Theescapist 012.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
I have a secret. You know all the times who also enjoyed videogames. Upon Since then, I have plunged back into the I’ve mentioned my NES? Well, it’s not hitting this critical mass of two gaming pool, owning my very own because I’m some minimalist, older is previously-avid-gamers, each lacking a Playstation 2 and playing the occasional To the Editor: There appears to be a inherently better, classic-game-o-phile. gaming console, we decided we should Xbox and PC game. But how many mistake in the article “Don’t Ever Take procure a Playstation 2. Excited to get others out there stuck a toe into the pool Sides Against The Corps Again” (Issue The truth of it is, I “stepped away from back into a pastime I looked back on and came away, never to return? #10), by Mark Wallace. Mr. Wallace gaming” for a few years. Between the with fondness, I researched titles, talked interprets a study by PlayOn as finding lack of desire to shell out another few to Electronics Boutique clerks and found Gamers and designers alike have felt that in WoW, players that belong to hundred dollars for a SNES by my a game I was pretty sure I would like. I disenfranchised in one way or another by guilds level faster on average than parents (and me, as I didn’t have that was set. the unforgiving march of Time. And that players who don’t. Looking at this study, kind of cash) and my difficult workload in is what this issue of The Escapist is it appears that the results are quite the high school and the university, I just Then a strange thing happened. about. Max Steele returns to tell of a opposite. In the chapter “Guild Affiliation didn’t have the access or time. recent conversation with gaming great and Leveling Time”, PlayOn claims: “... I looked at the controller. Whatever Chris Crawford. Spanner takes us on a we found a significant, but small, effect Sure, I took my NES to my dorm room, happened to the two buttons and trip down memory lane, to a back alley where characters in a guild have a longer and was quite popular for it, but that Directional-pad that controlled 95% of arcade. Joe Blancato gives insight to the leveling time than characters not in a didn’t exactly keep me up-to-date. I also the game? There were now four buttons believer and fanatic found in all gamers, guild”. (http://blogs.parc.com/playon/ played the occasional game on the where there were once two. There were no matter how they might hide this archives/2005/07/guild_affiliati_1.html) computer, but upon discovering that it little joystick-thingies and a D-pad. Plus, under a hard, cynical exterior. Join us for took my Sim approximately one hour to there were these weird trigger-like another week’s issue of The Escapist. I’m a devoted WoW player and walk from the kitchen to the bathroom, “shoulder buttons” or some such. cooperation and chatting are my favorite yelling and grumbling at me the entire Cheers, parts of the game, so I would have loved way about needing to relieve herself, I Overwhelmed, I turned the controller it if the results where different, i.e. that was done. I had enough stress in my life over to my then-boyfriend and said, “I’ll being in a guild would reward the without having to worry about a slow- watch. You control. I have no idea what individual directly by yielding faster level moving videogame toon. all that’s for.” We played the game. It advancement. Although this isn’t the was fun. But when we broke up a year or case, it is my opinion that being in a And then, access was restored. I found so later, I let him keep the Playstation 2. guild is well worth the sacrifice, because myself in a relationship with someone it rewards you with companionship, wider horizons, and the joys of giving lands. I value my own time in MMOGs geared against liberty and adult behavior matter to us. Some of those measures of and receiving. by how much fun I have in them and in our current cultural climate is about as success, that matter to us, include: how compelling a story I can create remarkable as water being wet; it’s a -Aviv Hurvitz there. So, even if I do level more shame, however, that it takes personal Our Yearly Conferences: For the past slowly in a guild, I’m happy to trade a attacks on hobbies for game players (as four years we have been holding yearly As a result of this letter, we wrote Nick few hours of playtime for a richer a whole) to notice this trend, as it has guild conferences, each one larger than Yee in an effort to clear up the matter. experience. been applied many times in many places the previous, with this year’s reaching In addition to clarifying a graph, he against a whole host of rights and over 130 people. commented on the findings of the study: -Mark Wallace liberties for far longer than most of us have been alive. Our Internal Unity: Despite being a huge “Characters who solo level faster. The To the Editor: Matthew Hector’s piece guild, we are extremely close and, over biggest caveat in interpreting this data, in this most recent issue was a -Michael O’Connor the years, have grown into a group with though, is to keep in mind that players reasonable case against this wave of very nearly no infighting, no who solo are probably different from legislative fervor aimed at games. To the Editor: I’d like to offer a counter backstabbing and no internal quarrels. players who love to group in more than Outside of the futility of arguing point to Mr. Nolan’s view that the article Our early days, where we were fleshing just that aspect - that they prefer to reasonably and rationally against any on The Syndicate in issue 10 was out our rules, policies and direction, solo for a set of reasons etc. In other issue which can be framed in “what “slightly misleading.” things were certainly more dynamic but, words, we’re looking more at a about the children?” terms, Mr. Hector for many years, we have had smooth difference between achievement vs. appears to have forgotten the lesson of The real core of the matter is what is sailing. More than half the guild has been socialization rather than a direct the Supreme Court’s disasterous decision meant by “successful,” as a definition of with us 4 or more years. difference between grouping and in Gonzales v. Raich. If growing medical success is necessary to determine soloing.” marijuana on private property for local whether claims made are misleading or Longevity: With hundreds of guilds rising use affects interstate commerce - and not. The definition of success really is and falling each day in the online world, Mark Wallace wishes, also, to speak to can then be acted upon via the one of personal choice. There are no and 99% of all guilds failing before they the discrepancy found between his Controlled Substances Act - then surely defined standards of success in the reach even the two or three year mark, article and the study: selling video games falls under federal online gaming world. Some people being around 10 years is an important jurisdiction as well. measure success by specific game success factor, for us. I’m sorry to see I misinterpreted related goals. PlayOn’s statistics. But although their The Commerce Clause is now much like Our Developer and Community data doesn’t support my thesis, I “what about the children?” - it applies to Some measure success by the size of Relationships: We sit on many of the continue to see guilds and corps as anything and everything, and is difficult their guild. We feel that we are developer’s player council boards. We do beneficial for new immigrants to virtual to counter. That political concerns are successful for a number of reasons that chats, roundtables and feedback sessions with them online and at our To the Editor: I found Mark Wallace’s social constructs, we shan’t forget there conferences. We regularly participate in article “We the Avatars” pretty well are some games designed as games internal alpha/beta tests. We are proud covered the bases in terms of what simply to explore the depths of social of our relationships and we seek to games provide what level of interactive interaction and what players would do in continue to use them to make online economies. However, I do feel Star Wars a near-boundless environment with no gaming better for all gamers. Galaxies should have gotten a mention. accountability. Certainly everyone has and is entitled to From the moment a new player enters RMTing, and à la carte financial an opinion. One person’s success may the game, they are part of the economy. relationships between developers and not be the measure of another’s. In Every resource they gather is used in players changes that immersion. Players nearly 10 years of existence, we have every weapon, armor, furniture and are no longer motivated by the desire to had our challenges and made our share building created. While it’s no Second Escape. Now they need to worry about of mistakes. Yet, here we are, stronger Life, since everything a player can build the finances for doing so.