Casual Gaming: Discovery of Low Impact

At one time in my life, I routinely played Railroad Tycoon and/or Sim City from 6pm to 6am… I typically took “just one more turn” with Master of Orion or Civ for hours on end. There were weekends full of MMO gaming from sunrise to sundown.  

Ahh, the nostalgic, digital haze of my gaming yesteryear is a safe and warm place. Responsibility is not welcome there. Though not quite as carefree as the days playing baseball in the cemetery next to my house or the endless hide-and-seek neighborhood matches, gaming still holds a special place in my heart… and I’m still a gamer.

However, gaming is now just another activity vying for my time alongside family, friends, work, writing and everything else. As an adult, I must be creative with my time.

What does that mean?

Well, like a barrel full of evil, clawed monkeys I must tread carefully and plot a course that avoids gettin’ eaten… or, at least, dodge the dirty little poop slingers.

For me, this realization became truth while I was playing World of Warcraft, many years ago. You see, to compete, you must have 1337 gear (leet-speak translator). How do you acquire said gear? Hours upon hours upon hours of running the same dungeon/raid over and over until your eyes explode, you run into the streets screaming and you get shot because Frank next door mistook you for the first zombie.

I was doing a fair share of PvP (player vs player) scenarios and, of course, the obligatory ganking sessions where I’d pwn noobs (refer to the leet-speak translator). However, there came a point when I could no longer compete in pvp. I was hit by the “loot train” and I wasn’t aboard. Everyone else was running raids and then hopping into pvp with their massive shoulderpads and big sticks. I was unwilling to spend the time raiding for hours on end for the gear, so my interest waned and I quit WoW.

I bounced around MMO’s and other games for several years. Friends moved away, LAN parties became less common and fewer of my friends were able to invest the time into a MMO, or get together for tabletop games.

We needed to get creative.

… and we did!

We have discovered a “new” (new to our little group) kind of gaming I call “low-impact gaming.” Mostly, these games are asynchronous (no requirement to be ‘online’ at the same time to play) yet they retain a cooperative or competitive social feel. They can usually be played by spending a few minutes each day (or every other day). No marathon sessions, no massive commitments. These asynch games allow us to have a great deal of fun in a condensed time.

Sure, there were evil monkey assassins along the way, but I think we have managed to find a great conduit to keep gaming in our group alive and well – eventho our group has scattered all over the US, Asia and Europe.

The solution is not exactly shiny new, but it did require a leap of faith. Switching from MMO’s to more asynch games has been a slow process, but I believe we have achieved a measure of success. Gaming is alive and healthy in our group and the games we’ve found are fantastic.

What are some of these games? Well, this post is already large enough to choke a monkey linebacker so next week I shall put together a nice list to share.

…Damn, with all the Wikipedia links, this post is quite educational. I should have charged all baby-boomers at the door.

(no evil monkeys were harmed in the making of this post… well, okay, we hurt a few. Ahem. Sorry, we were forced to slaughter entire villages of evil monkeys to lay down the ink here.) 

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Back to Atlantica…

Some of you may or may not know, but I was once a game correspondent for one of the largest gaming websites in the world: MMORPG.COM. In fact, the first thing I ever got paid to write is still online: Atlantica First Look Preview

Yeah, it’s not the best, but you gotta start somewhere! In fact, 2 years later, the Atlantica Homepage quotes me as their “marquee quote” (lower right, this screenshot was taken today):

Why the frig am I bringing this up today? Well, I’m playing it again so I guess this post can qualify as “what matt’s playing in Nov.2011.” Yeah, if you have no interest in games, go back to searching for new porn as this info won’t interest you.

My favorite type of CRPG is the “Strategy RPG”, so Atlantica kept me busy for quite some time. Why did I stop playing back in 2009? I got worn down by “the grind.” Many Asian games are setup this way – it takes a long time to accumulate experience and wealth. At the time, I always played these games to speed to the end. For some reason, I felt like I was only succeeding if I was playing in the “endgame.”

I really have no idea where that feeling came from.

Today, if I’m enjoying a game, I leave it at that. I don’t speed to the end, worry about the endgame, or take stock in what anyone else is doing. I just play the game to enjoy it.

