As I look at new games I must confess, if Elves/Orcs/Magic/Run of the mill dominant storyline, are the foundation for the game...I can not stomach to the thought of it. Not to say I am negative about my LoTRO account, although I do not play it currently. Nor any other game I have delved into. But there is NO draw when looking at any game I have not played yet containing the above items. To be more precise, as eluded to above, any inclusion of said items/storyline focus causes me to shutdown immediately. I will not/can not download the game and even give it a try.
Unfortunately for me this article is years too late. The irony is that people say they are sick to death of all the "WOW clones" yet we don't seem to have any problem constantly reloading the same old elf/troll/dwarf crap over and over again. For me that setting is a far more tired treadmill than that of themepark gameplay.
today's elf is nothing like the elves of old. They used to be tops with a bow or blade, and could even use mystical essences that men see as magic. My DnD elven swordsman was bad A. and I used to LARP as an elven swordsman, but I moved and joined a minor-magic ruleset, where pretty much all magic was removed except for some minor buffs (no lightning bolts lol). I switch to an orc berserk. Elves used to rule the fantasy world, now they're wusses. I tell people I play an elf in lotro, and they think to themselves, "What a pansy" but in fact, I play my lotro elf as an old school one. Master of battle with both range and melee!
"To paraphrase Jean-Paul Sartre, Hell is indeed other people."
Nothing wrong with your article but can we please leave superficial readings of good philosophy out of them please. This is not what Sartre meant by saying "Hell is other people".
I like traditional mythic creatures. Several kinds of elves, dwarves, gnomes, ogres, trolls.
Some people like to be elves, some - droids. Or some custom race with a new name. What does it really matter? Choose another race, if you don't like elves. I know this article doesn't mean anything, someone just needed to right something. But still, i think there are more interesting topics to write about
Oh and by the way, seeing night elf in WoW makes me puke. Now that's some weird ugly stuff. But i guess if WoW was your first mmo then you take it as a normal elf.
i dont hate elves and fantasy is all about being and experiencing something we otherwise cant.
and there is no need for remove original fantasy setting , same like you remove all bikes because someone already invented that long ago so why do we need bikes anymore.. there is everything for everyne so just stick with your loved gategory and leave these kidna stupid rantings alone.
but this world is all about hating something and letting everyone to know about it right?
i don't hate fantasy games i just wish their were more sci-fi games specifically mmo's right now i am adicticed to skyrim and frankly its little brother series fallout is no where near as well written in terms of story so ultimately good game is more important than genre. I cannot wait for GW2 again fantasy game , however i would much rather play sci-fi games than fantasy but ultimately i will go where the 'good game' takes me i just wish i had more genre choices in my frefered style. It's kinda like getting a date with a hot chick i may like a certain body type better or hair color or whatever but if she is hot all those preferences go out the window if she is really good looking same goes with games if the game is great genre is secondary to me.
Thought this was going to be a rant about elves, but instead of it was 1/3 elves, 1/2 griefing, and 1/3 crappy virtual societies. In fact it could be a single paragraph that seems to be more important than 5.
Yes the ratios do not add up because some are in both.
i enjoyed Earth Eternal's take on species (not races) in their use of animals. would like to see more friendly carebears, j/k, but its a little explored genre that could use alot of imaginative turns.
"There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play." Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
I don't mind elves. I'd just like to have quests where I'm not killing wildlife for 40 levels.
ya, mass extinction or genocide as a means of leveling do get old after all, however fun they may start out being.
"There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play." Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
Sounds like the author is burnt out and should probably look for another job. Probably also best if he took a few years off from gaming especially if all he's gonna do is come here and make a Advertisement for Eve. Too bad but it happens
The premise of this article seems rather misleading. There are fantasy genres that don't involve elves. And do we really need another thinly disguised marketing campaign for EVE? I mean, I was sort of with the author through the Love commentary, but then came mention of EVE, and the author lost me.
I guess what bothers me about this article (and potential series of articles) is that the author attempts to tie horrid, tired gameplay to the Fantasy genre when, in fact, what is being lambasted is simply horrible gameplay. It has nothing to do with the fantasy genre.
Consider it a gross oversight then. n.n; Eve Online was a mention because I felt it necessary to bring an extremely popular name in as an example and I wasn't about prepared to write something on SWTOR which bugs me out somewhat.
That said. I suppose I'm looking at this from an Asian perspective. Like one commentator (somewhere in the endless stream of comments) stated, there's at least twenty or so badly-executed WoW clones from Asia built with the same creepily similar chain of elves.
i find the dark elves of Rift get it (not sold on the lateral ears, but otherwise...) and the elves of skyrim nail it. many people dont realize where elves come from culturally. they were essentially the alien/vampires of the celtic world. powerful, caprecious, disturbing though strangely beautiful. the vanilla elves that have dominated American fantasy are nothing but a "Safe" option for idealized alternative.
i am bored to tears by the usual presentation of elves (and orcs for that matter) but i was immensely suprised and pleased by the design choices of skyrim for both. i hope the success of the game heralds a new age, and opens new doors for people who previously have only seen the two as sterilized cartoons.
