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Archives: October 2009

October 31, 2009

Good Lessons Learned The MMO Heartbreak Way

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: , , — 12 Comments

broken_heart-18231True to form, my self-proclaimed nemesis strikes again. At Hardcore Casual, Syncaine’s taking what seems to be an almost unhealthy and sadistic delight in the folks that have found recent MMO title Aion not to be their cup of tea and quitting. If you’re not quite sure that’s the right description, here’s the Eminem song line that my fellow blogger refers to when he’s reacting to the end of the Aion love affair:

“BLEED! BITCH BLEED! BLEED!”

Syn, my villainous counterpart, I’m thinking you need a little bit more caffeine in the morning so you don’t get so very grumpy and frumpy in your writings! I hear a morning cup of Joe does wonders for the disposition.

The place I will agree with Syncaine about with regards to folks not seeing Aion (or any other game for that matter) as the game they thought it would be, is that I’m glad for it. Not in the Sith-like Force Chokery way Syncaine does, mind you, but more of a “lessons learned” satisfaction that can only really come from mistakes made. While it’s never fun to go through the practice of MMO heartbreak, where the ideal title you’re with is nothing more than a cyclical love affair, what it does do is make you more mindful of your expectations, what you like, and what you don’t like.

Managing your expectations and keeping yourself realistic about a game’s trials and tribulations is a skill that, especially with MMOs, is difficult to do due to the hype train of marketing, pre-release. The idea of understanding this, and also getting an idea of what you prefer to play, can only be borne in part of going through the painful process of seeing that a particular title doesn’t tickle your fancy like it did in the gameplay trailers and early beta. To keep the relationship analogy going, you basically understand through breakups and multiple dating experiences what to do, what not to do, and what you should expect in the future. Such as it is with MMOs and the folks who somehow end up quitting one or two months out. It’s just not for them, and realizing that early is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Besides I’m not one to speak for what you all, or anyone else who doesn’t read this 100% sunshiny day of a blog, likes with MMOs. I find it a bit silly and wasteful to deride people for their chosen preferences – it’d be like someone who prefers to date blondes making fun of a person like me who has a weakness for redheads, when my latest relationship doesn’t work out. Ultimately, the choices people make are their own, as well as how they deal with them.  It’d be nice if we were all overly cautious and completely pragmatic and made good choices when it comes to MMOs, but that’d really just be uneducational, bland, and boring. Give me overly positive with my MMOs any day.

October 31, 2009

A Comfortably Geeky Halloween

by Frank — Categories: Conventions, Social Geekery — Tags: , — Leave a comment

cloud_02Ah, Halloween. That time of year when people who cosplay are actually not unique snowflakes in a public crowd. It’s also the time of year when the inevitable temptation of foodstuffs starts, starting with candy and sweets and finishing with an “I ate wayyy too much” Christmas dinner. I can feel my teeth rotting already.

While you could lump some geeks into the general pool of people who are apathetic or worse, cynical about Halloween, for others in the geek persuasion it’s a time to be a bit more comfortable with their own geek tendencies. There’s the obvious costuming practice, for example. Sure, there are still ways in which geeks tend to confuse people with their costume choices  (if you have to explain why your “computer byte” costume is funny, you’re doing it wrong), but for the most part, it’s a way to come out of your shell. If you’ve ever had an inkling to dress as a favorite video game character or sci-fi idol that looks sufficiently bad-ass enough to be generally appealing, Halloween is the time to express that desire in spades.

Deeper than that, there’s the whole idea of playing another role that is not yourself. Whether it’s in online games, role-playing endeavors, or the Internet proper, geek-folk are used to slipping into another skin and depicting themselves in a different way. When everyone’s doing it at Halloween, it’s not so bad, especially in a social scene where those of us that are inclined to do so head out on the town or to someone’s place for a night of visual hilarity. You really only get this kind of environment at conventions, where costumes are as common as comics, so to have a dedicated holiday for it is always a good time.

Me? I’m an observer, or in some cases, the trickster hiding in the bushes with the hose to scare potential candy-seekers. Being in this vantage point, I’m able to catch unique moments, such as the surreal imagery of a traditional witch and catgirl getting their boogie on with a Sephiroth and Cloud combo.  I enjoy seeing what people come up with for costumes but have only been in one a small handful of times. But if you’re curious about what a positive, sunny guy like me looks like, especially on Halloween, here’s a rare peek into my real life:

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I think I picked a devilishly handsome costume, wouldn’t you say?

Have a Happy Halloween, geekery!

October 30, 2009

The Webhost Wagon Trade-In

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Serious Business, Site Related — Tags: , — 1 Comment

33676-model-covered-wagonSometimes when you’ve been on the bandwagon for just a little too long, it’s time to trade in for an updated model, that’s what I say. Of course, saying that almost always gets me into trouble financially when it comes to new tech, but hey – this isn’t about my spending habits, right?

