Yearly Archives: 2011

Asda 2: Cute, Cute, oh and Hardcore

ASDA 2: Cute, Cute… oh and Hardcore

By Nic van ‘t Schip (Nilax), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Asda 2 is the next iteration of Asda Story, the highly successful MMO run in the US by the lovely people at GamesCampus. Last October they released chapter 3 for this game and back then Vincent conducted an interview with them about it. The expansion was mostly aimed at the well established high level community Asda Story has as it introduced new high level content and raised the repeatable quests to level 70.

 

Back then this begged the question what was in store for new players, wouldn’t they be left too far behind? Well not anymore because now GamesCampus is ready to launch the “Evolution” of Asda, aptly named Asda 2: Evolution.

 

Character Creation

The character creation in Asda 2 is a tad confusing at the start as the options for customization are quite limited. You are only given the choice between a male or a female character after which you can pick what Constellation your character was born under. The customization possibilities are downright scarce with only 5 different hairstyles, 3 different hair colors and 19 different faces. But don’t worry about that because the game will still offer plenty of opportunity for your character to look unique later on in the gameplay! You can see the various options in our video review here!

 

Asda 2 Review

Another thing that is obvious right away is that there is no class selection in the character creation screen. Asda 2 let’s you pick that a bit later in the game and I think that is pretty cool! When you do get the choice of what class to become you can pick between eight very varied choices! On top of that the game boasts hundreds of skills and dozens of job classes. Plenty to progress through!

 

Gameplay

Your character starts out in the cute town of Alpen. A cute and peppy track plays in the background and the cute mapsystem will help you find some cute NPC’s that will send you on various tasks to help the villagers out.

Yes I realize that paragraph contains the word cute a lot. But only because it’s true! The first impression of this game is that it’s, well.. cute, and that doesn’t need to be a problem at all. GamesCampus very obviously targets a certain demographic with this game and in a world where companies are often trying to stick to the safe middle ground it’s refreshing to see that Asda is taking the risk and introducing an outlier.

 

Asda 2 Review

An interesting feature to go along with the casual feel of Asda 2 is the autopilot function. I was taken aback by it at first but I now realize it’s a great little tool to stave off boredom. Who wants to simply navigate their character through a village themselves? Only scrubs control their own character while the real men (and women) just point their destination on the map and sit back! This is ideal for multi-tasking homework and gaming.

It may come off as sarcasm but I’m actually quite serious and the quest system takes it a step further. In the quest window there is a convenient button that, when clicked, runs you straight to the waypoint of the quest. And when you’ve completed the step the button changes to take you straight back to the NPC where you need to turn the quest in to claim your reward.

 

Asda 2 Review

I bet lots of people will jump to the conclusion that this is a step too casual for them but think about it. What is the part of a quest that is fun? Is it “finding the right monsters” or is it “Where was that NPC again that I have to claim my reward from?” I say it’s neither of them, I say it’s bashing the skulls in of the monsters and then getting phat lewt for it and the game doesn’t automate either of those! It just makes it easier for you to focus on the fun stuff while the boring walking to and from tasks gets conveniently handled for you!

 

Another easy way to navigate the game is by simply clicking in the game world but full WASD and mouselook controls are possible too. So if you really dislike the autopathing feature you can just… not use it! All very cute so far but now it’s time to stab some monsters.

 

Combat

Combat starts out simple; my low level character has a sword and a bow to choose from and has one ability for each of them. Even with such a limited array of starting abilities combat still feels and looks dynamic. The monsters die easily at this level, and when they die they drop cute little stacks of gold.

 

Asda 2 Review

At first I hated this kind of looting. The little stacks of gold are sometimes hard to click and it quickly gets tedious to try and pick them up especially where there are many other players or monsters around. But don’t fret, Asda 2 already has the solution to this. By default the F key on your keyboard will pick items off the floor for us. Rejoice!

 

Gear Customization and Soulmating

So all the basics are there, and they’re solid if a bit overly cute. Where Asda 2 really shines though is the customization of your character. The first thing I love is how the inventory system has a double layer. Don’t you hate it when you have a really good looking piece of gear but it has crap stats? And then you get a really good replacement item but it looks hideous? This game has totally solved that problem by allowing you to keep cool looking bits in the “Avatar” side of your inventory screen. The “Normal Custom” side can then still hold the better stat item while you can still look cool by wearing the better looking item!

