An MMO That Aims For Equality Before Liberty Achieves Neither

The news about Bioware handing out bans to players in SWTOR who managed to access high-level loot before they were "supposed" to has sparked quite the debate among MMO junkies, developers, and others in regard to how MMOs are created and maintained.

Most take the side of the gamers, saying it isn't their fault if they were able to access things they shouldn't have been able to. Sure, that's a fairly reasonable position to take, but it's also missing the point.

It's easy to say that Bioware shouldn't have banned the players and just fixed the problem from the start--in the interest of fairness and equality, of course. After all, low-level players getting access to high-level loot could have terrible and unintended consequences on SWTOR's in-game economy and also give those players an unfair advantage over others. But, so what?

Players are always looking for ways to turn the odds in their favor--that's the nature of the adversarial game and, in a greater context, our humanity. Consider this video of Milton Friedman discussing the nature of equality vs. liberty in the context of human society:

At some point, even in the modern MMO, certain players begin to separate themselves from each other. The hardcore raider and PvPer will always outperform and have the advantage over those who aren't. This isn't simply a matter of time spent, but also a result of nature of the game. It is also unavoidable, as there are always those willing to spend the time and work harder to achieve.

So, what's the best way for developers such as Bioware to "fix" these situations? Create free and open-world games. Ditch the themepark model completely. Create a game in which the random and unintended isn't considered "unfair," but praised as interesting.

Developers create scripted events so they can ensure their games are fun to experience. Generally, the end result may be fun for the player the first time, possibly even the second. Unfortunately, patterns can only be repeated so many times before they become predictable and dull. This is very problematic for MMOs, which are designed to be played for years.

As well done as Bioware's latest offering is, they've created a world that needs constant attention [from them]. It needs a constant stream of content to keep players interested and every time something "unfair" is discovered, like the hand of God, they must swoop in to save the players. This concept of "you're playing our game wrong" has to go, especially if there are consequences for doing so.

Why not create a game that puts liberty before equality--that puts the fate of the system and players in the hands of the players themselves? Sure, things may not always be "fair," but equality and fairness don't exist under the themepark model either, not to mention real life.

Starting 2012 With The Old Republic

Despite my hesitation and overwhelming distaste for the current state of MMORPGs, I've started playing Star Wars: The Old Republic (like everyone else). In my defense, my brothers caved first, and in a moment of  weakness, I agreed to join them.

The game isn't bad at all--it's actually quite good. But I've never made an argument against World of Warcraft, RIFT, or any themepark MMOs out there on the grounds of quality. These developers do a good job of creating what they set out to create, and Bioware is no exception.

I have a level 16 Jedi Sentinel and a level 8 Republic Trooper, and both have been fun to play (so far). I've enjoyed the voice acting and unfolding stories more than I imagined I would, but understand the long-term limitations of this kind of game design, especially for this genre.

The PvP warzones are fun to an extent. I'm not a fan of the attack/defend game mode as much as the others, but I've managed to squeeze some fun from it as well. Playing with my brothers and friends has definitely heightened the experience, as it usually does. We completed one of the first flashpoints together, and it was a good time despite failing a few times.

The Old Republic is basically a glorified singe-player game with cooperative play--and in that regard it does things well. Nevertheless, between Skyrim and Battlefield 3, as well as the whole host of games set to release this year, I'll probably end up ditching SWTOR sooner rather than later.

Newly Released BF3 Server Admin Settings Reveals Options That Make BF2 Vets Happy

There were a lot of concerns voiced about BF3 coming from BF2 veterans, especially during the beta. Health regeneration for both players and vehicles, spawning on all squad members, and 3D spotting were just some of the "improvements" made to BF3 for the beta that had fans of the true Battlefield series (not Bad Company) shaking their fists.

Well, the server administration guides have been released and guess what? Most of these despised changes are now options to be ignored with a simple "0" or "false."

Here's an example of how some BF2 vets are already preparing to set their servers:

vars.friendlyFire – when set, people can inflict damage on others in the same team.
On.
vars.killCam – when set, a killed player gets to see a close-up of his/hers killer for a few seconds.
Off.
vars.crossHair – when set, guns have crosshairs in the center of the screen.
Off.
vars.3dSpotting – when set, spotted targets are marked with icons in the 3D world.
Forever Off.
vars.3pCam - when set, 3rd person vehicle cameras are enabled.
Off(maybe).
vars.nameTag – when set, nametags are rendered over players’ heads in the 3D world.
Off(if for enemies only).
vars.regenerateHealth – when set, health regeneration is enabled.
Forever Off.
vars.vehicleSpawnDelay – controls the delay between vehicle spawn; specified in percent (100% = normal).
50%
vars.onlySquadLeaderSpawn – when set, players can only spawn on the squad leader.
Forever On.

They are already talking about naming their servers "BF2 Mode." This is good news for DICE because it's going to get praise from some of the fans it pissed off during the beta. And, while these settings may not include everything the veterans didn't like, such as restoring BF2's jet and helicopter physics, it goes a long way.

Perhaps the endless threads posted on Battlelog got someone's attention? Or, was this simply the plan from the start for DICE? If it's the latter, why didn't someone simply come out and say, "Hey, these things will be options for server admins, don't worry," and put an end to negative buzz?

Bud-da bum ba-da bum. Bud-da bum ba-da dum.

Nuclear Dawn Gameplay Video Preview

It's easy to overlook some of FPS gems when you're facing the marketing blitz of games like Rage, Battlefield 3, and Skyrim. For example, Red Orchestra 2 has had some major patches and even a player stats reset that, in my opinion, makes it worth a second look in case you were an unsatisfied early adopter.

Another game that's been overshadowed is Nuclear Dawn, a HL2 mod turned retail game released by Interwave Studios. It's a bit of Natural Selection, Dystopia, and Savage all mixed together and spat back out for your gaming pleasure. Might I also add that it's competently put together?

I could go on about why I've been playing Nuclear Dawn between stints of the BF3 beta, RO2, and Rage, but I'd rather just show you. So, check out my video review below, or over at FPSGuru.com--either one is fine with me, but in case you haven't heard of FPSGuru.com, it's like totally the place to go for FPS game reviews and other awesomeness...so go there sometime.