Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Welcome to the 1,197th edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news, coverage, and commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

We all have them – the MMOG mechanics that drive us bonkers each time we see them crop up again in a newly released title. The things that leave us scratching our head and wondering if the industry has progressed at all over the years in spite of all the fancy new graphics and vaunted voice acting. Since Halloween is universally known as a time of sharing, Reuben “Sardu” Waters takes a look at a few of the MMOG mechanics that haunt him in the wee hours of the night today in Loading… Less Tricks, More Treats.

The Pulse You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the result is the Ten Ton Pulse (What is The Pulse?). Here's today's top 5 Pulse results: World of Warcraft Lord of the Rings Online Dungeons and Dragons Online EverQuest 2 Aion Biggest movers today: Guild Wars (UP 7 to #19) Lord of the Rings Online (UP 6 to #2) Runes of Magic (Up 2 to #12)	Recent MMO Releases 8/25 - CrimeCraft (release date) 9/1 - Champions Online (release date) 9/9 - Dungeons & Dragons Online Unlimited (release date) 9/15 - Runes of Magic "The Elven Prophecy" (expansion) 9/22 - Fallen Earth (release date) 9/22 - Aion (release date) 10/8 - Cities XL (release date)
	Upcoming Releases 11/3 - Dragon Age: Origins (release date) 12/1 - LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood (release date) 12/1 - EVE Online: Dominion (release date) 12/2 - DOFUS 2.0 (release date) Early 2010 - APB

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There I was minding my own business and attempting to read some quest dialog after opting to level one of my alts in WoW rather than simply log in to snag my Hallow’s End trick-or-treat bags and scampering off into the much more visually impressive Blood Moon event in Champions Online like I have been all week. Out of nowhere an alliance priest went zooming by on their epic mount, no doubt rushing off towards the Scarlet Monastery to take a crack at the Headless Horseman. Lo and behold the quest NPC in front of me decided their currently offered task wasn’t nearly as important as chasing off after the offending human (who no doubt deserved a good Forsaken beat down, but that’s beside the point).

As a result of the interruption, I got to stand there in /droolcup mode and await the NPC’s return if I wanted to actually accept the quest he was offering, as the dialog box was unceremoniously slammed shut in my face the moment he took off after a quarry that he had no hopes of catching up to. Sure I could have poked my head around town to see what other menial tasks I could perform that would no doubt prevent the world from a doomy implosion while I waited.  Instead I snagged me a flimsy mask from the local innkeeper before logging out to play a few levels of the awesomeness that is Torchlight (which definitely gets Sardu’s Seal of Approval. If you haven’t done so already, do yourself a favor and check it out!)

Needless to say, the above example is an all too common element of frustration that’s plagued MMOGs since their inception; those funky features that I’ll occasionally jot down on my master list of What to Avoid when Designing an MMOG. Since Halloween is universally known as a time of sharing this seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a look at some of the developer tricks that haunt me in the wee hours of the morning.

Pathing Vendors and NPCs

This one gets me every time. While my above tale of the Forsaken NPC is an extreme example, it drives me nuts when pathing NPCs walk away from you, forcing the dialog window to close before you’ve had a chance to actually read the description of the quest being offered. If developers ever want people to bother reading their cleverly crafted quest text, they really need to stop pathing NPCs in their tracks for more than 10 seconds at a time.

No Dungeon Maps for Joo!

What’s the deal with MMOGs not having in-game maps for instances and dungeons? It’s become pretty common for players to “discover” overland maps as a part of the exploration process, but why don’t we ever see this in dungeons? Does it somehow make the game more fun? Nothing says “immersion” quite like hitting alt+tab to track down a map on the web!

Run Away!

You’re bound to come across those opponents that realize things aren’t quite working out in their favor and opt to head for the hills before things get truly ugly. But does that mean every humanoid that you come across should exhibit the exact same AI behavior? I always find that to be one of the more absurd MMOG mechanics, as it leads to little more than moments of pure frustration each and every time you find yourself staring down at your corpse due to that runner that got away and brought back ten of their friends. I wouldn’t mind it so much if it were randomized in some way, but when all of Mob Type X are flagged as runners I tend to avoid combat with them like the plague.

Those are just a few items on my Development List of Doom, but there are plenty more where those came from. How about you? Have any least favorite mechanics that feel more like a development trick than an MMOG treat? Share your thoughts right here in the Loading… forums!

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Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our Aion General Discussion Forum

Does the lack of loot bother you?