 

Asda 2 Review

The customization goes a lot deeper than that still. There is a remarkably comprehensive crafting and item buffing system in the game that I don’t have time to fully cover. The cool thing is how items you don’t want can be disassembled to gain materials to boost your current gear or create brand new gear! This system certainly beats npcing all your old stuff to buy new shinier preset stuff.

 

And don’t forget to brag about your zodiac sign in your quest to hook up with a soulmate! Asda 2 is very proud of this system and they are right to be. By connecting yourself to someone else through the Soulmate and Marriage system you give yourself and this other person a strong xp bonus as well as access to unique soul mate abilities and even bonus items!

 

Conclusion

All in all Asda 2 is a tad too cute for me but I can totally see how this game is excellent for those within the target demographic. But make no mistake, Asda 2 isn’t quite as cutesy as I may make it out to be! I only had time to check the first couple of levels of the game during the closed beta but there is a very hardcore Faction-based PvP system that will roar its head a little later in the game. OnRPG will definitely have a look at that more hardcore side of Asda 2 in the near future! For now I suggest you go give it a go yourself if this review peaked your interest.

 

Early Access: Blade & Soul’s Training System

Early Access: Blade & Soul Training System

By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

For those outside of the loop, Blade & Soul is NCSoft’s next big blockbuster. The game seems to be going in the direction of half 3D Fighter, Half Fantasy Martial Arts MMORPG, with some of the most spectacular animations and graphics seen in the history of online gaming. Today I will be going over one of the features for character customization, the “Training System.”

 

Blade & Soul

 

For those familiar with WoW, Forsaken World, or any other modern MMORPG, you will easily pick up and comprehend the ins and outs of the Training System. However, for those that have only dabbled in casual MMORPGs, I will describe this system from the basics.

 

The Training System is an evolved form of a skill tree. It shows a layout of all of your skills and passives in an organized form. Once you reach level 15, you will gain your first training point that can be spent in the training system to give you customization over your basic skills, as well as access to normally unknown powers and passives.

 

This is not to be confused with a skill tree that allows you to choose which powers you obtain as you level, but is a separate system entirely that allows you to customize the skills you wish to learn for your class. By introducing this system, the possibilities start leaning towards the infinite side and as you may have different skill sets and different specialties among those skills than another player of the same class and race as you! In PvP this becomes incredibly important since you will be able to stray outside the norm and use the element of surprise to overcome opponents that are more used to cookie cutter builds for your class.

 

Blade & Soul Training System

 

While other games that have implemented this system went with more of a strengthening focus, Blade & Soul is using the Training System to provide Utility rather than flat x amount of bonus damage. For instance say you are playing a Kung-Fu Master. Your basic skill, leap stomp, has a 12 second cool-down after use. However, if you spend a point in mastering leap stomp, you can gain the ability to instantly refresh its cool-down upon the use of Force Punch.

 

For those worried about having to be a front runner in deciding your build among so many options, worry not. NCSoft is implementing a refund program, in which you spend your currency to reset all your training. The amount of currency required will depend on how many total points you have to reset.

 

Blade & Soul Training System

 

As you can see in this image, the training system is organized in a clean and clear manner. Your active skills are in the single image column on the far left, and their related training attributes available are present in the wider right columns. It seems there will be some trainings that are prerequisites for later trainings, so much strategy will be involved in planning out an effective build that works for you.

 

As this game nears closer to its eventual release, more and more signs seem to point that it is more than just eye candy. Though information is scarce, OnRPG will continue to watch out for game details and bring them here.

 

Shot Online Goes Pro, Gets Pros

Shot Online Goes Pro, Gets Pros

 

 

GamesCampus today revealed that soon a new group of some of the most elite PGA and LPGA characters will be playable in their online golf simulation, Shot Online. Starting this summer, players will be able to take on the role of professional players with both the look and abilities of the real-life popular and talented pros including PGA stars Sergio Garcia and KJ Choi and Anthony Kim and for the first-time in the game, the LPGA will be represented by Paula Creamer and Mika Miyazato.

