Stay away from this company...

When I first moved into my present home, I was dismayed at the internet access visibly available. I went from dial-up (which cost me more to "connect" than anything else, surprisingly) to a satellite connection through Dish Network.

Dish Network promised me download speeds of 1 MB/second - disappointing for someone with experience on a cable connection, but a veritable Promised Land compared to dial-up speeds. They also promised me, as a new customer, a discount of $10/month for the first 10 months of service if I mailed in a certificate that I had to print from their website.

When the technician came to set up the dish and run the cable, and had me sign their contract, he told me that I needed to keep the service for at least 12 months to avoid any early disconnect fees or breach-of-contract stuff. Sounds easy enough, considering I wasn't expecting any better options to arise within the next year.

The problem with getting satellite internet (well, one of them) is that not only will it disconnect at the slightest hint of a cloud in your area, but also when the uplink location has clouds. For Dish Network, that location is near Albany, NY. Whenever we couldn't get a connection, and we had good weather, we cursed in Albany's direction. Looking back, I'm not sure how many times that was the problem, or whether Dish Network just used it as a convenient scapegoat.

I never got download speeds of 1 MB/second. Ever. Most of the time, I was lucky to get about 6/10ths of that, according to online speed tests. And of course, when actually downloading something, it always seemed to download at 1/10th of that speed. If you mention this to someone at the company, they tell you that's because their MB and the MB you're downloading are two different numbers. How convenient for them that most people can't tell the difference, and are already suckered into a contract before they realize their expectations are about to have the rug pulled from under them.

I actually complained enough that they sent out a two-man technician team (at my expense - a $50-60 charge) to come out and evaluate my connection. They came in, fiddled with the dish, used some special Dish Network system to check the connection and see if the signal strength was within some certain guideline (it sounded like they were playing a game - trying to hit some ambiguous green dot). They told me that the previous tech who had set things up did it wrong, hadn't grounded the satellite properly, etc. The connection speed did improve, although it still didn't hit the 1MB/sec mark according to various speed tests. And the improvement, of course, was only temporary, dropping to its "regular" speeds the following day or week.

I also never got my $10/month refund. I sent in their paperwork, all carefully filled out, only to have it sent back to me with a statement saying I didn't qualify. Confused, I called their customer support and explained my situation. I went over the promotion with her, and she confirmed that I should qualify, but that they were having some trouble with that particular processing station that I had sent the paperwork to, and I should send it to this other address that she gave me. So I did. And it gets sent back to me, again, saying I don't qualify. I call yet again, trying to figure out what was going on, and they tell me that the promotion only applies to a certain type of internet connection that's not available in my area, and that I don't qualify.

After about 14 months of using this service, I finally managed to physically go into a cable internet provider's office that's nearby (I couldn't call them, for some reason, since the phone numbers they have listed on their billboards wouldn't allow a non-local number to call, and I only use a cellphone). I ask if they can get me cable service. They come out and check, and lo and behold, they can indeed get me service, a whopping 6 MB/second at almost half the price I'm paying for satellite. Wonderful, I say, and sign up.

The cable provider sends out their technician (a very nice man, by the way, with an appreciation for my wife's herb garden that did not go unnoticed), and within a couple hours we're connected to speeds I could only have dreamed of the day before. So I call Dish Network to cancel my subscription to their service, and they tell me I'll have to pay a fee for early disconnect. I question this, and I'm told I had an 18 month contract, not 12. After a few choice words, I mention to them the shoddy quality of the service, the fact that I haven't had any satisfaction from their company, and that they've never honored any promise given to me, and eventually I'm told that the disconnect fees would be pro-rated since I'd gone 14 of those 18 months, and that I would receive a credit for 2 months of service since they had on file that I was dissatisfied with the speed (which was only on file because that's around the time they sent out the service techs - finally).

I was told, then, that the credits would take care of what I owed them. I very specifically asked, before I hung up the phone, whether I owed them any more money, and I was told "No." So I figured it was handled.

A couple weeks later, a charge appears on my credit card (which I had never used to pay them with) from Dish Network for about $100. I call them, and am told, again, that this is the fee for the early disconnect. I demanded the highest-ranking person I could get hold of, and spent at least a solid hour on the phone berating the company and demanding that they uphold at least one of their statements.