I like to equate using webhosts in the same way. You may start out on a site that is hosted off on another domain, just so that you don’t have to worry about things like design, management, and those three little words – File Transfer Protocol. This eventually morphs into your own domain, and sometimes, if you’re popular enough, your very own server.

Through it all, the webhost wagon is with you, whether it is a dinky little wooden ride or the best that the Wild West of the Web has to offer you. While saturation in the market is sometimes viewed as a bad thing, when it comes to webhosting wagons the multitude of choices is great. This is because it forces webhosts to try to compete to keep your business, whether it’s a site about the best and brightest of monkeys and primates or a political pundit’s pulpit (ooh, alliteration kids, learn it, love it).

Overly Positive has been on Lunarpages since its inception. Lunarpages is a great little company because they’re good for when you’re just starting out. The plans are cheap, the space and resources are seemingly unlimited, and the sites just stay up, running, and working. I can’t really complain about getting what you pay for, because you do, and then some. I’ve been on the Lunarpages wagon, along with a few other people I know, and it’s served us well.

But the time came when the old, beat up wagon had to be traded in. It may not look it from the humble little 84 subscribers I possess, but the site has become increasingly more popular in the last year or so. Generous linkbacks from blogging powerhouses like Syp’s Bio Break as well as a couple lucky pings from major sites like Slashdot, Massively, Game Politics, and Mythic’s Warhammer Online have been awesome for the site. They’ve proved that yes, despite presenting only a bright, happy, and sunny picture of geek media, there’s a place for positive vibe on the ‘Net. They’ve also creaked the little Lunarpages wagon to its foundations, too – on two separate occasions the linkbacks from major websites have broken the shared server that OP was on, causing downtime for not only myself but others as well.

A few weeks back I was told by the good ol’ monkeys at Lunarpages that I was outgrowing my little shared webhosting wagon. And so with the threat of suddenly breaking down (again) in the middle of nowhere in the World Wide Web, I began searching around. Shared hosting plans are great little wagons, but tiny limits on resources that you find out about later make them hard to use for a long term site that gets a bit of traffic. The next step up is something called a Virtual Private Server, which for all you non-computery people out there is basically a slice of resources carved up from a really powerful set of hardware. This slice, unlike a shared plan, is exclusively yours, and while it isn’t as good as having a dedicated physical machine, it works for the mid-range folks like me who need an updated wagon and not a Ferrari. The new wagon was made by the helpful engineers at Knownhost, and test driving so far has been a breeze.

So while I’m sad that I had to let go of a tried and true model, I’m glad I made an upgrade for the long term future. This, of course, is where I get all sappy and thank you, the readers, for making this possible. Way back when I thought of creating a positive slab out of my portion of the Internet, I never really thought I’d amount to more than a few friends for readers with the occasional outsider. While I’m still small potatoes, the blog has certainly grown in readership since I started it, and I hope to keep growing it for people who want to read optimism and idealism, and feel better about things. Thanks for supporting Overly Positive, and be sure to recommend (with a big ol’ grin of course) me to those who want a break from the rantish anger of the ‘Net for some feelgood postings about geekery. I’ll be sitting here on my new wagon, ready to greet ‘em.

October 30, 2009

The Dread of TOR Non-Delivery

by Frank — Categories: Gaming, Star Wars: The Old Republic — Tags: , , , — 3 Comments

addyThe longer a game is out in the public eye, the more hype and buzz starts to surround it like a palpable bubble of anticipation. With this comes great exposure, and that is both good and bad. This is because while you get a lot of people really excited about a title, you also run the risk of having your anticipation bubble popped by a needle of dread and fear that the game won’t deliver on its promises.

Such as it is with Bioware’s Star Wars: The Old Republic, which recently passed the one-year anniversary of its announcement to the public and is basically chugging right along at a marked pace. Understandably, Bioware’s been a bit tight-lipped about many of the details of the game, but what has been released has done nothing but whet the appetite of the people that are raring to play it. But aside from that are forum threads and posts that are beginning to pop up from players with furrowed brows about various segments of the game and whether they’ll be able to deliver properly. With the small level of real and detailed information that has been released by TOR, the threads have become all manner of worry and even stress over what might not work.