 

Shot Online

 

“Young or old, a casual fan or avid golf lover, these names are easy to recognize as players who stand above the rest in both proven track record and future potential,” said Kevin Kim, CEO of Games Campus. “With this elite lineup it is anyone’s guess which player will be the most popular, but no matter whom the players choose we’re excited for them to be joining our game, and can’t wait to see how it all plays out!”

 

Shot Online

 

The upcoming update follows closely on the heels of several new updates the game received in April of this year, including a new Avatar Card System allowing players to buy, trade and sell avatar cards, a compelling new ranking system, new highly-polished in-game graphics and more.

 

Gates of Andaron: Free-to-Play WoW?

Gates of Andaron:

By Mitch Baylosis-Benesa (Syllica)

 

 

Let me clarify what I think some of you have been wondering about: why does Gates of Andaron (GoA) look a hell of a lot like 4Story-from the graphics and interface, right down to its spells? The answer is pretty simple: the game is actually one and the same. So why is there the need to release the same content with two different names?

 

Actually, Gates of Andaron and 4Story are like identical twins developed by ZEMI Interactive. They both have the same history, identical looks, and some habits, but the two have different personalities and different clothes. While 4Story is globally released and directly updated by ZEMI Interactive, Gameforge 4D secured the rights to publish the game as Gates of Andaron for the North American market with ZEMI Inc’s support. GoA tweaked the chronicles and most character names, and the two have some different features.

 

Weaving Stories and Features

Gates of Andaron tells the tale of the gods, whose creation became the center for greed and a quest for power by the different races. Known as Andaron in the old days, Iberia became the battleground of Derion and Valorian, the two warring kingdoms who both believed that they earned the gods’ favour. Caught in between is Gor, another kingdom that refuses to take sides and remains neutral.

 

Gates of Andaron Review

 

The game prompts you to choose between Derion and Valorian from the very beginning. You can choose from three races which are available to both kingdoms: the Humans who are, while physically agile and flexible, intelligent enough to utilize technology; the feline Neved who are very much in tune with nature; and the Fairies who have mastered the elements of magic. All classes are available to all races: the strong Warriors, the stealthy Night Walkers, evasive Archers, elemental Magicians, the healing Priests, and creature masters called Evocators. If you want to try all of the classes, you can create up to 6 characters in your account.

The plot of GoA, while undeniably already overused in MMORPGs, still works well because of the features that mesh with the plot. Because of the given conflict, expect to be conquering territories, laying siege on castles and killing enemies from the other faction as a staple of the game. The instances also provide light to the mysteries that still shroud the game’s world.

 

The Way I See It

Like other players, I can’t help but compare GoA’s graphics to that of the almost seven-year old World of Warcraft. It is very vivid, eye candy, and also a little on the cartoony side. But don’t let the graphics fool you into thinking that GoA lacks seriousness as a game. The beauty of the combination of the game’s lore and cartoony graphics is that it balances out the lore’s intensity with fun and enjoyable-looking characters. Another function of these graphics is that the game does not demand high PC specs to be able to run on maximum settings.

 

Gates of Andaron Review

 

The similarity to WoW doesn’t stop there. Don’t worry; I am not going to turn the game review into a complete compare-and-contrast with WoW. In fact, I think that this is one of GoA’s advantages as a Free-to-Play game. GoA managed to pull off some of the same ingenious tricks that WoW, the pay-to-play MMORPG has done, such as ending up in the graveyard as a soul when you die. You must return to your body to be revived. Just watch out if you die in the middle of aggressive creatures or a player from the opposing faction starts camping your body. The latter scenario will be unavoidable since killing enemy players will earn you Achievement Points, which you can use for crafting. Don’t fret though, a certain player may want to only kill you for a maximum of 3 times since they will no longer receive Achievement Points after that. You have 10 minutes to scram afterwards and call backup to hunt down the creeper LOL. If you wanted to play WoW but weren’t convinced enough to pay monthlies, then GoA could be your alternative. Suffice to say, 4Story does have a lot of common things with WoW as well.