I had to go outside for the majority of the call, so I wouldn't upset the baby with my... let's say "impassioned" rantings. At the end, I was begging, pleading for some sort of tangible evidence that the company was sorry for the hell it put me through. The manager or whoever I was speaking with could say all he wanted, but I'd been lied to too many times, and I wanted tangible proof of their apology. I wanted the company to take responsibility for its actions. If they wanted to insist upon holding me to my obligations and promises, I wanted them to hold to theirs.

In the end, the guy on the line offered me a $5 refund. By that point, I was exhausted emotionally and really didn't even know what I was fighting for. It was a pitiful excuse for a payoff to get me to go away, and I knew it, but what else could I do. I said fine.

Guess what. I never got that $5, either.

Stay away from Dish Network.

Missouri, you have two days

It's like Cake or Death, but with less cake.

October 8 is the last day to register to vote in Missouri. Regardless of your political or moral leanings, I encourage everyone to make certain they are registered with their current, accurate information. Think of it as buying a lottery ticket: you can't win if you don't play.

I'm really not sure if there's a point to making a recommendation, or stating my own views or leanings. Pretty much everyone who is going to vote already knows who they want to vote for. I will say that I got a big kick out of Hilton's return-fire at McCain, hence my inclusion of her image here.

I will also say that I would much have preferred a Clinton-Obama, Clinton-Biden, or even Obama-Clinton ticket, for one very good reason that was pointed out to me: Clinton has been through this. She's already had her background put through the wringer. There won't be anything that can be dredged up to use against her, aside from the inevitable (and still prolific) jibes at her husband's extramarital excursions.

I've always been very irritated by the weight put on what should have been a personal issue, not a presidential one. Morality and religion play more of a role in our elections and politics, now, than England's, which is highly ironic to anyone who passed their high school Civics and American History classes. Our president is supposed to be our political leader, not our moral compass.

Alright, side-rant over.

But, lacking a preferable ticket, yes, I am in favor of the Obama-Biden campaign. I've learned too much about McCain and Palin, especially the latter. Considering the age and infirmity of McCain, I think we have to consider the possibility that Palin would take over at some point during the term, and I honestly believe she would be worse than Bush. I remember when the campaigning started, McCain as president was compared to having another four years of the current regime, but now I think Bush would be preferable. Scary.

So I beg and implore anyone still upset over Clinton's exclusion from the race - Please, do not let your sour grapes spoil things further for the rest of us. No, Obama's not perfect, but at least take a few minutes to go over the facts concerning the two remaining candidates and their VP choices. Get a renewed, fresh perspective. Look at it as though Clinton was never a candidate to begin with. Don't vote for McCain out of spite. If you're going to vote for him, it should be because you agree with not only his ideals and voting record, but also Palin's ideals and voting record. After all, if she's a "maverick" she may not stick to what McCain did, should he pass while in office.

Further, if you're a Republican who is voting for McCain-Palin because of party affiliation, I urge you, as well, to go over the issues again. Think about what you really believe for yourself, and determine if their voting records and backgrounds are really what you agree with.

I know I'm not likely to change any minds. But I'll have no sympathy whatsoever for those who vote one way, and then complain in the event that their chosen candidate wins and acts exactly as their record indicates. It's not the promises made on the campaign trail that dictate how a president will act, but the actions and stances they have taken throughout their history.

Beautiful and intelligent... Is that legal?

News Flash: I play Mabinogi, which some of you may already be familiar with. I recently had the opportunity to continue the storyline quests available to those who purchase one or more of the available game services, and completed both the Generation One storyline and the Generation Two. I'm currently working on G3.

Something my wife and I have both commented on, now, is the extraordinary writing of the storyline. Most Free-to-Play MMOs have the shiny graphics meant to draw you in, and they throw in some basic quests to learn the game with, along with, perhaps, some advanced ones, but that's it. Like many webcomics, they rely upon the pretty renderings to keep their fanbase. This is true for several pay-to-plays, as well, but we'll ignore that for the time being.

Mabinogi has the pretty sights and sounds. From a purely visual aspect, they have much more as well. The detail put into the very beautifully immersive environments is, while perhaps overlooked by many, very much appreciated by those like my wife and myself. Details like putting benches on a second-story terrace, when that terrace is mostly concealed, either by hanging sheets or privacy screens. Details like wildflowers as part of the terrain, not just the background, in outdoor "dungeons". Details like coffin-shaped treasure chests in crypt dungeons, ornate chandeliers above the line of sight of most characters, shadows of clouds being cast on the ground... I could go on.