Do Aion's loot tables need adjusting? Most of the people discussing this issue in today's epic thread would agree that they do. Folks have complained of actually losing money and experience while exploring Aion's dungeons rather than the reverse. And when certain boss mobs drop absolutely nothing with alarming frequency, the question becomes: where's the incentive for dungeon runs?

Are you frustrated with the lack of loot in dungeons, or do you accept this as part of Aion's design? Perhaps you've been luckier than some of the people in this thread, and you'd like to gloat. Whatever the case may be, head on over to our Aion forum to have your say.

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Awesome Quotes from the Epic Thread

"Yeah, I didn't like running Training Grounds every day and see nothing. The only thing I've seen through my runs there was an ankle snare stigma for another class. The loot never seemed to drop. ...I left WoW because epics were damn near falling out of the sky. Seems you can go there and get showered in gear or you can come here and hardly see any at all.

No grey area?"

- Sepharious
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Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell us!

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7 new Ten Ton Hammer MMOG features today! 122 in October! 2,070 in 2009!

Today's New Features & Guides

• Borderlands: PC Version Reviewed
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76148
  Combining the RPG and FPS genres has been attempted before, all to varying degrees of success. The main problem developers have faced has always boiled down to figuring out how to satisfy both camps of players without alienating either. Has Borderlands manage to pull this trick off? Find out as Eric “Dalmarus” Campbell dives into the game to find out.
  


• The Cleric's Guide to Healing in Aion
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/aion/guides/classes/cleric_healing
  Healing in Aion can be a much more complex task than it is in other mainstream MMOGs for a number of reasons. As picking the right heal for the right situation can ultimately mean the difference between keeping your tank alive and certain doom for your entire party, we've put together a complete guide to healing in Aion for the aspiring Clerics among you.
  


• WoW: Nostalgia Content - Bringing the Past Back to Life
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76126
  We have all the heard the phrase "back in my day we used to..." and while most of us roll our eyes at the old timer as they wax nostalgic about walking uphill in the snow both ways, many of us can empathize as we think back to our favorite memories. As expansions are introduced, World of Warcraft has become a game full of long-abandoned content and zones that many only catch fleeting glimpses of as they power level their way to catch up with friends. Join Medawky this week as he looks back in time and wonders what older content would make for compelling encounters as Wrath of the Lich King winds down and Cataclysm ramps up.
  


• Champions Online: Blood Moon Gallery
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/co/media/bloodmoongallery
  With undead prowling the streets and wilderness of Champions Online, your friends here at Ten Ton Hammer are pleased to offer you a gallery of screenshots showcasing the undead goodness currently taking place.
  


• Torchlight Launch Day Video Trailer
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76140
  Will the wait for the Torchlight MMO be easier or harder now that the highly anticipated single-player game from the creative forces behind games like Diablo (and popular almost-games like Mythos) has been released? Torchlight is a high quality dungeon crawling Action RPG complete with three high-powered classes, the most intuitive level editor we've ever laid eyes on, and an incredible pricepoint: $19.95 (torchlightgame.com). If you haven't seen much of Torchlight, here's your chance!
  


• New Star Trek Online Screenshots - Space and Ground Combat
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76139
  Satisfy your treklust with these new screenshots sent from the folks at Cryptic Studios, and enjoy the kicker - an excellent shot of our favorite Galaxy class in orbit around a very familiar planet.
  


• Dungeons and Dragons Online Gianthold Adventure Pack Video
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76144
  You never get a second chance to make a first impression goes an old saying, and rarely is it proved wrong. Dungeons and Dragons Online has done just that, however, with the addition of a free-to-play with micro transaction platform. Not content to simply rest on its new found success, the team at Turbine is cranking out adventure packs to satisfy the newly resurgent player base. One of the newest to enter the fray is Gianthold, a pack intended for players in the level 13-14 range that features ten adventures, forty-five quests and a raid. Today's video gives wanna be dungeon crawlers a sneak peek.
  

Hottest Content:

1. Ten Ton Hammer's First In-Depth Preview of LEGO Universe
2. Star Trek Online VIP Q&A with Craig Zinkievich
3. LOTRO - Siege of Mirkwood Live Preview
4. Borderlands - PC Version Reviewed
5. WoW - The Overpull - 10.27.09 - "Race Changing Still Broken"
   
6. Global Agenda: Conquest and Pricing Options Interview
7. Champions Online - Blood Moon Impressions
8. Night of the Lost Souls - A Guide to Age of Conan's Newest Seasonal Event
9. Which World of Warcraft Class makes the best Tank?
10. Exploring the Lore of Star Trek Online Interview

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Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network! 

- Reuben "Sardu" Waters and the Ten Ton Hammer team