 

The Tickles and the Ticks-Off

The interface is neat and doesn’t take much screen space, but the sounds are just standard. There are also a lot of assigned buttons for alternate control, like the WASD keys for directional movement instead of point-and-clicking, R for run, and instant target hunting with the Tab button. Pretty much all the key options that everyone MMO should have, but not all do. Also, being part of a guild will allow you to experience Area Conquest, which fills your lust for regional conquest battles.

 

Gates of Andaron Review

 

The game’s website is peppered with primers for new players. While I laude the fact that GoA doesn’t charge players for their weapon repairs like what Allods Online, GoA will make you pay with real money for mounts that will only be available for a certain duration. I’m not exactly sure at this point which is the lesser evil. Speaking of money, there is no auction house in the game. Of all the things that GoA didn’t adopt from WoW, it had to be one of the most useful and efficient features in an MMO. In this game, you have to vend or set up a shop to offer your goods. Thank goodness it’s F2P or I’d have torn a ligament over a day or two of my paid monthly wasted on AFK vending.

 

Same Difference

GoA has a workable and enjoyable system. It has cartoony but vivid graphics, a perfect balance of pvp and pve mixed content, and a rich lore that ties together the plethora of features in the game. While the elements and features have been done already and have been somewhat blatantly copied from other MMOs, GoA can still be an appetizing game amongst the free-to-play MMORPG throng. But it still lacks the substance of a main course MMO. GoA’s population is decent, but how the staff will keep their players hooked on GoA will be the question since its twin is already offering citizen switch to the neutral kingdom. Overall, I guess the defining factor for GoA to be enjoyable is how the community grows as an integral part of the game because it not only has to compete with the genre itself but against a clone of the same game.

 

Practical MMO and Gaming Traits Part 2

Practical MMO and Gaming Traits Part 2

by Kei Beneza (Dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

 

Another day is upon us and another list must be completed. Here is the rest of my list of traits that give us gamers an advantage in the real world.

Trait Number 6: Epic Social Skills

One thing about being an MMO gamer is that they must socialize in order to get anywhere in the MMO world. Though some are not aware of it (shut-ins), they are actually capable of talking and conversing well with various individuals. Regardless of race, background, and personality, MMO gamers can communicate extremely well. There are definitely no social barriers for an MMO gamer, and if there are, they are more likely related to hygiene issues instead of social skills.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

Trait Number 7: We Rise and Fall Together

When playing an MMO, especially at the peak of its challenge, players know that one death may be the death of many, especially when it’s the healer. Here’s the drama: The real world as I see it is much like a typical raid (okay that’s indeed geeky, but who cares?). We have the Tank, who takes the damage; the DPS, who deals damage behind the tank; and the Healer, who heals everyone from the back.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

Once a player is in trouble or is about to get squashed to bits by some monster (can be related to whatever troubles you have in real life), the tank comes up and takes the damage, allowing the player to recover before letting him fight again. In a way, we are all tanks, DPSes, and healers in society, and the death of one may very well be the death of many. MMO players are literally capable of picking comrades up from the ground after their worst mistakes. Though watch out for us PvP types, we usually will trash talk you for it after you recover!

 

Trait Number 8: They Carry a Creative Outlook of the World

The world of gaming is quite broad in terms of storyline, system, and puzzles. Some puzzles also demand a rather creative way of solving and can only be solved by someone who thinks at least three steps ahead. Gamers in general are always known to have different and creative ways of solving problems outside the box.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

While other people would deem it as unorthodox and out-of-this-world, gamers are used to dealing with things in a creative manner, and would even stick their neck on the line for something that is completely incomprehensible for the average Joe. Just be warned, while most gamers are creative, only a few tend to be logical.

 

Trait Number 9: They Are Prepared for the Unexpected

Let’s face it, gamers are future-oriented. We know how to plan out agendas in order to get what we want. Gamers know how to scan a large amount of information and quickly find what is lacking in a character’s build and then set out to improve themselves. This talent makes them quite useful in the workforce as they can often find security loopholes or improve company efficiency before any real problems arise.