But what sets this game apart from the others that I've played is the story. I don't want to give too much away, because I'd love for all of you to go through the same perception shifts and realizations that I did. The writing, even down to the clues that only make sense after you've learned "what happens next", the supposedly random text-bubble quotes spoken by various NPCs, or even just their descriptions when you talk to them... Everything contributes to this immersive experience. That, along with a masterful weaving of concepts both familiar and unfamiliar, and the granting of something more meaningful for the completion of these epic quests than just some gold or experience points. The game provides an actual experience, one that isn't measured by points or levels, to those who give up their hard-earned money to support it, and that's something I very much appreciate.

Again, I have gained more satisfaction and intellectual pleasure playing this game than almost any other game I've paid to play, whether it was set up as a free-to-play game or not. Neverwinter Nights didn't have this depth or immersiveness, it always seemed far too contrived. City of Heroes, while immersive, lacked a solid storyline and often felt forced as well. Flyff was just utter inanity in pretty packaging.

And while it may lessen the magnitude of your accomplishments in the game to see others who have also saved the world, doubtless in the same fashion, by finishing you become part of that group, part of the elite who have taken on forces and endured hardships that the non-paying crowd cannot fully comprehend.

I have my disappointments with the game, but overall, I'm happy with it. Heck, considering who we learned about the game from, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I'm looking forward to the G3 storyline, which includes different options based on your decisions. Again, something I've never seen in other free MMOs, and rarely seen in paid games.

Some people I know, who I've tried to introduce to the game, have been unable to play it due to system requirements, but those who are able to play, I highly recommend you give the game a chance. If you like the free version, I would recommend paying for one or more of the available services, and taking advantage of not only what the service offers, but also the mainstream storyline quests that become available. Hopefully you'll enjoy them as much as we have.

A very Dark Knight indeed

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead. You've been warned.

I realize the belatedness of this posting in relation to the release of the movie itself. My wife and I weren't able to see it for a while, until a friend of ours very kindly offered to babysit for us, and afterwards I didn't feel capable of making any sort of coherent comments. I'm very glad we made the decision not to bring our 7 month old (he loved the latest Indiana Jones), not because the movie would have affected him, but because feeling and seeing our reactions would have.

I'm curious how it affected anyone who may be reading this. I don't think I've had a movie affect me like that since E.T. (I was very young, saw it in the theatre). I'm pretty sure I was shaking after Dark Knight ended, and it took me several hours before I could really process everything I'd just seen.

As if Heath Ledger's death wasn't tragic enough. Having seen the caliber of performance he was capable of giving, I have to wonder if he'll be regarded as the modern James Dean. You have to know that they wanted him back for a sequel, that so many scriptwriters just tore out their hair when they heard of his passing. My wife, even, would very much have looked forward to an introduction of Dr. Harley Quinn to play off of Ledger. It was an inspired performance, and not having him around to repeat it puts the character out of commission for at least two more films. Replacing him too soon won't sit right with the fan base.

I have to agree with a lot of the reviewers that the worst acting was on the part of the title character. Christian Bale makes a decent Bruce, but his Batman needs work. What was worst, I think, was the voice change. It sounded like he was out of breath and congested whenever he was speaking as Batman. I theorized that maybe there was some sort of voice modulator built into the suit, at the throat area so it was hidden, so that no one could use voice recognition technology to discover his identity, but the voice was the one aspect that jarred us out of the experience the most.

Some people expressed the view that the Joker character wasn't "funny" enough, that he didn't have a sense of humor, but I have to disagree. He thought everything was absolutely hilarious, and to those with a similar mindset (or one wide-angled enough to understand it), the humor was there. Dark, yes, and twisted, based on a skewed perception of the world and its relative truths, but still there. Also interesting were the various stories he told about his facial scars. It told the audience to be careful, not to believe anything this guy says. Something which was easy to forget, later on when he was in the hospital with Dent - that speech, like all his previous, was intended to manipulate.

The funniest line in the whole movie, though, was delivered by Freeman, in the scene where the accountant tries to blackmail Bruce Wayne. "Good luck with that." A family member was reminded of a line from Meet the Robinsons - "I just don't think this plan was thought through very well." Fox essentially told the accountant that his arms were way too short to box with God, without giving away a thing.

