Crafting in WoW has always been poorly implemented. Each time I reach lvl 80 with an alt I really begin to lament the state of crafting in WoW.
Crafting is such a powerful tool in MMO's. It can stimulate the economy and the community, and it can be another another source of exciting gameplay keeping people in the game. WoW really doesn't do any of that.
From my perspective, the easiest way to tell that WoW's crafting is broken is to look at the profitability of high end crafted goods. The demand for these goods is extremely low and you're lucky if you can make much more than the value of the materials. That, to me, is a sure sign that something isn't working right.
The WoW economy is almost entirely about players buying materials to level up the crafting skills of their various alts. That probably makes up 80% of the money changing hands.
MMO is a continuously evolving and wide reaching genre that contains few "must haves." As such I think you really have to get down to the basics of the game and relate to your audience your critique of the game elements.
The purpose of the game is to make a compelling experience that makes the player want to come back time and time again. Any element that doesn't make you want to stay in that world or that detracts from the experience is a negative.
One of the problems however is that these games are huge and so one portion or one zone can be great an the next 5 can be terrible. So you really do have to experience the majority of the content before you can make any sort of accurate assessment. Unless of course you limit your assessment to the portion that you played, which is common practice on initial reviews.
The review in questions seems valid to me. The reviewer is relating his experience to the audience and critiquing the experience. I don't see how there's anything wrong with that. What else could the reviewer have done.
From my experience, the people who enjoy Darkfall enjoy it fervently (fanbois?). Their reaction to this review is much like their reaction to every negative post in every forum. We know the game experience is niche at best and the reviewer is confirming that.
So can we finally lay this one to rest? Personally I'd be happy if I never heard the name Duke Nukem ever again. The idea that this game has been on the list of vaporware has outlasted its entertainment value. It's an old, stale joke better relegated to annals of history to be dug up by some geeks 20 years from now to relive it's glory as the greatest vaporware.
I don't think it's necessary to give everyone a tanking/healing role. In some cases that seems to result in absurdity, like a mage tank.
What is important though is that everyone gets the same survivability and same dps. Think about the original design, the original design gave hybrids lower dps because they were thought to have greater survivability. The reality was that this wasn't the case due to the numerous penalties involved in using off spec abilities.
Take a moonkin for example. You would assume that because the druid can heal himself that a moonkin has far greater survivability. However, a balance druid probably has less survivability than a frost mage for example.
When did the 360 start including a VGA cable? I've got a 360 and I definitely don't have a VGA cable. The official website doesn't show a VGA cable as part of the package.
Insider Trader: Assessing the gear-crafting trades
May 8th 2009 9:17PM (WoW)Crafting is such a powerful tool in MMO's. It can stimulate the economy and the community, and it can be another another source of exciting gameplay keeping people in the game. WoW really doesn't do any of that.
From my perspective, the easiest way to tell that WoW's crafting is broken is to look at the profitability of high end crafted goods. The demand for these goods is extremely low and you're lucky if you can make much more than the value of the materials. That, to me, is a sure sign that something isn't working right.
The WoW economy is almost entirely about players buying materials to level up the crafting skills of their various alts. That probably makes up 80% of the money changing hands.
How exactly do you review an MMO?
May 8th 2009 8:50PM (Massively)The purpose of the game is to make a compelling experience that makes the player want to come back time and time again. Any element that doesn't make you want to stay in that world or that detracts from the experience is a negative.
One of the problems however is that these games are huge and so one portion or one zone can be great an the next 5 can be terrible. So you really do have to experience the majority of the content before you can make any sort of accurate assessment. Unless of course you limit your assessment to the portion that you played, which is common practice on initial reviews.
The review in questions seems valid to me. The reviewer is relating his experience to the audience and critiquing the experience. I don't see how there's anything wrong with that. What else could the reviewer have done.
From my experience, the people who enjoy Darkfall enjoy it fervently (fanbois?). Their reaction to this review is much like their reaction to every negative post in every forum. We know the game experience is niche at best and the reviewer is confirming that.
Laid-off 3D Realms staff reveal Duke Nukem Forever concept art
May 8th 2009 2:59PM (Joystiq)Should every class be a hybrid?
Apr 30th 2009 2:54PM (WoW)What is important though is that everyone gets the same survivability and same dps. Think about the original design, the original design gave hybrids lower dps because they were thought to have greater survivability. The reality was that this wasn't the case due to the numerous penalties involved in using off spec abilities.
Take a moonkin for example. You would assume that because the druid can heal himself that a moonkin has far greater survivability. However, a balance druid probably has less survivability than a frost mage for example.
The Xbox 360 VGA cable has width issues (Xbox 360 annoyance #016)
Mar 12th 2006 3:31PM (Joystiq)