But pwning someone's tough guy toon in full armor as an elf makes it all so much more fun. I mean, I definitely think it's cool that games are exploring original fantasy options, but seeing big Charr fall to Sylvari and Asura players will still provide the same satisfaction.
If Elves are out, does that also mean the MMO can't have a setting of the island of Numenor? Um...weren't they humans...that woudl be ok...or not? Sorry, have to reread the Silmarron...
The problem isn't really the elves but the fact that all MMO worlds seems to be a cheap knock off on The Forgotten realms.
FR isn't in itself that unique but it is at least well made, the knock offs are usually just bad.
Why can't we get a knock off from "A song of ice and fire", or "The wheel of time"? Or anything friggin else for that matter instead of all MMOs with the same mechanics and the same world?
I don't believe that is what the players want, I think it is just lazy devs and cowardly publishing houses, nothing else.
If you want to make a Forgotten realms MMO, license the actual product at least!!!
i find the dark elves of Rift get it (not sold on the lateral ears, but otherwise...) and the elves of skyrim nail it. many people dont realize where elves come from culturally. they were essentially the alien/vampires of the celtic world. powerful, caprecious, disturbing though strangely beautiful. the vanilla elves that have dominated American fantasy are nothing but a "Safe" option for idealized alternative.
i am bored to tears by the usual presentation of elves (and orcs for that matter) but i was immensely suprised and pleased by the design choices of skyrim for both. i hope the success of the game heralds a new age, and opens new doors for people who previously have only seen the two as sterilized cartoons.
Actually you are confusing Elves with Sidhes and fearies.
Elves: Demi gods from Norse mytholgy. Tolkien was an expert on the subject. Most elves are from either Nifelheim (the dusk or evning elves) or Alfheim (the light or morning elves).
Sidhes: Irish powerful and often nasty beings that lives in a dimension close to our own.
Fearies: weird otherwordly beings common around the world.
It is a coomon mistake. Tolkien based his work on Norse mythology (Gandalf is based on Odin) while the other classic fantasy author Howard based his on Irirsh mythology (Conan is actually a legendary Celtic hero said to have killed Balor of the evil eye, the leader of the Fomori)...
Comments
Never met a Drow I didn't like..
PM before you report at least or you could just block.
As I look at new games I must confess, if Elves/Orcs/Magic/Run of the mill dominant storyline, are the foundation for the game...I can not stomach to the thought of it. Not to say I am negative about my LoTRO account, although I do not play it currently. Nor any other game I have delved into. But there is NO draw when looking at any game I have not played yet containing the above items. To be more precise, as eluded to above, any inclusion of said items/storyline focus causes me to shutdown immediately. I will not/can not download the game and even give it a try.
Unfortunately for me this article is years too late. The irony is that people say they are sick to death of all the "WOW clones" yet we don't seem to have any problem constantly reloading the same old elf/troll/dwarf crap over and over again. For me that setting is a far more tired treadmill than that of themepark gameplay.
today's elf is nothing like the elves of old. They used to be tops with a bow or blade, and could even use mystical essences that men see as magic. My DnD elven swordsman was bad A. and I used to LARP as an elven swordsman, but I moved and joined a minor-magic ruleset, where pretty much all magic was removed except for some minor buffs (no lightning bolts lol). I switch to an orc berserk. Elves used to rule the fantasy world, now they're wusses. I tell people I play an elf in lotro, and they think to themselves, "What a pansy" but in fact, I play my lotro elf as an old school one. Master of battle with both range and melee!
"To paraphrase Jean-Paul Sartre, Hell is indeed other people."
Nothing wrong with your article but can we please leave superficial readings of good philosophy out of them please. This is not what Sartre meant by saying "Hell is other people".
I like traditional mythic creatures. Several kinds of elves, dwarves, gnomes, ogres, trolls.
Some people like to be elves, some - droids. Or some custom race with a new name. What does it really matter? Choose another race, if you don't like elves. I know this article doesn't mean anything, someone just needed to right something. But still, i think there are more interesting topics to write about
Oh and by the way, seeing night elf in WoW makes me puke. Now that's some weird ugly stuff. But i guess if WoW was your first mmo then you take it as a normal elf.
yeah wow night elf is just stupid, blood elves are much more "elvish" imho. Although they're still weak in battle.
