At some point I was thinking of purchasing Final Fantasy XIV and playing it for a month or two until Cataclysm approached its actual release date (in which case I would continue obsessively playing WoW :P). I don't feel like I really gave Final Fantasy XI a fair chance and would have loved to at least experience a taste of why people find that game so attractive. But as mentioned before, I don't really want to do the $60 temporary MMO thing again, ala Aion, so that leaves the open beta.

All other criticisms and issues aside, I will be frank: The interface and controls are horrible if not borderline unacceptable. My goal is to play the open beta past the introductory curve for the sake of getting into the real meat of the game but the problem is that, it feels like such a chore to do anything in FFXIV at this point. I mean, I was never fan of the nested menus, but they aren't too different than any menu found in any of the console Final Fantasy games which weren't too bad. the real problem is that there is a palpable delay between literally everything that you do. It is cludgy and feels like a bad port.

The interface lag makes it feel like I am playing the game through a remote terminal connection, which to my understanding is a correct assessment given that literally everything, including mouse control is being handled server side, or at least feels like it. Speaking of which, why is there no hardware mouse support? Supposedly Square Enix is 'considering' adding it into the game at some point, but that is such a basic feature. It is like selling a car and then adding the wheels on at a later date.

I think it's pretty clear that Square Enix has absolutely no idea how to make a game that is not console based. There is a solid standard for PC MMO interfaces that hearkens back to the days of Everquest. Over the past decade or so, one game or another has build upon it but it is effectively, the same damn layout, it just works and there is little reason to deviate from it. But, I am playing a beta so hopefully within the next few weeks at least a few of the interface issues will have been polished out.

Also, the omega hares of death have been replaced by the dodos of impending doom.

I am disappoint. I was looking forward to giving Final Fantasy XIV a short whirl this week without having to dish out $60 at launch. Oh well, maybe the beta won't be pushed back too long (or outright cancelled). It’s a little worrisome that there would be critical bugs severe enough to completely pull the installer and the entire beta 3 weeks before the launch date. But on the other hand, name one large MMO with a perfect and unhithered launch? I assume that within 3 to 6 months time most of the critical bugs and server load issues will have been smoothed out. That time period is when we need to be taking a more critical look at both the game and Square Enix’s ability to support it.

That said, I still hold very little faith in Square Enix to ever hold the ability to make a decent MMO or single player RPG ever again, based off of the notable decline in their flagship titles. Unless major positive change happens, gone are the days of the JRPG dynasties. But then again, I’ve become somewhat of an MMO skeptic and obviously WoW biased. I hope I’m wrong and that it is a legitimately good game, regardless of my disinterest in subscribing.

Since I’m on the topic of FFXIV: Many people have been abuzz about the XP capping. I don’t comment too much without actually having played the game (QQ) but my question is: Is it really necessary to gate content to that extent? And, will it work toward a more casual friendly game or will it just frustrate people? All MMOs gate content to some extent, but a hard cap seems pretty harsh. I guess it depends on how much non-grind content is available. If there are for example, very comprehensive secondary systems (like crafting), it might not be that bad of a change.

But still, WoW currently rewards players for spending some time away from the game by rewarding rest experience. I have always been a fan of positive reinforcement over punishment. Penalizing the hardcore player base, the one demographic willing to stick with it through thick and thin does not seem to be that wise of a choice. I mean, charging prospective players $13 a month and then arbitrarily dictating exactly how long they can play? What? I am an adult and can dictate my own time usage. As for minors, just put a parental lock in place. That’s my 2 cents.

When people talk about where role-playing games come from, I'm pretty sure that pen and paper systems like Dungeons & Dragons come to mind. In truth, people have been role-playing for centuries, spanning from improvisational theater to murder mystery types of parlor games to even a child's game of pretend, even though we don't think of them as role-playing games.

So that begs the question: What exactly is a role-playing game? The term "role-playing" in modern times has been thrown around so much that is has seemingly lost its meaning. The traditional definition of a role-playing game encompasses a fairly wide range of games in which a player assumes a role in a fictitious setting. Success and failures within the game are determined by a set of rules and guidelines. The goal of any good role-playing game is to tell a collaborative story, crafted out of the choices and consequences of its players.

This is how it usually works: Each player chooses or is assigned a role or a character. Each player is in turn in charge of using that character to interact with the setting for the sake of progressing the narrative. The point is that, the players are responsible for choosing paths from their character's point of view. It's all about viewing something from another person's perspective and deciding what they would do, not you.

The game world, at least in a traditional pen and paper role-playing campaign is represented by a dungeon master, who is generally in charge of managing the setting and creating any details or encounters that the players would come across on their adventure. The dungeon masters also serves as a referee, enforcing the game's rules and providing player guidance. In a computer based RPG (CRPG), the dungeon master is represented by the AI.

So what makes a computer game apart of the role-playing game genre? First and foremost: Computer role-playing game is a misnomer: CRPGs lack the distinct ability to allow players to choose. Many of the newer RPGs such as Mass Effect, do allow for some degree of choice but ultimately lack the ability to create emergent stories based solely upon a player's actions. At heart, a role-playing game is a story created by its players. The setting is just a construct.

A more accurate description would be interactive fiction. The player assumes the role of a character and plays through a predefined story. The game still tells a story, but a linear one. All video game narratives are linear, some just hide it better than others. But if having a story and playing an entity is the definition of a CRPG, then all computers games would be of that genre. In Mario you assume the role of Mario on a quest to save the princess. In Half-Life, a game that is ironically closer to a role-playing game than many actual CRPGs, you are for all intents and purposes Gordon Freeman. Valve has been very careful about not breaking your point of view within the game.

