So long APB

Tonight “The Department” gear up for possibly the last venture onto the streets of San Paro, as the MMO All Points Bulletin prepares to close the servers down.

I realise that I haven’t captured any video of the game during my time playing, but then I struggle just to run the game so aim on taking some screen-shots tonight. I don’t plan to write about why thing are, like they are, there are other people that have far more knowledge and do a better job explaining things than I ever could.

Through-out the last month it’s seemed that not only the gamers players but the global gaming community has held it’s breathe following the news about RealTime worlds. As with things of this natures there were countless questions asked and as “stories” started to surface there came a realisation that things were rather bleak for the company and game.

I was reminded of those MMO titles  have come and gone in recent years and there is no denying that the impact of the events around RTW and APB are going to impact the MMO and maybe to a lesser extent the Gaming arena for some time.

So, good bye APB, you were a game that delivered a truly amazing environment and unparalleled character customisation. I hope lessons are learnt from your demise.

Thought i’d capure the Patchers text today, It’s below

Continue reading “So long APB”

Browser Swap

After many years of using Firefox I’ve recently found myself leaning towards the Google Chrome browser more and more, the “once alternative browser champion” has become rather slow and tiresome to use.

Yes I know you can tweak some settings in the config and download a extension that delivers 25% faster browsing but I really can’t be arsed if I’m honest.
I like that the Chrome browser just works quickly from the start just like the old versions of Firefox when it first appeared on the scene. Opening the browser and waiting for 2 minutes isn’t ideal and time is more of a managed resource in my day-to-day live now.

I’m not saying that Chrome is perfect but in my opinion the pros certainly outnumber the cons when I compare it to Firefox. For now I’m enjoying the change of scenery.

Perhaps I just need to wipe my Firefox install and give it another chance I know there are most likely files in my profile that date back to when it was branded Phoenix, I’ll keep notes on how it goes.

Quicker Burn out

As is all the rage, a large portion of beta testing is used to demo
the game to potential players, load test and hype a games profile. It
feels like less time is used in capturing feedback & bug reports and
more time deciding how to market the pre-launch, early starter weekend
and unique perks for buying early.

I can understand the logical behind this as getting your game noticed
is the primary concern, but taking into consideration my recent
experiences with Beta testing I’m truly questioning the value of “my”
participation in testing of this manner.

I suppose it depends on the format of the game but if you’ve played
through areas 5/10/25 times (the same quests and the same 10 rats),
how many times do you want to face it once the game is live?

I guess my final question is “Does beta play lead to premature burnout?“

Go Go Gadget Remote Update

I made a few site updates yesterday mostly focused on adding Links to
other bloggers that I have being reading but have forgotten to add
here I also thought a small rejig of links categories wouldn’t go
amiss.

I’m also trying to decide what to do with my gaming data that I’ve
been collating for some time now, I use them to driven the Pie Chart
on the right column, but they also drive the graphs at
http://charts.welshtroll.co.uk.
I am pretty sure there are other uses for this data I just need to
find out what they are.

I’ve also replaced the icon & links for GamerDNA with that of Raptr
(http://raptr.com/).
I’m still a little unsure on what the Raptr tool can bring to my
gaming experience, I but I have to admit the in-game Browser is
certainly an improvement over the XFire version that feels and looks
so out-dated.

For now I’ll continue to run XFire as it offers a far better way to
interact and access the data. I just hope that the new XFire owners
don’t mess about with it too much and/or Raptr can supply me with
Minute by Minute gameplay information so I can just use one client.

I should mention that this is my first post via email, I’m hoping it
will allow me to be a little less concerned about the length and depth
of my posts and allow more frequency.

Choice? I can’t decide

Remember when it was easy to decide which MMO you were going to play? Of course it was the one you had a subscription for, interrupted by the occasional single player game that needed your immediate attention.

Now I look at my desktop and find that I could start a Tetris game with the number of square colourful icons that exist in the MMO section. I with the introduction of EQ2X and LoTRo that are bursting their way into the market I really do feel spoilt for choice and slightly overwhelmed.

My desktop currently offers me the following:

  • F2P MMOs
    • EverQuest II Extended
    • DDO Unlimited
    • Runes of Magic
    • Allods Online
    • Wizard101
    • Free Realms
    • Myst Online – Uru Live
    • The Chronicles of Spellborn (Which has gone now)
  • MMO Trials
    • Star Trek Online – Free Trial
    • Champions Online – Free Trial
    • Warhammer Online
  • Active MMOs
    • City of Heroes
    • All Points Bulletin
    • Eve Online
  • Inactive MMOs
    • Fallen Earth
    • LoTRo
    • Guild Wars

I play a little of this and that when possible and I’m in the right frame of mind. AS you maybe able to tell Eve is currently holding my attention for now, but I’d like to ask, How do you decide what game to load next?