I'm always impressed with Gary Oldman, and this was no exception. He disappears into every character he portrays. You could look at Gordon's body language and tell that he was a cop. I'm still convinced that he should be first pick, in the event that a movie (or seventeen) based on Steven Brust's Jhereg series ever gets made.

Apparently, some people have expressed the hope that they bring back Two-Face. Again, an inspired performance, albeit one overshadowed by the tragedy surrounding the film. However, to pull such a stunt when the character was obviously killed would kill the credibility of the series as a whole. I understand the desire, especially since the villain they'd obviously intended to bring back (aside from the Scarecrow - a very neat little interlude there, which hinted at so much more) is out of commission, at least for a good while. Aaron Eckhart does a wonderful job in a difficult role, especially one with such a quick psychological turnabout. He makes both the before and after versions of Dent believable, as well as the turning point. The makeup and effects for Two-Face are fantastic in their realism, managing to be dark without being unnecessarily gory.

The family member I mentioned passed on rumors about the next film that include Angelina Jolie as Catwoman, and/or Johnny Depp as Riddler. We're both very excited about the latter possibility. He sees a serious portrayal of the Riddler as a classic serial killer, on the order of the Zodiac. The character doesn't need a question-mark-covered suit or a brass cane - just an elevated intellect and an ego that prompts him to taunt authorities with clues to his every move.

As for the first possibility, I have to admit some extreme hesitance and disagreement. Catwoman as a role seems impossibly difficult to take seriously. I'd be willing to give this crew a chance on it, but my belief in them will be severely strained if Jolie is given the part. I've seen her in a number of films, and quite frankly she seems to be picked for roles based primarily on her figure. I'm all for Catwoman being attractive, but A) I don't find Jolie attractive and B) a woman doesn't need to have a large bustline to inspire attraction. Quite frankly, I think a more slender figure would be perfectly in keeping with a character that draws its name from felines. Aesthetics aside, I imagine serious acrobatics would be easier with less up top, and I think if this team is serious about putting in Catwoman, there's going to be some major acrobatics involved. I'm thinking more along the lines of Mystique from the recent X-Men movies than the string of backflips from Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman. Actually, Rebecca Romijn might not be too bad a choice...

New Shadowrun Campaign

Several years ago my best friend invited me into a group of table-top gamers that played every Tuesday evening. They were playing 3rd edition D&D at the time (which I had boycotted for quite a while, but relented in the interests of playing anything at all). They had been meeting at a gaming shop, but moved their location to the home of one of the players. Yes, we did play in his basement, but 1) he owned the house, is married, and is 10-20 years my senior, and 2) the basement was huge, well lit, and decked out with all the gaming necessities, including generic reference material and snacks.

For the first few sessions, it seemed people were taking turns being DM. I'd come in on the last session run by their usual one, since he was moving out of the area. After that, the host ran a couple, then passed it over to one of the other players to run a campaign. It's a workable system, allowing everyone a chance to be a player and partake of the pleasure in gaining loot and experience. About five sessions in, though, we discovered the major flaw in the plan.

The DM screen passed to an older player, probably an additional 10-30 years older than the host. He was known for playing the Paladin, and in some ways was regarded as being a real "Boy Scout" type in real life, too. So, he didn't play far from what he knew, basically. I don't personally think he understands what it really means to be a Paladin, or the alignment table. He played more of a fanatical crusader than a Lawful Good anything.

But, he was the DM this time 'round, and it started out with the party being ambushed in the night, and all our equipment being stolen. All the treasure, the magical items we'd managed to either create (taking precious gold and exp) or acquire (with difficulty), everything we'd worked our butts off to gain was taken from us. No dice rolls, no chance to hide anything, do not pass go, do not collect 200 gold pieces. One of the players even lost a special ability he'd given up other class abilities to gain, with prior DM approval, because the new DM didn't understand the ability.

The table took a break, that lasted an hour or two. The DM went outside and took a smoke break while the players, including me, had a long debate over what to do with the situation. Would we pack up and go home, rejecting this campaign, or would we give him a chance, to see if the rewards of this campaign of his would outweigh the up-front frustrations and irritations?

I was the newbie, so I didn't feel comfortable trying to pass judgment on anyone at the table, especially someone I didn't know. The host, however, insisted that I be heard. I was there, I was a player, I had a vote.

I was the only person who spoke up in defense of the guy.

