A Grizzled Veteran (II)

Of the MMORPG Wars (Part the Second)

A few years later, an early and geeky boyfriend of mine became fascinated at the prospect of a female gamer---heretofore a complete unknown---and promptly installed Duke Nukem 3D (now with one more D) on my family's very swanky computer, which (I believe) was a Pentium II (now with one more pentium).

I was then initiated in the process of dialing into his family's PC across town via TCP/IP, allowing us to play Duke Nukem competitively against one another, usually in the wee hours of the morning. Every time I got fragged, I would screech and wake up my parents who were sleeping in the next room. Mother thought it inappropriate and even alarming for a girl of 15 to be "fragged." Duke Nukem 3D was the first online game I experienced that featured cutting edge concepts like graphics (also strippers).

A few more years ushered in the release of the epochal EverQuest. It was not merely online and multiplayer, but massively multiplayer in addition to online, and had graphics. Except for these major advances, EverQuest was just like the text-based MUDs of yesteryear. The MOBs, races, and job classes were familiar, and some of the commands such as "/con" were carried over as well.

EverQuest also introduced us to the archetypal concepts that would remain forever etched in our collective MMORPGing psyche in myriad forms---like "KoS" ("Look out---that monster is aggressive"), "SoW PLZ" ("Kindly cast a spell or use an ability to help me run faster"), and "Rogues are nerfed" ("My job class has the effectiveness of a bullet made from foam and fired out of a neon orange tube by a highly excitable five-year-old"). I played EQ for quite some time, both pre- and immediately post-Kunark, before leaving for what were promised to be broader, bloodier pastures.

EQ's addictiveness was also featured centrally in one of my earliest gaming haikus:

EverQuest is not
A good game for us to get
If we are busy.

(to be concluded)

Abuse your speakers/
Lose your manners/
Disturb the neighbors/
This one's a Bangaa.

Gaming Resolutions 2007: Killa Edition

There is, of course, some overlap betwixt our lists, but please enjoy my current agenda of games. This sort of hindsight/foresight foray makes me feel somewhat like the Roman god of doorways, the two-faced Janus. Although, people today may be more familiar with his more recent incarnation, Phanto the two-tone mask from Super Mario Brothers 2. Regardless, you get the point.

Sidenote: This kind of makes me nostalgic for the reoccuring On the Horizon segment from the old blog.

Currently playing, need to finish

• Prince of Persia: Revelations (PSP)
• Final Fantasy XII (PS2) (With Catarina)
• Metal Gear Ghost Babel (GBC*)
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Wii) (With the J-Team)
• Ico (PS2)

Purchased, but not yet played

• Metal Gear Solid Porable Ops (PSP)
• Namco Museum Battle Collection (PSP) (A gift)
• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (PS2) (Street Fighter Anniversary Collection)

Say Arr! to Piracy

• Snatcher (SegaCD*)
• Samurai Showdown Zero Special (NeoGeo*)

Want to play through again this year

• Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
• Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (PS2)

Still need to buy

• Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus (PS2)
• Playstation 3 console
• Ridge Racer 7 (PS3)
• Mega Man ZX (DS)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

Forthcoming titles of interest for 2007

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patiots (PS3)
• Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)
• Heavenly Sword (PS3)
• Tekken 6 (PS3)
• White Knight Story (PS3)
• Assassin's Creed (PS3)
• Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
• flOw (PS3)
• Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (PSP)
• Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP)
• Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)

*Arr!

Gaming Resolutions 2007: Catarina Edition

The year 2006 had some amazing highlights with the releases of the Wii, the PS3, and the DS Lite on the hardware horizon; some awesome new installments from beloved franchises like Final Fantasy XII and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess; and some surprise hit titles like Okami and Bully.

The upcoming 2007 promises to be equally amazing with new titles dropping all the time for the infant PS3 and Wii, and more major titles coming to the DS. Catarina's household proudly added a Wii and a DS Lite (hubby's) in Q4/2006, and we plan to usher in a PS3 in the coming months (and a second DS Lite---pink---for my own personal use). To keep organized and make sure nothing important gets overlooked, herewith my gaming resolutions for 2007:

Currently playing, need to finish

• Disgaea II: Cursed Memories (PS2)
• Final Fantasy XII (PS2) (With Killa)
• Legend of Zelda: Twlight Princess (Wii)
• Okami (PS2)

