipat.  This patch will include some major changes to the game mechanics, add in a number of very important bug fixes, enhance existing features, raise the level cap, and add in new zone with over a hundred and fifty new quests!

 

Patch 1.1.0: Revelations of Gipat

The mysterious allod of Gipat has finally been rediscovered, and adventurers from both the League and the Empire are racing to uncover the secrets of this entirely new zone. Journey to a lost land filled with ghosts of the past, and delve into the history of the mysterious June civilization as well as the terrifying Astral demons.

 

Allods Revelations Gipat

 

Great changes have also arrived to the entirety of Sarnaut. Adventurers can now obtain their own mounts, many archetypes have been rebalanced, and a plethora of new quests are available from a group of scholars known as the Anthropologists.

 

New Feature: Mounts

Players from both factions will be able to complete a quest line at level 21, in order to obtain a trusty steed.  The NPC quest givers in Lightwood or the Bort Quarter will be able to direct players on their journey.  For those who cannot wait to ride through Sarnaut with increased speeds, the horse mounts will be available for purchase in the Item Shop.

Allods Elf Runner Mount 
Mounted elf runner

 

League players will be able to ride the proud Kanian Runner, a regal blonde draft horse, and Imperial players will get their very own Xadaganian Steed, an agile war horse.

 

Discover the wealth of new features and improvements that have been made to Allods Online, with Patch 1.1.0: Revelations of Gipat!

 

Allods Orc Steed
Orc on a steed

Pandimus

Pandimus is a medieval web based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Pandimus allows an amazing interaction with other players via their chat, map and party system.

In Pandimus, you could be the best in the rankings, both in tournaments and adventures and in the statistics. Buy and sell items to other players via the auction house, train, and complete quests.

Game Features:

Total character customization: You can completely choose your skills, attributes and equipment. More than 100 combinations, from pure warrior or mage to mixed disciplines such paladin, dark knight, elementalist, shadow priest, etc…

Variety of equipment: More than 100.000 items let you choose between clothes, leather armor, medium armor, heavy armor, one hand weapons, two-handed weapons, weapon + shield, dual wield…

Skills and attributes: Skill based system with no levels. Choose over 30 skills and attributes like anatomy, swordsmanship, fire dominance, dodge, parrying, etc… to fully customize your character!

Great history: Discover the history of Pandimus through all the characters, monsters and buildings in the game!

Special attacks: Train your special attack and customize your combos to defeat your enemies in tournaments and to complete your adventures.

True online multiplaying: Use the in-game chat, create parties with other players to complete quests together, look who is in your same zone, trade in auction house… and more!

Quest, mission and working system: Complete quests and missions, work as a jeweller, blacksmither, acolyte or tanner!

Large world: Discover all zones, some are secret, in your adventures. Really great experiences.

Wargaming.net releases full development trees for its “World of Tanks” MMO game

Wargaming.net releases full development trees for its “World of Tanks” MMO game

 

Wargaming.net gives insight into World of Tanks level-up and upgrade systems by unveiling an updated outline of American, German and Soviet tank fleets. The tech trees illustrate development options for each class of military hardware presented in the game and provide various research paths with sequences of models the player will have to acquire on the way to his “dream” tank. Final version of the development trees also includes a list of premium tanks and captured vehicles available for purchase.

 

In World of Tanks the player is not bound to a particular nation or class of vehicles and is free to explore the great diversity of machines moving up the tech trees choosing whatever branch he wants. The game offers a wide range of competitive PvP modes – varying from fast-paced deathmatches and historic missions to never-ending Global Campaign with epic clan warfare – to test combat performance of any tank in different conditions.

 

“In our game we are in a way trying to expand beyond the borders of real history by introducing some models of weaponry that were not mass-produced and existed only on paper or were used in a limited number of battles. Thus, we give our fans a chance to see what the war would have been like if it hadn’t been finished in 1945 or the evolution of tank-construction had gone in a different direction,” – says Victor Kislyi, producer of World of Tanks. “We hope that striking a good balance between prototype vehicles and vehicles that proved their worth on WWII battlegrounds will let us provide ultimate tank experience.”

 

After the release, Wargaming.net plans to add new tank nations with post-release updates. The release of the game is scheduled for Fall 2010. Join the Tank MMO community and stay updated on the development progress by visiting The World of Tanks Forum.