Everyone else was prepared to just call it quits. I played devil's advocate, and even admitted as much, but I can't let a situation I'm involved in go on without at least acknowledging the possibility of other viewpoints. We ended up continuing the campaign, though there were some tense moments early on (The DM continued by having us join up with a military force that was tracking down those that had ambushed us, and insisted that our characters participate in the drills and training structure, effectively being drafted into this army. This didn't sit well with those of us playing Chaotically-aligned characters.), and eventually had some fun with it. But the problem with having a rotating DM had reared its ugly head, and left a really nasty taste in our mouths.

The next campaign was run by our host. He had us roll up new characters, because we weren't playing D&D anymore, but something he'd had 10 years experience with: Shadowrun.

I was skeptical. I'd just poured a lot of mental energy into learning 3rd edition D&D, and now I was going to have to learn a completely new system with new terminology, and an entirely different magic system. And I'd been raised on fantasy, so this cyberpunk stuff was unknown territory to me.

I shouldn't have worried.

I eventually moved away, and couldn't participate anymore, but the "Tuesday Group" became a group of friends, and I always have a spot saved for me at the table, should I be able to visit. This invitation extends, now, to cyberspace.

The host/GM started up a play-by-post group, and I just got my character for it finished. I'm hoping I get to play this one longer than the last one, which ended because he had a change of financial situation and had to get another job. That one was set in Louisiana, "N'awlins", and my character was a DJ from St. Louis who had moved to New Orleans to find a less competitive market. Oh, and he was a Cat Shaman, too.

Unfortunately this new campaign is apparently a low-magic setting, so I can't dust him off and try again. This time, I'm playing the daughter of a Yakuza member who was shooting for an advisory position. Someone else wanted it to, though, and tried to 'discourage' him from getting it. One of these 'discouragements' was kidnapping my character and dropping her in a bunraku parlor, where she was given a complete cosmetic makeover. When they tried to install the personafix chip, though, something went awry and it didn't take, her system getting partially fried in the process. They dumped the body, leaving the still alive but pretty much comatose chummer to rot. She was picked up by a passing poser-gang member, nursed to health, and woke up with no memory of her identity or what happened to her.

So she's now an Adept with no memory of her past life, finding a sense of community in a poser gang. Are her parents still alive, or did her father's competitor take him out? Is someone looking for her? With no resemblance to her previous appearance, the only way to check her id would be with DNA, if her previous life's info (SIN) even still exists.

I think it's pretty nifty. I'm still waiting on approval from the GM, but I'm excited about playing again. Here's hoping for a good run.

The problem(s) with unofficial RP servers

A lot of MMO games these days have at least one server which is touted as the RP server. Sometimes, it's listed as such by the game itself, but more often than not it is an unofficial, sometimes unwritten designation. These unofficial RP servers, then, are what I tend to seek out, hoping for in-character interaction in the (sometimes) richly detailed, existing game environment. I don't go into a fantasy realm to hear about real-world sports, politics, religion, which current big-name movie star is hot, etc. I kinda figured the whole idea was to escape reality.

The difficulty is, unless roleplay is actually enforced, or at the very least highly encouraged, it becomes very difficult to find as an outsider. Part of that is because non-roleplayers aren't discouraged from using those servers, so it fills up with the same powergamers, botters, farmers, number crunchers, and min-maxers the other servers have, in addition to being populated by those who actually are trying to RP. These are the same powergamers, etc., who are likely to look at you oddly, at the least, or even go out of their way to give you grief, at worst, if you start roleplaying. So all the RP'ers end up being fairly quiet about their roleplay, which makes it even more difficult to find.

And let us not even get into what having a normal dose of "typical" players in addition to the RP crowd does for server lag.

Then there's the fact that no matter where you are, there's going to be varying levels of skill as it regards roleplay. Some people really understand their character, and do their best to understand the game world as it applies to that character. Some people think that going around saying "my lord/lady" and using outdated informals (thee, thou, thine) is the height of RP.

Side rant: Using those archaic pronouns is not only overdone, but wrongly done. They are informals, not formal addresses. Using them with someone meant you knew them very well, and were at least friends if not lovers, or else it was considered an insult. Think about it: if you address royalty, it's always "your Majesty" not "thy Majesty". It's like using the Japanese -kun in reference to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Japan.