Purchased, but not yet played

• Dragon Quest VIII (PS2) (An X-Mas gift from Killa!)
• ICO (PS2)
• Katamari Damacy (PS2)
• Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Wii)

Want to play through again this year

• Final Fantasy VI (Originally SNES; rereleased for PS1)
• Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
• Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)
• Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) (Time Attack Mode)
  

Still need to buy

• Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA)
• Playstation 3 console
• Vagrant Story (PS1) (We consider this part of the "Ivalice Alliance")

Forthcoming titles of interest for 2007

• Assassin's Creed (PS3)
• Dragon Quest IX (DS)
• Dragon Quest Swords (Wii)
• Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS)
• Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)
• Heavenly Sword (PS3)
• Lair (PS3)
• Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3)
• Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
• Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)
• Tekken 6 (PS3)
• Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3)
• White Knight Story (PS3) (Working title)

Revenant Wings New Trailer

Worldwide Nintendo news blog C3 has the first trailer for the forthcoming Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings RPG for the Nintendo DS. The release date hasn't yet been announced, but the end of the trailer says it is "coming soon." Hopefully sooner than Phantom Hourglass.

A Grizzled Veteran

Of the MMORPG Wars (Part the First)

The other day, Killa pointed out to me a truth I'd never realized about myself: That I am, in fact, a true veteran of the MMORPG experience. Yea, even the MORPG experience, sans an "m."

Back in the day, perhaps when I was in middle school or just beginning high school, I used to play text-based MUDs over the ZuggSoft zMUD client. Certainly MU*s (i.e., MUDs and their various brethren, such as MUSHs, MOOs, etc.) can't be considered massively multiplayer---not in the contemporary sense of the word---but I think they were probably the earliest recognizable ancestor of the modern MMORPG. Remember, too, that there were far fewer people in the world back then, and so MUDs may actually have had a higher proportion of the population enrolled. We don't know. Also, back in the day, we couldn't count nearly as high as we can today. It's entirely possible that Legend Mud had as many registered users as Second Life, but our primitive calculators just couldn't count that high.

Most of the MUDs I visited never had more than ten or eleven characters milling around at a given time, but that was plenty to get some role-playing, action-packed adventure going. The "con system" found in these MUDs---by which a player could "consider" a target to find out how difficult it would be to defeat---with its classic answers like "Do you feel lucky, punk?" and "Death will thank you for your gift" has become a staple of many subsequent MMORPGs. Likewise, the Orc Scout and the Gnoll Pup have been faithfully reincarnated again and again as the genre has evolved.

MUDs, I believe, are the immediate progeny of the prototypical Zork, with its many "rooms" conceptualized by descriptive text, its white house, its open mailbox, etc. And its means of moving west by typing "Move West," or "Move W," or "West," or even just "W." I remember having memorized long strings of directions---"From the healer to the weapon shop? Oh that's easy, just go S; E; E; E; S; S; W; W; W; N."

As great and wondrous as I know all that sounds, these early ancestors of the modern MMORPG left something to be desired. Graphics, perhaps. And . . . strippers?

(to be continued)

Crouching Babel, Hidden Cobra

While MGS4 may be pretty far off on the horizon, that doesn't mean The End of all stealth franchises isn't as lively as ever. Most recently the stellar Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops dropped for PSP. Bad timing, though. I fear if I pop Prince of Persia Revelations out of my PSP, it may not return, and the Prince may be stranded on the island of time forever...

So, while I try to rush through Revelations, I am currently falling further and further behind the online competitive curve in Ops. The Fear of potential opponenets skilling up without me is alarming, but to comfort myself I am taking a little time to indulge in one of the lesser known entries in the Metal Gear mythos.

After Playstation's Metal Gear Solid, and before PS2's Sons of Liberty, there was a little retro entry for Nintendo's Game Boy Color, Metal Gear Ghost Babel, or simply Metal Gear Solid here in North America. This second title is somewhat misleading, as I consider the Solid term to refer specifically to the 3D aspect of the games, as opposed to the inclusion of the character. You see, Ghost Babel is closest in similarity to Metal Gear 2, and if you haven't played either Ghost Babel or MG2, you are missing out on the Joy of a unique gaming experience.

There is nothing like the Pain of a bad spinoff for a Gameboy system, and luckily, Ghost Babel is not one. It's one final throwback to the original formula of top-down stealth action. You have all the fun gimmicks of MG2 and MGS (the cardboard box, e.g.) with a fresh coat of paint, and a fresh set of wacky bosses (with their wacky names).