If "no elves" means no Liv Tyler. forget it.
i dont hate elves and fantasy is all about being and experiencing something we otherwise cant.
and there is no need for remove original fantasy setting , same like you remove all bikes because someone already invented that long ago so why do we need bikes anymore.. there is everything for everyne so just stick with your loved gategory and leave these kidna stupid rantings alone.
but this world is all about hating something and letting everyone to know about it right?
im tired of that simply.
i don't hate fantasy games i just wish their were more sci-fi games specifically mmo's right now i am adicticed to skyrim and frankly its little brother series fallout is no where near as well written in terms of story so ultimately good game is more important than genre. I cannot wait for GW2 again fantasy game , however i would much rather play sci-fi games than fantasy but ultimately i will go where the 'good game' takes me i just wish i had more genre choices in my frefered style. It's kinda like getting a date with a hot chick i may like a certain body type better or hair color or whatever but if she is hot all those preferences go out the window if she is really good looking same goes with games if the game is great genre is secondary to me.
Thought this was going to be a rant about elves, but instead of it was 1/3 elves, 1/2 griefing, and 1/3 crappy virtual societies. In fact it could be a single paragraph that seems to be more important than 5.
Yes the ratios do not add up because some are in both.
reminds me of my anarchy online days
god i miss playing a proper mmo with a phat gun in my toon's hands
im not sick of traditional fantasy mmo's, its just im sick of mmo's screwing up the genere.
Anyway..
I don't mind elves. I'd just like to have quests where I'm not killing wildlife for 40 levels.
I used to play MMOs like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee.
How about a Redwall mmorpg?
i enjoyed Earth Eternal's take on species (not races) in their use of animals. would like to see more friendly carebears, j/k, but its a little explored genre that could use alot of imaginative turns.
"There are at least two kinds of games.
One could be called finite, the other infinite.
A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
ya, mass extinction or genocide as a means of leveling do get old after all, however fun they may start out being.
"There are at least two kinds of games.
One could be called finite, the other infinite.
A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
Wow, finaly someone who know how to write on MMORPG.com and make relatively long articles.
-------------------------------------
Before: developers loved games and made money.
Now: developers love money and make games.
Sounds like the author is burnt out and should probably look for another job. Probably also best if he took a few years off from gaming especially if all he's gonna do is come here and make a Advertisement for Eve. Too bad but it happens
Consider it a gross oversight then. n.n; Eve Online was a mention because I felt it necessary to bring an extremely popular name in as an example and I wasn't about prepared to write something on SWTOR which bugs me out somewhat.
That said. I suppose I'm looking at this from an Asian perspective. Like one commentator (somewhere in the endless stream of comments) stated, there's at least twenty or so badly-executed WoW clones from Asia built with the same creepily similar chain of elves.
i find the dark elves of Rift get it (not sold on the lateral ears, but otherwise...) and the elves of skyrim nail it. many people dont realize where elves come from culturally. they were essentially the alien/vampires of the celtic world. powerful, caprecious, disturbing though strangely beautiful. the vanilla elves that have dominated American fantasy are nothing but a "Safe" option for idealized alternative.
i am bored to tears by the usual presentation of elves (and orcs for that matter) but i was immensely suprised and pleased by the design choices of skyrim for both. i hope the success of the game heralds a new age, and opens new doors for people who previously have only seen the two as sterilized cartoons.
But pwning someone's tough guy toon in full armor as an elf makes it all so much more fun. I mean, I definitely think it's cool that games are exploring original fantasy options, but seeing big Charr fall to Sylvari and Asura players will still provide the same satisfaction.
You know what else there is too much of in online games? Humans!
If Elves are out, does that also mean the MMO can't have a setting of the island of Numenor? Um...weren't they humans...that woudl be ok...or not? Sorry, have to reread the Silmarron...
---------------------------
Rose-lipped maidens,
Light-foot lads...
The problem isn't really the elves but the fact that all MMO worlds seems to be a cheap knock off on The Forgotten realms.
FR isn't in itself that unique but it is at least well made, the knock offs are usually just bad.
Why can't we get a knock off from "A song of ice and fire", or "The wheel of time"? Or anything friggin else for that matter instead of all MMOs with the same mechanics and the same world?
I don't believe that is what the players want, I think it is just lazy devs and cowardly publishing houses, nothing else.
If you want to make a Forgotten realms MMO, license the actual product at least!!!
Actually you are confusing Elves with Sidhes and fearies.
Elves: Demi gods from Norse mytholgy. Tolkien was an expert on the subject. Most elves are from either Nifelheim (the dusk or evning elves) or Alfheim (the light or morning elves).
Sidhes: Irish powerful and often nasty beings that lives in a dimension close to our own.
Fearies: weird otherwordly beings common around the world.
It is a coomon mistake. Tolkien based his work on Norse mythology (Gandalf is based on Odin) while the other classic fantasy author Howard based his on Irirsh mythology (Conan is actually a legendary Celtic hero said to have killed Balor of the evil eye, the leader of the Fomori)...