Not surprisingly, I’m pretty non-plussed about all the agony that is felt with regards to TOR’s ability to deliver. Whipping yourself into a frenzy over the fact that the voiceovers might be tedious or unnecessary, the PvP could be imbalanced, the graphics won’t get a good pass, or that game-breaking bugs will appear isn’t worth it to me. While speculation is all well and good, especially when it comes to what Bioware will be doing with their first MMO, anticipating or fearing that the game won’t deliver just isn’t healthy for your gaming experience. I like to take TOR’s promises with a grain of salt – part of it is the necessary hype needed from marketing, and the other is the simple reality that all MMOs, no matter how good they sound on paper, will probably have growing pains. It’s been true ever since I was ganking poor little newbies for their cash and cackling maniacally in Ultima Online, and it’ll continue to be true as long as the MMO paradigm doesn’t shift severely.

Really, part of the anxiety Star Wars: The Old Republic’s potential players are feeling is partially due to the waiting. With TOR so far out from release, it’s plenty of time for people to go through a cyclical phase of devour-discuss-dread when it comes to every bit of new info. Imaginations run wild and sometimes they can get away from people. To be perfectly honest, people will either be satisfied or not when TOR finally hits the shelves. Worrying about the latter, especially this far out from the TOR release date, is just bad for you. If, ultimately, TOR doesn’t deliver for folks that are reading this, it should be based on the direct gameplay experience you have playing it, not from what might happen based upon a few nuggets of info. Do what I do, and enjoy yourself on the hype train. You’ll be less stressed out.

October 29, 2009

Overly Positive Thoughts: The Considerate Facebook

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Overly Positive Thoughts, Social Geekery — Tags: , — 5 Comments

friendsSo I couldn’t help but notice the other day that among the ninja changes that usually happen on Facebook was one in which the social networking app tries to be just a little bit more helpful and considerate towards the friends you have on your list. Some of the suggestions it makes include getting people started, connecting with others, and in the case of this picture, finding more friends for folks.

I have to say, this has really sent the Facebook app to a whole other level in terms of the consideration it is giving to your friends and you. How can you call something like trying to find friends for the people who don’t whore themselves out to everyone they’ve ever chatted with pretentious? Clearly this is Facebook’s way of being kinder and gentler, not of trying to tell you that the way to use the application is to make sure as many people as possible see that picture of your privates from last night’s party.

Sure, some people might see the fact that Facebook suggesting your photo-less friends need more profile pics as jerky, but c’mon – who doesn’t want to see who gained the Freshman Fifteen and the Post-Grad Paunch? On Facebook, they totally encourage you through their multitude of shovelware apps and monkey-written self-tests to just be yourself and let it all hang out. Saying that people should be helped into “getting started” (and by getting started that means hurrying up and posting 10 notes about 20 Things About You, Your Friends, And Your Dog’s Poop) isn’t pushy, it’s more like a gentle nudge.

So folks, don’t forget to check your sidebar next time for a helpful suggestion from Facebook to make your friends less lame in its eyes. Who knows – they might get a suggestion about doing the same for you. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

October 29, 2009

The Nostalgic Gaming Re-Release

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: — 7 Comments

Street_fighter_2_xboxlive_arcade_12-thumbThere’s a variety of strategies to take when releasing games these days, especially when there are literally hundreds of them a year. There are some interesting ways in which developers decide to build a bit of buzz for their title, whether it’s through interesting little backstory video or through subtle viral machinations.

But one that comes ready-made and has the greatest potential is nostalgia. If you have a game that has classic memories that roll around in a player’s head, you can use that to great advantage to spin an update or a stylistically similar title into a huge, smashing success. Now sure, this is a double-edged sword. If a developer fails to create or capitalize on nostalgia, and creates a game that doesn’t meet expectations, it can be disastrous. But in many cases, those that play on the nostalgia factor of a game end up making decently good games.

Recently I borrowed Street Fighter IV from a friend of mine. I was pretty excited for when Street Fighter IV came out earlier this year, but wasn’t really able to play it due to all the other stuff that I was doing at the time. But before I even had the game in my hands, I was giddy with anticipation about the potential re-kindling of all those arcade trips I made back in the day, where my Ryu-playing dominated the 4 or so city blocks the arcade served.

Now, I immediately got online and was shown that perhaps using 10 year old combos to play Ryu was a bit unwise, and ended up being slaughtered. But for every match where Ryu spun around at an odd angle after being trashed for 20 seconds, I felt a great sense of old school feeling washing over me. Street Fighter IV, which is careful to update things without changing the core gameplay too much, has arguably succeeded in this respect.

Another example is Torchlight, a little title that a few of my fellow bloggers are posting up as a Diablo lovechild. This isn’t surprising, considering that there are people on the Diablo II team that worked on this game, but the argument remains the same – create nostalgia for a classic and people will at least come running to try it to see if it lives up to their caffeine-filled, younger days of gameplay. I’m tempted to check this title out, though the problem is that the nostalgic memories I have of it involve playing with people, and I don’t have anyone I really know too well that wanted to try it. Still, the game apparently has played on its roots to create buzz, and it’s working.