Unfortunately, Ghost Babel is not part of the major storyline. It seems to take the place of MGS, wherein Snake is brought out of his Alaskan retirement by Colonel Campbell, but instead of stopping Foxhound's takeover of Shadow Moses, he must travel to Central Africa to stop the terrorist group Black Chamber. Interestingly, one of the more popular interpretations of this storyline is that it is a VR training scenario meant to form Raiden into the Patriot's own "legendary hero". (Oh shit, please excuse the Sorrow caused by any spoilers in this paragraph. Direct all of the Fury you may have to the comments section.)

Anyways, if you can find Ghost Babel at your local game store, and you have the neccesary hardware to play it, get it. You won't be sorry. And if you can't locate a hard copy locally or online, well, you know. Just say Arr! to rom piracy.

Not With a Bang. . . .

But with a knife, silently, from behind.

Everything I hear lately about Sony is discouraging. The latest: Noooz is reporting that Metal Gear Solid 4, long anticipated to be a PS3 exclusive, is going to port to the X-Box 360. Neither Konami, nor MicroSoft, nor Sony is confirming this yet. It'll be a shame if it turns out to be true.

I'm still rooting for Sony, and I'm planning to buy a PS3 early in 2007---as soon as there is a worthwhile game to play on it (don't say "REEEEEEEEEEEJ Racer").

Part of the reason is that I don't want the only high-end gaming experience in town to be the X-Box. I already shelled out a pile of money on a MicroSoft-powered machine to play games on. It is my PC. (X-Box, go home.)

Aside/ This is not to say that we don't have an X-Box. We do. It's broken and collecting dust in the attic. Speaking of broken consoles, another point in Sony's favor is that my PS2 is the only of my last-gen consoles to still be in working order these many years later. The X-Box and the GameCube are both teh br0ken. /Aside

Also, I feel that Sony is committed to putting out high-quality merchandise. I don't always buy Sony, but I think Samsung (for example) is better for having to compete with Sony. That is to say, I think Sony keeps the industry standard high. I really want Sony to succeed. For the good of the industry, you see.

But a few months back, PS3 lost Assassin's Creed as an exclusive---they have to share with the 360. That was a blow . . . a highly anticipated PS3 title jumping ship. Then there were a plethora of blu-ray diode production problems. Then, last week, SquareEnix announces that DQIX will be exclusive to the DS . . . a major blow for Sony in the Japanese market. Et tu, Konami? Et tu, MGS4?

Hoping it's not true. . . .

Sony PR BBQ OMFG >.<

Keep it fake, yo. (The scoop, if you hadn't heard.)

Dragon Quest IX a DS Exclusive

Joystiq and Kotaku reported this morning that the next installment of SquareEnix's blockbuster Dragon Quest franchise is going to be an exclusive for the Nintendo DS.

This is major, major news. The Dragon Quest series is to Japanese gamers what the Final Fantasy series is to American gamers---only moreso. There's actually a federal law in Japan prohibiting Dragon Quest games from being released on a school day, in order to prevent millions of ordinarily well-behaved children from cutting class and running wild in the streets, trying to get their hands on a coveted copy of the game.

I've confirmed this in the Sydney Morning Herald, which appears to be a reputable news source despite being located down under.

This is terrible news for Sony, whose PS1 and PS2 installments enjoyed the success of DQVII and DQVIII, respectively. I'm not surprised to see the next installment going to Nintendo, considering that SE had previously announced a desire to support both Sony and Nintendo with their bestselling franchises (sorry, Microsoft). However, I'm surprised to see such a major game coming exclusively to a handheld.

I should look into acquiring a DS in time for the joyous event.

So Easy, Even a Child Could Play It

Just a quick post to remind anyone who might be reading this blog about Penny Arcade's annual Child's Play charity drive.

The hospitals still have plenty of items on their wish lists---and they're not all expensive. If you can't afford a console or a video game, consider adding a board game or a DVD to your shopping cart next time you're at Amazon.com. Or, think of the non-reusable items that children's hospitals go through on a regular basis: batteries, playdough, coloring books, etc. Or, you can buy this stylish Child's Play T-Shirt at ThinkGeek.com to support the cause and advertise it, which we know today as multitasking.

Gamers get such a bad reputation for being self-absorbed, immature, violent, apathetic, alien-killing people. Except for the alien killing, these stereotypes are (often) not true---and this is the way to prove it. For any non-gamers reading this---if you've ever accused anyone of using video games to escape from reality, please consider that no one needs to escape from reality more than critically sick kids.