 

Example of the development tree of USA tanks:
World Of Tanks Development Tree

Moonlight Online

In Moonlight Online vampires harness elemental energies and possess astounding abilities of speed, equilibrium and power. Beneath their ashen faces and piercing crimson gazes lie mysterious and profound forces. Descended from the purest and most noble bloodlines, vampires are proud and lonely fallen angels of the night.

The natural enemies of vampires, werewolves are fearsome beasts with amazing restorative powers. Their ability to explode into a berserker fury increases their attack power against vampires, fueling gripping PvP battles that feature the colossal clash of claws and fangs.

Not to be taken lightly, humans are powerful beings in their own right. King Cruz received blessings from all the gods for destroying the Dark Dragon, endowing his people with great intelligence and courage. With its many schools of might and magic, the Monarchy of Cruz has raised generations of legendary defenders.

Players will have their choice of any of the three earthly races as they immerse themselves in the moving tales of Moonlight Online. From vampiric hunters that prowl the blackest night to the righteous and fierce guardians of the land, whether they take the role of conqueror or defender, players will harness amazing abilities as they explore the world of Moonlight Online.

Aika Expansion: Launching on June 17th!

Aika Expansion: Launching on June 17th!

 

The first of the two new map regions unveiled in Ashes of Betrayal is Darkrane Forest, the sublime but troubled backdrop to a series of all-new Aika adventures.  Featuring exotic new monsters and almost 100 new quests in an action-packed plot, Darkrane Forest will inspire the many fans of Aika’s immersive storyline to fight once more against the treacherous forces that threaten the land of Lakia. Take a look at the Aika Screenshot Gallery for a preview of Ashes of Betrayal.

 

Darkrane Forest is the ancient home of a noble race of beings called the Kynari.  Half-bird, half-man, the Kynari had long lived in peace with humanity under the rule of successive High Castors, their spiritual and political leaders.  The tranquility was shattered when a young usurper, the ruthless Kynari Darkrane, manipulated the Lakian Army into declaring war on his own race and killing the wise High Castor Isaiah.  Darkrane and his followers then seized power and began taking over the forest for unknown ends.  As the skilled military officers known as Aitan, players will be thrown into the center of this civil unrest – their skills will be imperative to fighting the demons and mercenaries in Darkrane’s underhanded alliances.  It will take courage, cunning, and diplomacy to earn the trust of High Castor Isaiah’s son Hakks and aid him in his struggle to expose Darkrane’s deceit.  As players uncover Darkrane’s sinister plans and the greater forces that are fueling his ascension, all clues will point to a final showdown in a fantastical new instance dungeon which will be released later this year. 

 

Aika has already been acclaimed by players and press alike for its superb PvE content, including beautiful graphics, compelling and entertaining quest localization, and satisfying gameplay.  The epic challenges and lush scenery of Darkrane Forest will raise this standard to a new level.  Players, steel yourselves, because Darkrane Forest will take you and your fairy familiar Pran into enterprises beyond imagination.

 

The Conqueror and Templar Class Evolutions

 

For Aika, adding an expansion doesn’t just mean new areas and quests.  In Ashes of Betrayal, players will be able to PvP and PvE like never before with all-new class evolutions starting at level 51.  Reaching the next tier will allow players to unlock powerful attacks, equip higher-level weaponry and armor, and customize their characters’ stats with additional points for every level gained.  The stat point system combined with Aika’s flexible skill attack trees will let players create a nearly endless variety of unique character builds.  Here’s a sneak preview of the level 56 equipment for the Conqueror and Templar – the tier two forms of the Warrior and Paladin, the two Fighter archetype classes of Aika Online.

 

 Aika Expansion

 

 

Canaan Online

Canaan Online offers a vast, varied and vibrant world through their Mac and PC internet browsers. After choosing their favorite class – Warrior, Mage, Ranger or Priest – players can begin their adventure, with over a thousand quests.

Catering for online games and casual MMORPG players, Canaan Online features dozens of rare pets which can be captured and then trained, before being traded. It also features a well developed chat and crafting system, allowing players to make new friends, join guilds, and run their own item shops trading items and their pets with other players. For convenience, it also gives players the choice of automatic combat mode as well as the ability to take full control of the action.