However, neither of these games, to say the last, are considered even close to CRPG by modern standards. Traditional CRPGs were defined by gameplay, being largely stat based and heavily influenced by D&D. Nowadays, the RPG genre spans such a wide variety of titles that gameplay itself is almost irrelevant to its definition. So again, what exactly defined a computer based role-playing game? What exact criteria separates an RPG from a non-RPG? Two things:

1. Character progression: All CRPGs have either a leveling or an advanced skill/stat based character progression system in effect. Above all game mechanics and combat systems, character progression is the one technical element that all CRPGs have in common.
2. A narrative: A narrative must contain (my loose definition) a setting, characters, conflict, story and dialogue. In regards to computer games, role-playing games usually have more developed story interaction than most other games of other genres. By definition, all RPGs feature a character or role that the player fills.

Both Deus Ex and Half-Life are first person shooters yet only one is considered to be a part of the role-playing genre. Even though Half-Life, as mentioned before, could arguably be truer to a role-playing game than most actual CRPGs, it is not because it has no character progression system in place. The same is true of many other RPG sub-genres: For example: Final Fantasy Tactics vs StarCraft, Puzzle Quest vs Bejeweled. Though many games have a narrative, in order to be considered a CRPG they must also have character progression.

Interesting exception: Sleep is Death. It's a two-player collaborative story telling game. One person creates and controls the world the other persons plays an entity or a character in that world. The player and creator alternate turns: The player interacts, moves or speaks and the creator in turn alters the world. Each turn is automatically screenshotted and compiled into a story. That's the closest thing to role-playing that I've ever seen in a computer game. Specifically because of the role player choice has within the game and the focus on actual story telling.

So will we ever see a "true" single-player or massively multiplayer role-playing game? One day, but not now. At the moment I don't think that gaming technology has progressed to the point of being able to create a fully emergent story. But that said, the CRPG genre is constantly changing so the next great game could be just around the corner. I don't think I covered everything that I wanted to cover in this post. So at some point I would like to type out at least two more articles: 1. The Appeal of Role-Playing, why we like it and what we learn. 2. Eastern vs Western Style CRPGs.

I was linked a few YouTube videos of absolutely hilarious Cataclysm quests (obviously, minor spoilers in the video links). These are the kind of quests that I am looking forward to when the expansion pack finally rolls around at the end of this year; Non-standard, quirky and fun. Not so much WoW play lately other than some raiding, some PvP, and some putzing around on my hunter who by the way, has another piece of ICC loot to strap on. One day I might even chant and gem it! If the group permits, I so want to sneak him into Lady Deathwhisper for the bow. No one else needs it right?

Back to the main topic: Another "Keiya's game replay of the moment" post. I still haven't had a chance to get some good 1v1 time on. By the time I finish eating and doing whatever around the house after I get home from work, my lovely 2v2 partner is ready to play <3. So this is another 2v2 TP vs TP game on Novice Discord IV. I had a lot of fun playing this one, mostly because I managed to play around with and get a few nukes off towards the end of the match. Also, Viking dancing is kind of fun. Land, fly, land fly...

Ghosts are fun to fiddle around with even though they seem to be fairly micro intensive. I am still pretty fail at this whole micro and rock, paper, scissors thing. At some point in the near future I think I am going to try branching out from my typical 111 banshee rush opener. It's feeling like a one trick pony at this point. Though to be fair, the practice league maps seem to be all of the novice flavor with the stupid rock blockades in the middle. I guess it helps to fend off early waves but it makes it hard to scout and to rush out any ground units without going for a medivac drop or something like that.

StarCraft II has some crazy fun custom maps out there. We have been playing a series of tower defense maps for the past couple of days. There's a good classic 50 wave TD map based off of Elemental Tower Defense for Warcraft 3. There were also a couple of good co-op base defense maps available. If I can remember what the name of any of these maps I will edit this post with a link.

Edit: It's called Standard Tower Defense.

I was fiddling with my computer about a month or go for the sake of installing a VGA slot fan which I think to be honest, does jack shit but whatever; I don't feel like removing it (I think I'm done with single slot VGA fans by the way. Noisy ass fans). My current card, which is finally starting to show its age, is an EVGA 512MB 8800gt. It really wasn't all that bad of a value considering that I have had it for almost 3 years. It will still run most things at a reasonable frame rate at high and very high settings, but the temperature and noise rise greatly as a result.

The room in which my computer resides is warm but not warm enough to warrant running the air conditioner unless it is unbearably hot outside. Consequently, my video card has been running at range of 80 to 84 degrees Celsius on the hotter days this summer (idling at 55 to 60 degrees Celcius); Which is within the card's normal upper temperature range (it runs hot), but makes the fan speed ramp up to 100%. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. If it bothers me that much I can add an aftermarket cooler, but that is a pointless expenditure on a 3 year old video card.

But anyway, long story short: My original intention was to buy a new card when I built this machine (but Newegg as well as every other vendor was out of the card that I had wanted). Now that NVIDIA has released their new line of reasonably priced mid-range cards, I am thinking of getting one soonish. Maybe in September or October (but definitely before Cataclysm releases), depending on what else is available. I don't want to spend more than $200 to $250; I am going for the best value per performance.

This is the card that I am considering: The Gigabyte 1GB 460 GTX. I am also thinking of just maxing out the last two RAM slots on my motherboard since it will only cost about $100 more. I regret not doing so when I built this machine. Because of my stupid huge ass CPU cooler, I will either have to remove and re-seat it or figure out a way of prying off of the fan clips without breaking them in order to fill up the last two slots. I wasn't actually sure if there would be enough overhead clearance for another two sticks + the RAM heatsinks but I checked on that when I installed the slot cooler. There should be enough clearance.