 

After years of gaming, most MMORPG players also gain quite a bit of tech knowledge. From solving virus issues to purchasing the correct parts to upgrade their PCs, these people are forced to take a minor in technology. Try arguing the same about someone who spent their high school days engrossed in football. Yea the odds of finding a tech savvy person in this crowd drop significantly.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

Games have opened up their eyes to different possibilities on what the future may bring, whether it’s a steam punk city, or a regular zombie apocalypse. While some individuals think about flying cars and the typical Jetsons scenario, we already deem them as passe’. I mean, what is with the Robot maid? Our Robot Kafras look better, yes? Survival skills are also another thing that gamers naturally posses. If you think we are wasting our time playing these games that don’t contribute to our knowledge, then you should definitely see how we deal with bears.

 

Recently a 12 year old Norwegian boy saved his sister from a moose attack. In the heat of the moment, all he could recall was his endless hours of video game training. The kid actually taunted the ‘monster’ and then ‘feigned death’ once the moose was successfully ‘agroed.’ Mad skills, I tell you.

 

Trait Number 10: They Fight Continuous Battles Without Losing Their Efficiency

In online gaming, the battle for the future of the world never ends. MMO players should know this first hand. Even after bringing down bosses such as Arthas, they know that their journey is far from over, and will continue to strengthen themselves continuously to prepare for the next battle. These are the type of people who will never be satisfied with the status-quo and allow stagnation to take place. So long as you can equate success to a puzzle or gaming challenge, a gamer’s mind won’t allow them to rest until solutions are found.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

And There you have it. Yes, gaming has become a staple part of our culture, and even though some people still think that we are wasting our time on the couch eating chips and fighting bosses, I would say that it is most definitely the opposite. We are gamers, and there’s no way in hell that I would want it any other way.

 

Practical MMO and Gaming Traits Part 1

MMO/Gaming Traits For Real Life

by: Kei Beneza (Dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

 

Being an MMO gamer is not easy, especially if you are surrounded by non-gamers in your daily life. Not only do you see things differently, you also come off as weird to others. As an MMO player, I would argue that being an MMO gamer is actually far from being a disadvantage. While the geeky remarks and lifestyle may not appeal to ‘normal’ people, I find that it is something that helped and will continue to help me in real life. Now let’s take some time to review our mad skills.

 

Trait Number 1: They Don’t Quit

When they put their hearts into it, gamers in general are well driven in the careers they pursue. I have yet to find out where their burning hearts come from, but gamers definitely know better than to give up. In my personal experience, I have seen many gamers who succeeded where others fail (three of them in my own office). Since MMO gamers are used to wiping in raids, repairing gear, and studying lost battles, you can bet your Orcish arse that these people are ready for a series of trial and error. MMO gamers are used to failure; just look at their average love life!

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

Since gamers are always up for a challenge, you can say that one hard task is not enough to break these burning hearts. Some games are challenging by nature, and it helps gamers surpass their own self expectations. This is exactly why no goal is too far for a driven gamer. Even if it’s about saving the world from an evil half demon prince, you will know that these people will stop at nothing to accomplish their tasks.

 

Trait Number 2: They Have Good Leadership Skills, Both In Real Life And In War

If you are familiar with IBM, they actually consider gaming experience (particularly in MMOs) as a huge addon in their work experience. They believe that MMO players in particular are used to stress and are effective workers even when paired with random people. Maybe it’s because we are all capable of adapting to various individuals when playing with guilds. Let’s face it, at one time you did teach ‘that KID’ how to tank or DPS properly (despite the horrifying results).

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

In accordance to what I said above, these individuals are never afraid to voice their opinions and will even go down to pick up a ‘downed’ comrade when they need him. The main fact that these people are able to bring down boss monsters that often take COUNTLESS hours to finish with proper team coordination already means a lot. Anyone can count numbers and study business management… but not everyone can lead a band of warriors in an epic journey to defeat the Lich King.