Armed with that new gaming outlook, I spent some time last night in Atlantica again and I forgot just how great the gameplay was/is. I get my geek on by slowly building a party and controlling them in combat – and combat in Atlantica is FUN. It’s hard to get bored of the combat when there is a timer and other enemies can jump in mid-fight. Good stuff.

I’m not worried about how long things take or what all the other players are doing. I’m just doing my thing and building my party of adventurers… which is where Atlantica shines. Now that they added a new tactical system that more closely resembles FF:Tactics, I’m even more psyched.

Feel free to read the article I linked above (I wrote even more for this game). If Atlantica seems interesting to you, feel free to reach out to me and ask me questions. I’ve tried many “strategy RPG MMO’s” over the past few years, but Atlantica is still the best.

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What I’m playing (10/10)

Time for another edition!

I don’t do this because I think anyone cares, I do it because maybe someone will find a hidden gem here… Or something.  Anyway:

RuneWars

Runewars is certainly one of the best “big box” board games I have ever played. Battlestar Galactica remains the most exciting, and Settlers of Catan certainly fills a niche, but for fantasy warfare Runewars takes the cake.

The game is “goal-based”, which is great from the start. Older games (like Risk) are “elimination-based”, in that you are kicked from the game when you are defeated. So, if a game takes 2 hours to play and you lose after 30 minutes, you gotta go watch a movie while waiting for everyone else to finish. Goal-based games keep all players in the game until the very end. Instead of wiping the map of them, you must reach the goal(s) before them. That is much better design. 

(it’s technically possible to oust another player before the goal is realized in Runewars, but it is *highly* unlikely)

The game pieces and map are beautiful. The core systems are simple and fun. And the time to complete (once you’ve played once or twice) is 1.5-3 hours. That’s pretty good for these “big box” games. (“big box” games come in a big box… here ends my explanation of that term)

My only gripe is that I co-developed many of the systems used in Runewars many years ago with a good friend of mine. Now, we see those systems done (better) in a very successful commercial game. Fuck salt!

(yeah, I know that’s the second time I’ve used that… it just never gets old for me)

Dominions 3

I’ve played a TON of 4x (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) games over my career as a computer gamer. I go as far back as Lords of Conquest on the Commodore 64. (I actually was playing this game a few months ago with a good friend – some 24 year old games are still awesome!)

Shrapnel games knows their 4x, but I was skeptical at first. How could a “modern” game have such terrible graphics? How come I hadn’t heard of it?

Well, damn! This game has more depth than anything else I’ve ever played in the 4x space. It’s a fantasy-themed 4x game, and you decide everything from tax rate to individual unit battle formation (and orders). So, not only are you conquering provinces and recruiting units, but you are setting the individual strategy for those units and their commanders. Lots of variables for success (and failure).

Right now,  I’m playing this game via PBEM (play by e-mail) with a bunch of friends (the game supports up to 21 human players). It’s better than Civ4 pitboss, hands down. Sure, there’s more to manage, but I find there’s more impact I can have on the outcome of the game by putting thought into it… And there’s no double-turns.

If you’re looking for a DEEP fantasy wargame to sink your teeth into and get lost for a few months – this is your game. Single-player is only so-so, it’s far better with a group.

Goalline Blitz

Yep, I’m still playing with my dots in this online sports management sim. Feel free to laugh all you want at me, I love my dots:

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iPad wins, Fatality!

So, I finally broke down… with my tail between my legs I walked into an Apple store and bought a fuckin’ iPad. 

It really does make a ton of sense – I can write on the plane… and… and… GAMES!  After playing some WiFi Flight Control and other great games with my friends in Cali, I knew it was only a matter of time.

I bought the cheap one – 32 GB, no 3G.  I figured this would be my test… if I like it, I will get a 3G one next year when they put a camera into it… and Bonnie can have the hand-me-down.  Bah, who am I kidding?  She just closed the door to the other room… I know she’s in there with her new lover.

