Going back to the old?

Traveling down the path of the “What’s New” in today and tomorrow’s MMO’s reminds me of the consumer market that is constantly giving us our “New and Improved”. I fall victim with the flash of improved products like most people. Hell, after all it’s “Improved”. Whatever it was doing for me before, must be doing more for me now.

I would never think of going back to the old . Why would anyone go back to the old, when the “New and Improved” is available? The shampoo commercial comes to mind. You know the one, where they act like they are having an orgasm in the shower. Who wouldn’t want that shampoo? It’s a poor analogy using the new Orgasmic Shampoo versus the old and dull but in our gaming history we always look for the new things that will shake our tree.

10 years of losing our selves in the latest and greatest, is there any time to reflect? Look back at what made those early games hold our attention? Can we go back even for nostalgic reasons to taste that early magic that made us a core MMO player?

I fired up EQ1 and actually re-subscribed, in an attempt to see if the old would still be palatable for my gaming tastes. Upon arriving at the character creation screen I was met by the “Family”, the old characters and names that have traveled with me for several years. I wasn’t sure if it was the nostalgic moment that helped me overlook the old style graphics or that graphics just don’t mean that much to me anymore. Cycling through my guys, still fully equipped in all their grandeur, it didn’t take long to be flooded with great memories of days gone by.

In those days it wasn’t too hard to be in game 5 hours through the week and 30 hours on the weekends. Damn, how things change. I entered the game with my main character mostly to see if everything was as I left it. After a 4 year absence I didn’t expect too much but was pleasingly surprised that everything was in place. A quick tour in the Planes of Knowledge revealed that this was still a live and busy community.

When my tour of PoK was over I wanted to find something to kill. I logged onto my level 37 Barbarian Warrior, who was conveniently parked in the Overthere and preceded to find something to beat up. With the Zone to Sky Fire Mountains at my back I was ready to rumble. A clean bow shot to the closest un-expecting Sarnak and the fight was on. The bad thing about coming back after 4 years is that you are used to how some of the “New and Improved” games are more forgiving. I had no fear that a Blue-conned MOB was a semi-safe first kill.

As I watched my enemies life line, as well as my own, race dot for dot. I realized that this damn thing just might kick my ass. Where in the hell was my list of abilities, my superb fighting skills that I have trained for all of these 37 levels? Auto combat, bash and kick, is this all I got? Of course this is what I pictured the Sarnak telling me, “That all you got”? In what seemed like hours I finally finished off my quarry with about 5% life to spare.

I was basking in my victory along with reminding myself this wasn’t the “New and Improved”, it was the “Old” game. I remembered what death meant in this game along with all of the challenges a player would face. It was at this time, my moment of reflection, when this damn Cockatrice decided he wanted some. Well I didn’t so I ran. (Noob after thought, I ran the wrong way. The Damn zone was at my back, figures don't it.) One dose of Blood of the Wolf and off I went. After covering sufficient ground, keeping yardage between me and this pissed off chicken was best I thought. I stopped, turned to take a look just to find this damn chicken still hot on my ass. Damn, if this bird catches me I’ll have to make a freaking corpse run.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Shortest is not always the wisest. Heading for that good ‘ole Book on a pedestal, the one that would port me to safety, I never looked back one time. I knew that I had not only that damn chicken on my ass but I was sure he had company. I pictured a train of ugly behind me anywhere from the Chicken brotherhood all the way to those damn Dragoon’s and a few stray cats. Book tag, I know you have seen them off in a distance running for their very lives with the whole zone in pursuit. Tag the Book and “poof”, you make it. Well I made the tag and was safe.

Yeah this wasn’t the “New and Improved” but once again it got my attention. The graphics aren’t next generation and the level is a grind but I did remember just how fun this game was. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to my old shampoo but I do think I will hang around Old EQ for awhile, it just feels right for now.

Out of the corner of your eye

Peripheral Vision, which is vision that occurs outside the very center of gaze is a prime example of “Game” Forums or Sites. This is not a derogatory statement but simply an observation on my part.

There are an abundance of “Communities” that are dedicated to a game or MMO's in general, that can house the most obnoxious persona's that surf the 3 dub's (WWW).

Pick a game, pick a community and watch the “Battle of the Boards”. Not all communities harbor the insane, pro-zac smoking, retina fried, flotsam and jetsam that happens to wash up on the shore, but even those quiet “Mr Rogers Neighborhood” communities along with the “Back Alley” type serve the greater good.

The pure gold that I find in any community and I mean ANY, is the unlimited resources that the gaming industry has at their fingertips. If I was in control of a major gaming company the first thing I would do is hire, full time, to do nothing else, than to read and monitor every gaming forum as possible. Every week a full report would be submitted concerning the “State of the Gamer”.

Everywhere you look there a “State of the Game” posts and announcements. These are important and are needed. They come in several flavors, Devs explaining whats going on, where we want to be, etc, etc. Community sites reiterating to those gamers that play, but are clueless whats going on in their favorite playground. True story coming --> A player in Vanguard, never has the Chat Windows active and has played since launch did not have a clue about SOE/Sigil current events. These people need a “State of the Game” address.

11 years with MMO entertainment I have always believed the game companies were locked on to that “center gaze”, and all of a sudden, at times, something came flying at them from the corner of their eye and smacked them in the head. I would imagine hindsight was revelation to things they might have seen from the Gaming community but was lost in their straight forward gaze.

The mass of gamers that camp various Gaming sites, regardless of the Barroom or granny's house atmosphere have a role. An important calling for the present and future of all games.

Listen up gaming companies, keep your eyes on the prize and fixed on your goal, but listen to your public, we will let you know if something is going to smack you upside your head.