What have I been up to?

(Purple Dhalsim rocking flesh-tone Zangief with the Yoga Legend super.)

Yeah, I've been wasting some time screwing around with Street Fighter EX 2 Plus on MAME when I have some free time at home. I know in my last arcade post I said I didn't care for 3D fighters in emulation, but, you know, I'm waffling. Emulation was my first taste of Rival Schools, and my EX experience is rather lacking.

I've played a couple of X-Men Vs. Street Fighter matches online over Kawaks recently, only to have my ass handed to me by scrub tactics. I may need more practice, or I may have to admit that I just can't execute with a keyboard. Ah well. Sooner or later I'll find some competition close to my (low) level.

When I'm not at my household CPU, I've got Prince of Persia Revelations in my PSP, and Metal Gear Portable Ops ready to take it's place ASAP. I've also got Ico with me whenever I get some rare PS2 time over at Poptart's or Catarina's.

So, you know, I'm ready to kill time at a moment's notice.

Yeah, it sucks

Work, that is, sucks. So do the load times and audio glitches in Prince of Persia Revelations, but that can wait for another post.

On the 29th of November, I was kind enough to come in to fill in for a coworker who was out on vacation. This, of course, is not my normal job, but I was once an office dweller, and I do know my way around the business end of a fax machine. Conveniently, a nice long shift gives me plenty of time to read blogs, do Christmas shopping, pay my bills, and visit any websites not blocked by my organization's filtering software, which unfortunately forbids anything under the category: "Games".

So, today, my boss handed me a twelve page log of every URL I visited on said date which was given to him by the head of our Information Systems department. Luckily, my boss is very much like me, except that the last videogame he played was an NFL Blitz arcade machine left behind by a thoughtless client. Anyways, since he is so much like me, he didn't worry too much about what Information Systems thinks, so far as he can explain any activity to his boss when needed.

As a result, I'm trying to limit my internet activity. I'm hoping if I focus more on Final Form, when the notorious head of Information Systems (let's just call him Victor) checks up on my web traffic, he'll stop by and read that he is an ineffectual jerk off and his body seems to be rejecting his hair plugs.

Anyways, I figured I'd put my spin on some of the more distinctive jobs in the world of gaming. Please forgive my lack of images; Photobucket is under the forbidden category of: "MP3/Streaming". Thanks, Vic.

Street Fighter.
This job should appeal to anyone who has a problem with pent up aggression from, say, an unsatisfying work environment or reading classic literature. Travel around the world, meet new people, and fight them! There are no wages to speak of, as most vaguely defined "fighting tournaments" don't have much of a payout structure, unless you plan on retiring on revenge. High risk of injury, no health coverage, nor worker's compensation; but, one day, you could fight your way up the corporate ladder, and be the boss!

Anti-Proliferation Operative.
(Or whatever you want to call Solid Snake's occupation.) No longer reaping the sweet benefits of government affiliation? Well, you could always be an independent soldier fighting for what you believe in, even if it is as narrow a goal as destroying mobile all terrain nuclear platforms. (Metal Gear?!) Must be willing to face next-gen special forces, including, but not limited to, psychics, mad bombers, and cyborg ninjas. Cloned individuals preferred; animal codename a must. Must be able to fit inside a cardboard box. Please, no claustrophobes.

Career Criminal.
Eclectic, enterprising individual needed to take over crime-infested city. Must have no qualms about hotwiring vehicles, participating in street violence, or killing hookers. Applicant must be willing to work with various employers, with an erratic pay schedule. Lots of freedom! Familiarity with bicycles, cars, trucks, motorcycles, helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, parachutes, jet skis, speedboats, yachts, tanks, golf carts, ambulances, fire trucks, tractors, and pizza delivery scooters recommended. Good navigational skills a plus. It may also be a good idea to retain legal representation.

Spherehunter.
Scattered, hidden, round objects containing video footage (or sometimes outfits) need finding, and it is up to you to track them down. Tour the new Spira in your search, and try to find clues to the semi-existence of your lost loved one, if applicable. Must be willing to undress in front of colleagues at a moment's notice. Having your own airship is a big plus. Previous High Summoning experience couldn't hurt; should have some knowledge of public relations. Spherehunting is on-again, off-again work, so please be prepared to change jobs continually.

Work Sucks!