Even if you take the opinion that these are poetic forms, used to create prose and poetry with an ancient feel, or for religious scripture, that does not apply to common speech. Even though you are typing, from the perspective of your character, you are speaking.

If you use any of the old informals when speaking to me, and I don't know you, don't be surprised if I avoid any more interaction with you, IC or otherwise. Chances are, you've either insulted me, or I've written you off as another idiot pretending to be intelligent.

[/rant]

As I was saying, some people really get it, as far as RP goes, and some do not. Even so, the ones that do not are still trying, usually. And quite frankly, it gets to the point where I'm RP-starved enough not to care, half the time. But I'm lucky to overhear even one example of any roleplay in any given week, and because I'm new or unknown, it doesn't include me.

Another problem with persistent RP is one that I discovered in Neverwinter's persistent worlds, but applies to most MMO games with quest-based story progressions, including City of Heroes/Villains and Mabinogi. What do you do when you've already completed a quest, but are helping someone else with the same one? Do you feign IC ignorance of the scenario? Do you say, "Gee, I thought I took care of that problem? Well, I've been through here about two-dozen times already, so it should be a piece of cake. I know where all the traps and ambushes are, just follow my lead!"

So much potential exists for great roleplay experiences, but unofficial RP servers just don't tend to deliver the satisfaction I hope for. More often than not, my time there turns into just more hack & slash XP-grinding.

I will admit, though, that after seeing Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, I've got a terrible urge to get back into City of Villains. It's a shame my satellite connection can't reliably allow the loader to connect.

Past Experience - Neverwinter Nights

I think it's rather sad that my old computer could run this game just fine, but I had to buy a new CPU to play a free MMO game.

I stayed away from Neverwinter Nights for a long while, but eventually picked it up after finding out that, 1) some acquaintances of mine not only played it, but used it as background material for a play-by-post Dungeons & Dragons game, and 2) there weren't any monthly fees. I probably should've followed my original instinct.

To be fair, since purchasing it I've had a fair amount of fun with the game, but solo play eventually bores me to tears, shiny graphics or not. If I can't at least have a LAN game with another person, you'll find me playing it only when exceedingly bored. As for the online, multiplayer aspect, I'm of at least two minds on the subject when it comes to NWN.

I'm a Roleplayer. I seek out RP for the sake of RP, not just as fluff to fill the time between bot-killing. There were a number of hosted games which claimed to be RP-style, but very few followed through with such a promise. Even when the promise was kept, there was only so much that could be done, given the game's engine itself. Several player-made tools, widgets, and wands were created and added to various servers to try and make up for the failings of the product, but the core of the game that Bioware built was hack & slash munchkinism, not RP.

Assuming all other factors were equal, a strength-based fighter would statistically always win over a finesse-based fighter. Regardless of class, build, and sometimes even level, a greatsword would always win over a rapier in a duel, despite what we know of real-world physics.

Whether it was an RP-Lite server or hardcore RP, if you wanted to go anywhere or do anything, you needed levels, or at least gold. To participate in mass battles in defense of the city, and not be simply another corpse on the field, you had to "train", "hunt", "travel", or otherwise level-grind to make sure you made a difference. If you didn't want to be a pushover for any random two-copper PC villain, you needed to be able to best them in combat, or bluff your way out. Most of the PC villains I came across, though, were never good at letting you escape, somehow always being powerhouses that used their evil alignment as an excuse to grief you, and then would chastise you if you complained for not facing the consequences of "RP".

On the few servers that had PC-filled IC offices, such as mayor, king, guardsman, whatever, you might have some pretense of power, but without levels (Read: sufficient Hit Points and fighting ability) you wouldn't survive the first assassination attempt, usually put together by some petty powergamer who had no other motive than A) their alignment and B) a desire to do something "big", instead of just griefing low-level characters in the low-level "training" areas.

Occasionally, I came across decent RP. Rarely, I came across really good RP. But almost never with a villain/antagonist.

When I played on the MUD, my character's titles and offices had meaning. The position held power, even if my character couldn't fight worth beans. Typing, good writing skills, creativity, were much more useful in tense situations there, and even if it did come down to game mechanics for combat, there were restrictions meant to discourage griefing of low-level characters, to prevent powergamers from constantly player-killing those who had no chance of defense. On NWN, even the best servers had nothing in place which did that. It didn't matter what level you were. You could be level 3, and a level 20 character was in no way prevented from antagonizing you through combat, despite the fact that there was no way (save for logging out) to defend yourself.