 

Trait Number 3: Adaptability

One thing I myself am familiar with is the gamer’s ability to adapt to different surroundings. Whether it’s adapting to people or co-workers we don’t like, office changes, or lack of materials to work with, MMO gamers will always find a way to push through. At some point, it can be associated with the MMO environment where the world drastically changes at certain times.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

While some characters are buffed to the bone, others are nerfed down to oblivion. And even though those nerfed classes are undergeared for a random dungeon run, you can bet that they will always try their best to make it work. This is exactly why these people are able to adapt well to their surroundings.

 

Trait Number 4: They Have More Than Two Hands, Figuratively Speaking

No, not like World of Warcraft’s six-armed Mother Misery—- I’m talking about ‘Multi-tasking’. If you have played an MMO, then you know how vital multi-tasking is to efficiently progress. It is VERY hard to do one thing at a time when you are in a rush to get gear and level for a scheduled raid. Healers, for example, not only make sure that their party survives random encounters, but also powers them up, making them hit harder and such. This often involves a complicated piano finger dance between hotkeys, potions, and wasd + mouse clicks to keep out of danger. Some MMO gamers even do six quests at a time on a normal basis. In layman’s terms, ‘they can watch TV, feed the dog, and discuss politics at the same time. Up till now, people question how I am able to concentrate on multiple things at a time. The answer is simple.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

“I cast spells, drink coke, and power level lowbies on a regular basis”

 

Trait Number 5: Gamer Want—- Gamer Get

Gamers are very goal oriented when it comes to playing their favorite MMOs. Some even give themselves deadlines on when they will reach the max level to join other players in their quest for end-game content. Once an MMO player sets his mind on something, they will stop at nothing to attain it.

 

Practical MMORPG Gaming Traits

 

For All You Non-Gamers: You see those violet glowy items on our characters? You have no chance in hell to get these. Well, if you did, you probably cash shopped for them with your epic ‘real world’ loots!

 

For single player titles, finishing a game is no easy feat for the average Joe. Like I said, gamers don’t give up easily. When mixed with their power of adaptability, not even the hardest of modes can keep them away from the ending credits. They will definitely fight for it if they have to.

 

Well that’s it for today. I will be back tomorrow morning for the continuation!

 

Edit: Part 2 is now available here.

 

AdventureQuest Worlds Friday the 13th Event!

AdventureQuest Worlds Friday the 13th Event!

 

AdventureQuest Worlds is celebrating Friday the 13th with a special event featuring musical guest, Voltaire. The event is free for all players starting today, Friday, May 13th, 2011!

 

AQ Worlds Friday 13th

 

AdventureQuest Worlds is a web based fantasy MMORPG. Just like Artix Entertainment’s 5 other games, it releases new content every Friday. This particular Friday is the only Friday the 13th of the year and they are going all out. The event is part live, part musical and features steampunk cowboys, undead aliens, the legendary Vorutanian Key Blade, and a ghost train ride to a pirate ship full of gold and untold treasures… in the middle of the desert. The event features all new multiplayer areas, quests cutscenes and voiceovers by Voltaire, members of the AE team, and voice actor Michael Sinterniklaas – best known as the voice of Dean Venture from Adult Swim’s The Venture Bros. as well as the voice of Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series – and songs from Voltaire’s all-new album, Hate Lives in a Small Town.

 

WHAT: Friday the 13th Special Even with musician Voltaire and Deady

 

WHEN: Starts Friday, May 13th, 2011 at 7PM EST. Lasts 2 weeks only!

 

WHO: Voltaire, Deady, the AE team, and YOU!

 

WHY: Because it’s the only Friday the 13th of the year and it’s bound to be the best!

 

WHERE: In-game at www.AQ.com

 

Features To Make MMO Games Too Realistic

Features That Would Make MMO Games Too Realistic

By: Kei Beneza (dividelife), Onrpg Journalist

 

As you may know, MMO serves as a pseudo life simulator that lets players live in a fantasy world beyond their wildest imaginations. Game developers always find a way to make the experience ‘tangible’ on a highly interactive level that makes this world extremely addictive for gamers who crave for more than what the real world has to offer. But what if games entered an era of pushing reality over gameplay? Here are some things that will make games too realistic.

 

Toilet Time

“Quietly! We must break into the Firelord’s chambers!”
“Oh man… this castle is so huge…. where’s the bathroom?”
“Stop dancing around, Altarenius!”
“I gotta go!”