Today was a terrible day at work. All day I was dealing with a series of blunders on a particular project and every time I corrected one, another would pop up. Two o'clock found me in my boss's office complaining about the phenomenon, when, to my absolute mortification, I got a little emotional and let my distress show (it was a very bad day). This has me feeling a bit like Super Princess Peach who---let's be honest now---isn't very super. There's something inherently distasteful in the concept of propelling Peach through her own titular game by toying with her emotions (e.g., get her crying and she can run with super speed; make her angry and she becomes invincible, leaving earthquakes in her wake).

Anyway, the problem with my job is that it's just a normal job. It's not an awesome video game job. No, I don't mean a job in the video game industry, I mean a job in a video game. If you think about it, video games almost always depict characters going about their work-a-day jobs. It's just that their jobs are so interesting and exciting that when we come home from our nine-to-fives (or, in Killa's case, our midnight-to-fives) we can't wait to shed our own workday woes and get into theirs. Some great examples of this are the NES classic Paperboy (self-explanatory) and the new Atlus series Trauma Center, in which you play as a doctor and perform surgery on patients (no word yet on a proctology expansion).

So what are some of the greatest jobs in video games? Off the top of my head. . . .

	Intergalactic Bounty Hunter. In the employ of the Galactic Federation, fly around the known galaxy in your Gunship hunting Space Pirates and those pesky Metroids. The hours are long, but you get to unwind at the end of a tough mission by taking off your Power Suit and shocking spectators by parading around in your Zero Suit (like a birthday suit, but blue). Samus Aran, pictured left, is a very famous and sucessful bounty hunter, having appeared in a number of Metroid games and all three Super Smash Bros. installments. She has the distinction of being one of the very first female protagonists in video game history, although I can't say that's terribly impressive since by the time the original Metroid takes place in 20X5, we would hope women's lib should have made some advancements. . . .
Freelance Demon Slayer. This isn't a job for everyone; superhuman speed, strength, and agility are pretty much prerequisite. Being the offspring of a legendary Dark Knight and a mortal is a definite plus. And without a Demon Trigger, you won't stand a chance. Pictured right is Dante of Devil May Cry fame, Demon Slayer extraordinaire. The successful candidate will be expected to utilize a wide variety of fighting styles to vanquish demons and other supernatural phenomena. Mustn't be at all squeamish---the weapons of fallen foes are prime pickins for the aspiring Demon Slayer. A sense of style is absolutely mandatory, as points are amassed not only for killing legions of demons, but for doing it in an attractive manner. Suggest honing skills with gun, sword, and trench coat.
	Globetrotting Archaeologist. Easily one of the most glamorous occupations in this gaming life, this archaeological adventurer---a sort of tomb raider, if you will---can expect no end of action-packed excursions to exotic locations such as Peru, Egypt, and even Atlantis! A degree in the social sciences won't help you land this dream job: Come prepared with an inherited fortune, an infinite amount of leisure time, your own private airplane, and a very large brassiere. Must be willing to rob graves. Bonus: Fellow globetrotting golden girl Angelina Jolie may be tapped to portray you on the silver screen.
Plumber. Not every job in the video game galaxy is glamorous. Sometimes you just have to roll up your bright red sleeves, hitch up your trademark overalls, and climb down a slimy pipe into a brave new world of . . . fungi? But a plumber's gotta do what a plumber's gotta do---and if the job involves stomping mushroom men, spitting fireballs, and bopping your way to victory, then Mario's going to do it. That's why plumbers make the big bucks. Of course, plumbing isn't Mario's only job. In his long and esteemed career, he's also been a professional golfer, race car driver, soccer player, doctor, tennis player, boxing referee, and many, many other things. I have to say, I'm not sure how he'll feel when he finally vanquishes the evil turtle king, only to be told: "I'm sorry, but your Super Princess Peach got manically happy and flew out of the castle in a whirlwind of emotion."
	Midgar Flower Girl. It's not easy to make your living selling flowers in a city where nothing can grow, but Aeris Gainsborough (left) makes this humble occupation look good. In the middle of the semi-subterranean Midgar slums, the Midgar Flower Girl will be expected to lovingly tend the only patch of grass and few flowers in the city; working conditions in the abandoned slum church are substandard; and avoiding Turk attacks and kidnapping attempts by the omnipresent Shin-Ra Corp. demand a quick-witted, independent individual. Endless optimism is a must, even in the darkest places and direst times. Are you interested? Because there's a vacancy.