A good player, hero or villain, should make their target's death worth it, in terms of entertainment value, for the other player, not just for their own ego-boosting pleasure.

RP is not dead, just wounded

Ok, I admit it. I'm very resistant to change. There's still a good-sized part of me that rails against paying for online games, even though I've now succumbed to the depths of paying for "free-to-play" games (Ok, yes, you can play them for free, but to really enjoy them costs an average of $15/month). That part of me is rather close to or symbiotic with another part that says, "Sure, the graphics are shiny, but you'll never have the same fun or RP that you did playing that free text-based game."

Yeah, the MUD I played in was pretty good. I had a lot of good times there, made some friends, some enemies, etc. I look back fondly on the time I spent there, and occasionally drop in to check out what's been going on.

The problem is, my nostalgia plays tricks with my memory. Sure, I remember the good times, but I also have over three years' worth of logfiles to remind me of all the bad times, too. The in-character politics is one thing, but to have IC politics manipulated by OOC, to have players abuse their power by spying on you with their IMM account, to have rogue IMMs depose players' characters from power due to OOC dislike, to have spent over three years of my life devoted to helping a game's roleplay environment with nothing to show for it...

Yes, I'm bitter. I reached the point, quite some time ago, where I no longer trusted anyone in power within the game, because the majority of them had tried, with varying levels of success, to screw me and mine over. But that's not why I'm writing this. I do not intend to subject you all to the venomous vitriol which has built up within me.

My point of this post, rather, is to discover why, after knowing all the difficulties, all the politics, all the OOC factors that tint my perspective of that virtual place... why do I still feel the urge to return there? Whether it's to resume my role or begin a new character, I feel this pull towards the MUD.

I believe part of it is due to the inherent traits of a text-based environment, something that no graphics-based game is going to be able to reproduce for quite some time - customization of your character's appearance. Graphics-based character generation comes with preset attributes; your hair can be these styles, these colors, your skin can be these shades, your eyes can be this shape, these colors. After a while, there's no way to look unique. That's why there's always a rush to get the newest, coolest-looking clothes and such when new expansions are released. If you're the first, you get to look unique and stand out, even if it's just for a little while.

Within the text-based world, however, you can enter in your own description of your character. You're not limited to the defaults, to the pre-approved styles of hair or clothing. You can add details, like that scar your character got fighting some major battle, or even just your character's bearing. Not everyone walks the same, after all. Sure, it's limited by your imagination, but I'd much rather be "constrained" by my own than by the imaginations and code limitations of the game designers. After all, these are the same people who have mandated over and over that strength beats all, that a bigger sword equals a better sword, while finesse and grace are relegated to the weak, or at the most second-best.

Sudden insight: Video games give many people an escape from the feeling that they are powerless, without control of their lives, by allowing them to feel powerful within the context of the game. However, the game does not teach any different lesson: You need to be strong, be powerful, in order to progress. The game provides escape, temporarily. You can fight against the evil/corrupt powers-that-be and have a chance of changing things for the better. But there is no long-term solution included. Nothing learned from the game can be applied to change a person's daily sense of oppression in the real world. It's a patch, a quick-fix akin to cigarettes and chocolate.

Returning to my widely swinging point of this post, yes, character customization is a big part of it. My mind can come up with much more variance in appearance than a game engine can allow for. Further, perhaps due to this, the text-based crowd tends to exhibit a bit more imagination and RP ability than most people you'll find in a graphics setting. Again, some of this is due to code limitations, but a good deal of it is not. I felt a greater sense of immersion playing a game without graphics than I ever have while playing the shiny stuff.

Then, do I play with the shinies and ignore the lack of depth and RP, or do I return to the text, ignoring the lack of graphics, and subject myself to more psychological torture at the hands of petty politics for the chance of a more satisfying RP experience?

Game Developers Hate Central USA

So, I've been doing the whole job-hunt thing recently, sending out my resume to various and sundry employers in the hopes of bettering my situation. A lot of them I've sent via email, so I'm checking my inbox for new messages and notice an ad for a site proclaiming great income potentials for game testing, and how I, too, could become a success story.

It was a scam, of course. I'm no novice, and did my homework before committing the forty-odd dollars it asks for. But in the process, I came across a site that listed the employment opportunities pages for Nintendo, Blizzard, and EA games. So, curious, I went to look and see what was available. After all, practically everyone wants a job doing what they love, and gamers are no exception.

