PC News and Game Reviews

I’ve been playing or better say grinding away at WoW in my spare time for last year or so. I had played it for months then lost interest (surprised?) but have since taken it up again. Due to the siesta in gaming with it I’m not an uber high level 70 like most of the gamers that populate the servers but I feel I know some of the finer points in the game. My post is about the crafting that I find a bit frustrating at times in the game. And so I would like Blizzard to take a long hard look at the crafting system.

The game more or less runs on the loot given by monsters, crafters need some of it, adventurers need it for completing quests, and the entrepreneurs on the server can make a tidy living selling the stuff on the Auction house (The Ebay of WoW).

Some loot is extremely good and is used by the lucky finder, be it armour or weapons. Now we take a look at the blacksmith for example who makes this stuff. They cannot churn out good weapons and armour to keep up with the loot that is dropped by slain monsters, so essentially they are crafting only to bring up their skill. Hence grinding.

So for the first 50 lvls of your character’s crafting life you won’t make a living, you might sell a few items to the low levellers that are following you but no way is it good enough. Also the amount of materials and their scarcity is another thing. Just to find the Iron ore for example to make a certain sword is a few hours gaming in itself. Then when you compile all the materials you get one point towards you blacksmithing skill. How disappointing.

I have been told by other gamers (after much ranting on the general chat channels) that at the higher levels, blacksmithing is remarkable and it’s a sought after profession. This is something to aim for. But during your career as a crafter you should have some foothold in society and some outlet for your skills – not just crafting junk to get 1 point every few hours. This is why I think Blizzard should overhaul their crafting system. I can only speak for the blacksmithing profession which is one of the core skills because it can lead to weapons and armour. Also, I find most characters on the game are the “gatherer” professions. Skinners, Miners etc. These provide the Auction house with an array of materials that crafters can purchase or go out and gather themselves (Blacksmith / Miner - for example)

So right away there is a large discrepancy between gatherers and crafters. Crafters being in the minority, in my opinion, thanks to the game being heavy with good loot. I’m not saying get rid of the good loot. But new plans for weapons and armour could be introduced allowing the crafter to inject new designs of weaponry in the world and make their living seem less of a hardship.

In Star Wars Galaxies, the once loved MMORPG has since fallen from grace and now dies writhing in ashes, had a remarkable crafting system. From setting up mining devices to gather ore and materials the crafter could log off safe in the knowledge that there would be a pile of juicy ingredients ready for the next day of crafting. The crafters in SWG made items that the other characters actually NEEDED. Speeder bikes, houses, weapons, armour you name it. There was loot from monsters but that loot was used to make more intricate items which again a crafter was needed for. So crafting was a whole other profession and it was after all an actual character class.
In WoW though, in my opinion, crafters are an after thought. The game is all about going on quests finding lucky loot, and being a better adventurer because of it, then doing it all again to find better loot. Crafters are and always were second class citizens in WoW. Please correct me if I’m wrong! Maybe I’m missing the whole point.

Look at Runescape, a visually appalling but free on-your-browser-mmorpg. The crafting system in that game is massive. You can be anything from a Potter to Smithy, Chef to Farmer. And as a crafter you can make all those implements that the above professions need for their production. Example : Potters make pie dishes so Chef’s can bake pies in them.

The Crafting in WoW needs to be more prevalent, brought to the foreground of the game. If Blizzard intertwined the quest/loot heavy game that works so well for them with a crafting system that attracts the more strategic players you would have an unstoppable game.

Obviously they have a WoW juggernaut of sorts already and don’t need a crafting based game. But even after I quit SWG and runescape I still like to wander back in and craft up something!!

I’ll leave you with a fond memory from SWG. My character gave up the adventuring for crafting. I chose Architect as my profession and began building dwellings and civic structures for the many towns in the servers, it ended up I built my own town and invited guild members and newcomers alike to move in. This was amazing to me, I made use of the game without questing, but crafting.