Now if only there’d be a real Tetris update…

October 28, 2009

A Niche Of Mainstream Fun

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: , — 1 Comment

Water Slide 2 400A couple days or so ago, Syp and Syncaine both locked horns a bit over the idea of the validity of the mainstream vs. niche argument when it comes to MMOs. For Syncaine, there’s a clear-cut difference between a game that is mass-marketed and one that is niche, while Syp counters with the idea the niche is too subjective, and that we have little evidence to provide any comparison in the ever-changing MMO landscape.

The idea of mainstream vs. niche disappeared for me a long time ago when I realized that if I was after any specialized market at all, it was the market of me having fun. Syp touches on this in the first paragraph of his post, and it’s for that reason that I side with him more than I do with Syncaine.

No matter if we play a game that 1000 people play or 1 million people take part in, the all-encompassing factor is the fun factor. Even the most hardcore players who realize that they’re eschewing the silly little things like sleep, relationships, and human contact that is not virtual start out wanting to have fun with a game. In this respect, the subjectivity works in the gamer’s favor, not against it. There are gamers who like to PvP all day and gamers who like to kill AI mobs all day. There are gamers who like FPS’s and then there are gamers who like roleplaying and creating things. There are people like me who have long since left behind the idea of getting a game because it is popular, instead opting for games which almost no one may play, but are great fun (many hours of Command and Conquer: Renegade come to mind).

The only real difference is the itch that MMOs and other games tend to scratch when it comes to fun, and the more general the scratch, the more people will line up to be scratched. But I’ve never believed that numbers are a sole indicator of success, nor should they be the determinant for buying something. I shrug at the pundits who choose to speak for others with regards to what they should think or feel with MMOs and games, mostly because at the end of the day, defining mainstream MMOs that lots of people like and niche MMOs that apply to small markets doesn’t matter. What matters is how much fun you the player choose to have with the games of your choice, and no one should interfere with that, really – not Syp, not Syncaine, not even me. Play what’s fun to you, and trust me, you’ll be a lot less stressed and a bit more happy.

October 27, 2009

[Lagwar] Gaming Is Serious Business – First In, First Out

by Frank — Categories: Gaming, Other Blogs I Write For — Tags: , — 1 Comment

lagwargradientred_blackbg-200x120Over at Lagwar, I’ve got a new column on being first in games, whether that is to defeat a brand new title or kill the latest dungeon boss. Is being first all it’s cracked up to be? Why do people feel the need to speed through content to be the first to be done with it? Find out over here:

http://lagwar.com/home/archives/8260

October 26, 2009

The Subtle WAR

by Frank — Categories: Gaming, Warhammer Online — Tags: , , — 4 Comments

Sun_Tzu_Art_of_War_compact_discsOver in the land of Mythic, something interesting appears to be happening. Flying under the radar, Warhammer Online seems to be under the torrent of stormy MMO waters above. If Aion, Champions, and even Fallen Earth are ships sailing above the surface, WAR is a submarine, cruising almost casually underwater.

But as we know through Discovery Channel reports and interesting classics like Crimson Tide and The Hunt of the Red October, a submarine is far from idle. Inside, the crew works feverishly to keep the submersible going, and they only surface or send signal of their presence only when absolutely necessary. Such as it is with WAR, whose team is content to slide along quietly tweaking and fixing long standing problems – and preparing for an inevitable curiosity from players that have left it.

As I’ve written before, talk is cheap unless results deliver. The fixes to performance are definitely noticeable in the latest 1.3.2 patch, as are the changes to city siege and the ability to purchase high end renown gear. More interesting and even more subtle, however, are the communications, which are now appearing in short term bursts – fast and furious. Some of these include:

These are just some of the ways that Mythic is not only talking about what they are fixing, but actually doing so – and doing it in a way that doesn’t try to desperately grab a lot of attention. This, to me, can be nothing but a good sign for the game, dispelling doomsaying rumors of shutdowns and showing how dedicated, if not stubborn, the Mythic team is regarding WAR. Not surprisingly, I’ve always had some good things to say about WAR on this blog, and if the communications and results that ping people’s radars keep at it, I won’t be one of the few for very long.

October 26, 2009

Case of the Mondays Cure – Best Costume Ever

by Frank — Categories: Case Of The Mondays Cure — Tags: — Leave a comment

I’m playing around with certain regular features on Overly Positive, and Case of the Mondays Cure is one of them. While it’s nice to have a few links to interesting geekery to start your Monday morning, I think I find that multimedia might be more effective for cheering you up at the beginning of your week.

So without further ado, here is the best Halloween costume ever, for all my fellow geeks out there. It gets good about 3/4ths of the way in.

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