After scouring the listings, I did find a few I could qualify for. I hit one, tiny little snag, though. All of the listings were nowhere near where I live. It seems practically every gaming company has its development and testing sites in California or Texas, with some in Florida, and even a job offer in Bucharest, Romania. But next to nothing in the Central US, and absolutely nothing in the state of Misery.

So, I guess if you want what is arguably the coolest job in the world, you have to already live some place cool. Personally, I think St. Louis is pretty cool. Kansas City's not bad, either. And Columbia, Missouri is a pretty hip place, too, not to mention the fact it has several college campuses with students who would jump at the chance to support their education through gaming. And the city itself is booming, now boasting a population in excess of 100,000.

I'm not biased, though. If a major gaming corporation decided to open an office in some terribly obscure location in the Midwest like, say, Sabetha, Kansas, I'd be satisfied. Still without a gaming job, but satisfied.

Games are (supposed to be) fun

As games of all sorts have advanced, they've also gotten more complicated. There's more to remember, more to do, different tactics or combinations to learn. Some recent video games I've seen have tried to revert to a simpler layout, or to make things more intuitive for the player, but that only makes things more complicated for the programmers, not to mention the fact that what's intuitive for one person may be completely foreign to someone else. And, of course, what's intuitive anymore? Now that we've all become so used to the non-intuitiveness of previous video games, have they replaced our instinctual coordination?

As they've advanced, there's also been a bigger push for video games that allow you to play with other people. But we've gone beyond adding a second controller, or taking turns to see who can get the better score. We have to all play at the same time, and be able to cooperate with (or attack) each other. But we don't always have access to a circle of friends that can come over and play with the console, now that we've bought the eight controller adapter and six extra controllers, not to mention the money to invest in all that hardware to begin with. So we've acquiesced to the fate of the friendless or isolated, and play online with strangers we've never met in the hopes they won't make us feel too inferior.

I have a wonderful new computer, thanks to my darling and beautiful wife. It was a birthday present this year. However, there's not much either of us can do about our internet connection, and if the baby knows what to do, he's not talking. We live just outside the city limits, so we don't have access to the cable or DSL the city provides. There's a DSL extension which would reach us, but it's full, and has been for a year with no expectation of vacancy. So we have two options: dial-up or satellite. I almost wonder if we should have stuck with dial-up. We're supposed to have 1MB/s download speeds, but we're lucky if we reach a tenth of that. Which makes online gaming rather lag-filled at best.

Despite this, we do our best to enjoy the games we play. Both my wife and I were avid game players before we got together, and that isn't likely to change. We've done City of Heroes/Villians, Neverwinter Nights, Age of Mythology/Empires, and a number of free MMO(RP?)Gs including Flyff, Runescape, and most recently Mabinogi.

It can be something of a hardship, at times, to play. I can see other characters perform skills at speeds that were engineered to astound, while I move in relative slow-motion. Others can shoot their arrows three times or more before I can manage one shot. Magical skills are another difficulty. The ice bolt skill, for example, allows you to shoot five bolts in rapid succession. I can maybe get in two shots before the enemy has reached and hit me. The healing skill, another rapid succession spell, I can heal once, maybe twice, before another character has expended all their charges. The majority of tactics which are in common practice with the playerbase are impossible for my wife and I to use, simply because our connection speed is too slow, something which we try to explain (with varying levels of success) to those we group with, so as not to have them think we're not trying to pull our own weight.

Sometimes, frustration over our plight builds, usually in me, and I become more stressed by playing the game, something which was intended as a means of releasing tension and having fun, than I would have by, say, reflooring our living room (not an arbitrary comparison, as I have very recent experience to draw from). Yet I continue to play. Am I drawn by the fun that I'm having despite the poor connection? By the fun that can potentially exist in the game, if things were going as they should? Or am I just a sucker for the shiny graphics?

Then I come across someone, in-game, who spends the better part of an hour complaining about how bored they are, and asking if someone can come revive their character, because they don't want to respawn back at the last town and have to walk all the way back. They ended up, eventually, taking a greater hit to their experience points by reviving on-the-spot, rather than having to make the trek across... two screen transitions? And they're still bored.

If you're bored with the game, it obviously isn't fulfilling its purpose, and you should stop playing. I might get frustrated, but at least I'm never bored.