Having “battled” through a Travian sever I am well aware of just how competitive it can get as the game draws to a close (The End Game). I saw cheating on a grand scale. Players with multiple accounts. The GF Meta alliance even went as far as to hack into a forum and obtain a username and password. They then used this password to login in to our World Wonder account, sending all our troops home and hitting it with a coordinated attack……I know I know…..sub-human scum.

Luckily for us the admins intervened, and the cheating GF swine’s did not succeed. I might point out that GF (Gamma Force) did win the server. However it was not through force of strength or conviction….it’s because they are called “Gamma Force” and obviously has super gamma mega powers…..Gamma Force…I mean really?…..spotty teenage gits

The introduction of “Gold” in Travian in my opinion has the potential to spoil the balance of the game. From what I can tell, the end game may fast become a question of who is willing to spend more money to win!!!! Basically the system of gold works as follows. You purchase Gold with money from the Travian game developers.

You can then spend your gold to do the following:

• Extend you Travian Plus account
• Gain a 25% bonus to resource production
• Gain a 25% bonus to Attack or Defense
• Trade with the NPC merchant
• Complete construction orders and Research quickly

Now from what I can see this introduces a new dynamic to the end game. This dynamic being the “spend a feckin fortune” factor that could see you getting huge bonus’ to everything. This does not sit well in my head as players are not really being rewarded for their actions…they are being rewarded for the frequency of their pay-pal transactions. It’s not a nice thing to see a good idea rush headlong into becoming something silly. I just hope the communities who have already embraced the Plus account do not turn to paying through the nose to get a tactical edge by spending “Gold” to beat the band!

If your in anyway into your console RPG’s, you’ed of realized as i have that up to now the Xbox 360 really hasn’t unleashed many jems in the genre. Sure we had Oblivion but outside that the rest were sub-par at best. Blue Dragon, Enchanted Arms, Eternal Sonata, these games all tried to set the bar for future action RPG’s on the 360 and failed misrably. Our last glimmering hope for 2007 was a big budget title by renowned RPG makers Bioware.

Given Bioware’s long running history with superb titles in the genre, most were expecting a solid title from its first dip into the next-gen console market. But in truth we got so much more. Mass Effect is in a word ’spectacular’. Though could you predict anything less from the creators of possibly the greatest console RPG of all time, Knights of the Old Republic?

Graphics - 10

Does it usurp Gears of War’s throne as prettist game on the 360. Well no, but its not far off. Being its an RPG title, ME obviously has alot more to render than GOW but its still by far the most beautifully crafted and textured RPG game engine ever created.

Character models are incredibly detailed, fully realised, wonderfully animated and almost photogenic. When engaged in diologue you really get sense of awareness and emotion from them. You get to feel every part of the story through them instead of simply reading it in text or through the voice work. And given there is so many different alien species in the game it is no mean feat to keep each one unique and at the same time fresh.

As with the character’s, the ME galaxy is extremely detailed and well textured. Be it a barren moon or an expansive space station, everywhere you go seems to come to life all around you. Much like KOTOR each world you visit has a destinct vibe which is really brought to life with the engine. This is one game thats trully uses GFX as a means to make the gameplay more immersive and fun instead of an expensive marketing ploy.

My only gripe here and the reason i came close to deducting a point is upon entering an area the texture buffer is too slow to keep up with the game. This basically means for 3-5 seconds character’s and elements of the world will be missing most details and look rather like globs of putty. This slightly breaks the atmosphere but not so much so that it ruins the game in anyway. This problem was also evident in GOW, hopefully future developers will be able to find a way around this problem.  

 Also all weapon models in the game are simply recolours. Don’t get me wrong they look cool but some variety would have been nice.

Sound - 10

Nothing quiet beats perfection now does it. As with the GFX the sound in ME really adds to the immersion factor and gameplay. Out of any genre, RPG titles really excel with good voice work and enviromental sound/music. And im pleased to say ME has all of the above.

