Back when I was a kid, being called a geek was a crude insult thrown around by those unwilling to accept that people didn’t share their interests and hobbies. Nowadays it’s worn as a badge of honour. I’m not saying that you’ll see me standing on the top of a mountain with my shirt torn…
Category: MMO Musings
The Future of MMO Control
As MMO players we have a fond familiarity with the traditional keyboard and mouse interface. We use the mouse to click on something then use the keyboard to perform an action to it. Sure, we might look at getting a fancy mouse to perform more actions or a snazzy keyboard to automate some sequences, but…
My 3 Warcraft Christmas Wishes
Every year we ask each other what we would wish for Christmas. For some of us it’s something sensible like a new computer chair, while for others it’s something crazy like a Nerf Havok. Either way, we all have something we’d love to get our hands on. But what would you do if Blizzard asked…
The Machine Behind The Curtain
I’m going to start this off with a question. Does the amount of fun you have with Warcraft decrease as the amount you know about the game increases? I’ve been thinking about this question ever since I read an article by Larísa of Pink Pigtail Inn about someone who’d burned out on Warcraft, developing the…
The Optional Extras
We often think of choice as being a good thing. Go to any chocolate shop and you’re greeted with a range of options to choose from, all of them tempting. Then again, being free from choice is also a wonderful thing –buying chocolates by the box is much more popular than just choosing a couple…
A Socially Aware Warcraft?
When I think of MMOs, I generally think of games that are rick in social interaction. Alongside the gigantic world and the rich environments are dedicated tools specifically designed to help players interact with each other. But although Warcraft has developed socially with the inclusion of Real ID and Facebook integration, it’s mainly designed to…
Of Polygons and Principles
I’m taking a break from my regular Warcraft posts to ask a basic question – is there a game that you have chosen not to play purely for moral reasons? That’s not to say that the style of game isn’t one you enjoy, but instead that you object to the content or creative direction a…
The Growing Yet Shrinking World
One of the signs a game is on the decline is when servers are switched off. It doesn’t matter if they’re called realms, shards or any one of a number of different descriptions – mergers and closures are a sure-fire sign that a MMO’s playerbase is shrinking. No game is immune to the effects of…
Casting Your Net Wide
It’s a strange thing when your perspective of the world changes. For me, the RealID Saga of the last few days has shown me just how much the simple game of Warcraft means to people. It’s also shown me just how much people are prepared to give up to take a stand or prove a…
RealID – What The Forums?
You’ve probably already heard the big announcement about how RealID is going to be introduced to the forums. As we approach Cataclysm, the official Blizzard-run Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo forums will be upgraded to use a player’s real name whenever they post. There’s already a huge amount of discussion on the merits of the idea…