 

If MMOs were to simulate real life accurately, you should know that ‘bio breaks’ are a big part of it. Since humans are not really capable of holding it in for countless hours per day, it would probably take a big toll on their progress. Imagine one of the items you need to check off with your raid group before entering a 2 hour dungeon is who still has to pee? Sometimes having the technology to create a feature doesn’t justify actually implementing it.

 

Really Realistic MMORPGs

 

Another thing is the lack of public toilets in the MMO world. As far as I can remember, I was only able to spot one toilet in all my years of playing MMOs (it’s from World of Warcraft, located in the Silverpine forest, if you have to ask).

 

Hunger And Thirst

“Hey man! You don’t look so good… here’s a potion”
“I don’t need potions, man! I’m really hungry! Still got that bear meat from earlier?”
“Yeah! Right next to the prospectors head in my inventory”

 

Being hungry is a big deal; in fact, gamers would normally stop gaming for a while just to raid the fridge. Since the MMO world has no decent place to get water, other than the countless natural streams in the forest regions, players may invest a gratuitous amount of time looking for both food and water. Props to them if they go vegetarian, since herbalism skills may come in handy here.

 

Really Realistic MMORPGs

 

While cooking has been a staple feature in various MMOs, we still have not seen the hunger meter extend far beyond The Sims and Fallout. This would have serious strategic impacts on how a player on a grinding spree would plan out their trip and time tables.

 

The True Horrors of Marriage

“Hey honey! I’m going out to collect my reward from the Emperor.”
“You can’t! I’m going to go hunting today, and no one’s going to take care of the baby!”
“Let’s just pay someone to do that.”

 

Most Asian RPGs have implemented the marriage system, allowing players to gain skills like ‘Summon Spouse’ (a wife’s dream and husband’s nightmare) and other buffs that most classes cannot gain when single. But what if online marriages functioned as real world marriages? Some games even go as far as to let couples have babies in the virtual world, and realistically speaking, having a baby is no easy feat.

 

Really Realistic MMORPGs

 

Not only will you have to buy a house to nurture him/her, you will run into more costs associated with their hunger level. Once he is of proper age, you will have to send him to Mercenary School (Starfleet School if you’re playing a sci-fi MMO!). It’s already enough that they charge players a huge sum of money to get married, but I can only imagine games that are heavily reliant on cash shops milking their players for all they are worth to stay competitive AND raise a child (or three).

Realistic Mortality

“LOL Tank died”
“I blame healer…”
“I will cast revive!”
“Can’t. This isn’t EZ mode anymore!”

 

If you have played hardcore mode in Shaiya Online and Diablo 2, then you pretty much know what I am talking about. Let’s face it, real people don’t have a respawn time, and once they hit the dirt, they are sent six feet under. MMO characters face more dangers than the entire volume of Rambo movies. Realistically mortal characters may just stick to courier quests after losing a limb. Damn, all this realism is starting to paint a bleak picture.

 

Really Realistic MMORPGs

Go ahead, try killing 10 of me. It will be the end of you.

 

Real Jobs

“Hey Nero! What are you doing here?”
“I’m the Emperor’s guard now!”
“ORLY? What do you do?”
“Stand here <_<“

 

No, I’m not talking about Herbalism, Blacksmithing, or Fishing. I’m talking about real jobs, sort of like what those NPCs are doing in town. I mean, surely they’re getting paid, or else those common item vendors wouldn’t have enough to feed their undead, elven, darkelven, orcish, halforcish, and draconic families. So what if players are forced to contribute to the MMO world in such a way that they will have proper roles to play in the community, like a guard or maybe a barkeep?

 

Really Realistic MMORPGs

This could be you!

 

Heck, if you are not content with your position you could even run for mayor. I have seen browser games tackle this system, where one ends up as the leader of the entire town, but after experiencing it myself, the only thing I did was steal from nobles and raise taxes. A word of advice: don’t vote for me.

 

I’m sure everyone has their own ideas on how to make MMOs more realistic. I for one am just glad publishers are not pushing such ideas mainstream. There can always be niche games like Salem to fill in the lust of the few who need realism. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it