What really stands out though is the voice work. In a game thats 20-30 hours you know thats got to be a big script. But unlike alot of new games ME is fully voiced, meaning every NPC character has a voice of there own. And even if some of them have but a few repeated lines, it again just helps to suck you into the game’s atmosphere.

Gameplay - 10

RPG’s over the years have always been for a certain type of gamer. Until Squaresoft’s Final Fantasy series popularity really took off in chapter 7 most casual gamers thought RPG’s were just for ‘nerdy’ types with too much free time. But over the years the genre has been fleshed out and made more universal.

With that in mind i feel Mass Effect will have the same level of impact on the casual game market as FF7 did way back in 97. Unlike many other popular RPG series out now, ME is just a joy to play. It isn’t all statisics, nullifying elements and the like. It’s a really a fun action shooter with some complex customization under the hood. So don’t expect to get by with +100 fire damage or +50 shell defense, you also have to have a keen dead eye and make good use of cover.

As stated unlike most conventional RPG’s ME plays alot like a shooter. You move in a squad of 3 which you can customize with the characters you meet in your adventures. Each member has different core techniques, be it combat, tech or biotics (mage type). And you’ll need to really think about the mission before selecting your crew. For example if your going into a battlefield in open range having a good sniper covering your movements can be the difference between living and dying.

You can choose to advance your crew member’s in any way you see fit, so for example Lt.Alenko has strong core tech abilites but if you wanted you good make him more rounded by upgrading his abilty with an assault rifle. And thats the great thing about the upgrade tree’s you can select different weapons or biotecs to be proficiant in. Meaning just because your character is well trained at healing doesn’t mean he/she can’t pull out a shotty and hold there own if they get cut off from the rest of the squad.

Why this is also interesting is as we know most gamers will connect or begin to favour certain characters in RPG’s. With the freedom available in this system it means you don’t have to change the way you play the game in order to have your favourite characters with you while progessing the story. Meaning if you like Alenko but prefer to destroy Security Droids rather than disabling them your free to do so.

Once you’ve assessed the mission and picked your squad you’ll be dropped into the area via the SSV Normady, the fastest ship in humanities fleet and piloted by Seth Green no less. When you come across enemies you’ll have complete control over your team mates, you can issue orders and formulate the best plan of action for that particular situation. This is all realtime, there’s no pausing to consider your options which just adds to the tension as you try to get your bearings under heavy fire.

I’m sure there’s probably some people thinking right now, “Is this another Deus Ex”, all FPS and little RPG, and i can safely say no. ME really takes equal parts, which makes it just as strategic as your fav RPG and just as entertaining and fun to play as your fav shooter. Its tough to explain the combat in ME since there’s never been anything like it. You really just have to play it to get a sense of how good it really is.

All in all i can safely say this is the most fun combat system i’ve ever experianced in an RPG title. I’ve been waiting for years for a developer to come along and take some of the monotony out of the genre and although Bioware came close with Jade Empire, this time around they hit it right on the button.

Replay Value/ Longevity - 9

The main story of ME will take you in the region of 20-30 hours to complete.Theres also plenty of side quests available on the different planets you visit aswell as missions you’ll be given from your commanding officers aboard the Normandy. Unlike many RPG’s the side quests are just as engaging as the main story and many have branching story lines taking you to different planets across the galaxy. Heck you even get to visit the moon, though unfortunitly i failed to find the lunar lander :(.

Outside of this you can also explore uninhabited planets in your Mako Hummer. By doing this you’ll be able to find rare items and it is nescesary to complete some of the side quests. One tip though, make sure you check the surface scanner (map) if your looking for points of interest. I didn’t realize this till close to the end of the game and had just been aimlessly wandering across the planet praying to hit paydirt.

There’s also plenty of 360 achievements to unlock, some of which will require several play through’s to achieve and some will even require you to play as certain classes. This i feel works as a great incentive to bite the bullet and see what the other classes have going for them. And since Mass Effect 2 won’t be hitting shelves for a long long time yet, why the hell not try em.