Rant Time – I loathe the Apple store… it was 4pm on a random weekday and the place was mobbed:

Seriously, WTF?  There were Apple douchebags loitering at every table, a mac genius every 5 feet, and an air of superiority that made me want to whip out my vulcan minigun and get to work.

Do these people have jobs?  It’s my theory that Apple douchebags just hang in the Apple store because they think it makes them cool… if I ever become an Apple DB, please feel free to kick me in the nuts as hard as you can.

(I love my iPad!)

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What I’m playing…

I’ve had some “game talk” lately, so I figured I’d journal the games I’ve been playing recently… I’ll warn you – it’s about exciting as a PAX Television show (do they even exist anymore?)

If you read my SOAP (Suit On A Plane) post, you know I’m playing Final Fantasy Tactics A2 on my Nintendo DS. I’ve always been a sucker for tactical RPGs, and I have to admit this is one of the best I’ve played. Like Disgaea, it truly feels like I can just poke around forever and “do my own thing.” The jobs are mostly unique, and the “stuff quest” is pretty amazing for a tactical RPG. I have played it quite a bit on planes recently, so I may be nearing the end of the rope with this one…

Still playing Free Realms. Of course, I’m just playing the card game – it is quite good, far better than Magic. I do like what they did with tournaments – some cards you can only get by winning tourney games. You can actually check this one out for free, but it takes some work to build your card collection. I’ve been playing this one for over a year, so that’s gotta count for something!

Every now and then, I still play Wizard 101 with the wife. I really have to tip my hat to the developers here – they made a game that is both fun for adults and kids. Even kids who cannot read can play the game. That’s pretty amazing! This game redefined a genre and it’s only gaining steam.

The game I play the most right now is a browser-based sports text sim called Goalline Blitz. Yeah, yeah… I know – I’m pretty lame. However, this game has kept my interest for almost a year now. It’s the best browser-based game I’ve played. Of course, you have to really really like football (and text) to get any enjoyment out of the game. I think it’s better when you own a team too, as there are a ton of things to do (if you want to get that involved). There’s just something insanely enjoyable for me with these types of management sims. I’ve traditionally played the single-player versions, and they were okay. Now that I’m managing “real” players and negotiating contracts/etc, it’s on a whole ‘nuther level for me.

Anyway, that’s what I’m up to. I’ll leave you with an editorial on “online gameplay” I wrote last year. It was published by mmorpg.com and it was quite well received. I only got a measly $10 for it, but that was my fault for not negotiating the terms before I submitted. Enjoy!

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Cage wins… fatality!

So, I was reading the newspaper for the first time in about a decade yesterday, and I noticed the article – “High court takes on video game case.” Of course, my interest was piqued.

So, gov. Schwarzenegger wants to restrict “disturbingly violent” video games from reaching minors, under the 1st amendment. (the same part of the amendment that allowed for the restriction of the sale/marketing of porn to minors)

At first, I got my back all up… for all my usual reasons:

- kids don’t shoot people because of Grand Theft Auto, they shoot people because they are messed up
- treating the symptom of a disease will never cure the disease (in this case – bad parenting)
- I played violent video games and I turned out just fine… I mean – I turned out okay… well, I’m not out there shooting people… yet.

I slept on the article and now I’m blogging about it. I’m actually more torn than I thought I would be. I see the argument from both sides, and I have to say – I’m leaning towards Arnold’s side more and more.

Prohibiting the sale of tobacco and booze to minors makes sense – the effect on their developing bodies is actually quantifiably harmful. No argument there.

Prohibiting the sale of porn? Yeah, having 2 kids of my own, I am in full support of that. Let kids be kids. They don’t need to know about everything right out of the gate. Let them build their maturity to a level where they can handle that imagery.

So, why not violent video games? I won’t show my kids a porn flick for many of the same reasons I won’t show them Kill Bill – they’re just not ready for it. Should the government decide when they’re ready for porn/violence? That’s where I’m still waffling. I believe some people just shouldn’t be parents, and for those “families” – maybe a law is a good idea. However, for those of us who put our children above everything else, are involved in their lives and take an active part shaping those lives – I’m not so certain.

So, it’s not as black/white as it used to be for me. Damn, I don’t want to grow up!

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