Its finally arrived, after months and months of drooling over screenshots, gameplay vids and developer interviews Assassin’s Creed hits Xbox 360 and PS3 with the PC version to come early 08.But was it really worth the wait? Simply put, NO!. How can a developer take such a beautiful engine, intriging story and fabulous combat system and screw it up you ask. Well somehow Ubisoft Montreal have done just that and the one word that negates all their hard work is monotony.  

Assassin’s Creed previewed back at E3 2006 and was tipped as being one of the killer aps of 2007. I for one was on the band wagon the moment i saw our anti-hero Altair force his way through a crowded street and sink his hidden blade into his mark. But what you soon realize is that the trailer is pretty much the game. Practically ever single mission in the game is just a rehash of the mission before but in a slighty different city. This to me is just another sign of uncreative game design in a GFX fueled market.

Graphics - 9

This is pretty much the core and only strenght of AC. Powered with a wonderful game engine the graphics just scream ‘next gen’. From the breathtaking long distance views high above the city down to the well detailed models the game just looks and feels like pure gold. Also the art direction really captures the era superbly which is to be expected from the team behind the Prince of Persia Trilogy. Sound - 8

NWN was a must for any fans of the RPG genre, the successor to the superb Baldur’s gate series and long forgotten, eye of the beholder classics. Full 3D view and slick interaction justifiably made it the flagship for next generation RPGs. NWN II was initially staggeringly in its depth of character development, items, monsters and looked very good, performing well with even a small army on screen.

Its fatal flaw, which NWN did not suffer from, was the number of bugs. The game seemed overly complex, with simple cut scenes causing your game to crash and resulting in the campaign having to be re-started. In fact, there was warning on the loading screen telling you to save your game as often as possible. These bugs put a lot of players off what was ultimately a good game, if a little stretched.

The add-on pack is just that, new levels, monsters, classes, items and effects. It’s the usual price for a non-independent game and is designed to allow you to import your NWN II character. Curiously, there is a welcome note in the manual in which the producer basically says that they released NWN II too early and that Mask was how the game should have looked and played.

As you’re playing a character that was able to complete NWN II (you have to create one otherwise), game play is more complex from the offset then a standard RPG. You need to know the game to play it, as your using a powerful character. But immediately you can tell that the developers have worked hard on the engine, its seamless and bug free. The loading time between maps is reduced and levels are kept to a reasonable size to ensure your PC isn’t unnecessary taxed. If NWN II had looked and played like this then it would have made a much bigger impact.

The main campaign is tough, well paced and just the right length (about 10 hours). Character development to “epic levels” is possible, allowing your character to become a juggernaut of destruction. There are dozens of new feats and spells (you do need to play with the manual open to figure out what they do) which allows new ways to win battles and solve problems.

The game only falls down in its plot devices. Most games in the Baldur-NWN series have complex plots with the protagonist central to the story. Mask goes to far though, and has a horrid feature called the “spirit meter”. Not to give the plot away too much, it basically dictates how long you can spend on any map, how often you can rest, whom you can kill etc. It seems like the game creators wanted to limit your ability to regain spells or health by resting, so to make the game more challenging. It’s worked into the plot and very hard to get away from. Predictably, there is a cheat out there that doesn’t disrupt the game at all but drastically improves the game play. Its just a bad idea that could haunt the developer for some time.

This aside, the dialogue is also very heavy and you have to be careful what you say since your party members can get annoyed and leave. There are even dialogue sequences whereby you have no choice at the end but to kill the bad guy you’re talking with, therefore making the conversation totally irrelevant.

Otherwise the game plays well and looks good. I would have to recommend it to anyone who enjoyed NWN II and wants to see the game to its full potential. I would also welcome further add-on modules (the scope is unlimited with an engine like this) but no more spirit meters please.