Game Innovation, Gamer Psychology, Villain NPCs. It’s all inside!
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[Editor] |::| | [Community Contributors]
Falennt |::| | Klaatu, Raveyn, Monrad, Azula, Ladril
|::| | Riddick, Monrad, Annale, Kosaim
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See HELP CRY2 for the table of contents.
CRY2
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Page 2 \/ Table of Contents
From the Editor's Desk - Falennt CRY3
Featured Articles
Articles on a more serious note: anything from game developing, tools
of the trade, area discussions and changes.
Is Innovation the Key? - - CRY4 - 7
Gamer Psychology - - CRY8 - 9
Street News
The Cry of Despair's random question of the month to players and imms.
Read their responses here!
All ABout Villain NPCs - - CRY10 - 12
Eye On Community
Player contributions about anything and everything: from roleplay, to
order news, to area reviews to personal stories.
Nation News - Uruk'hai - Klaatu CRY13
- Quendi - Annale CRY14
- Pixie - Kosaim CRY15
Freelance Food Reviews - Azula CRY16
Arete: The Realms'First Sit In - Ladril and Raveyn CRY17
Goodbye GoT, Hello GoO - Riddick CRY18
News from the Ringbearers - Monrad CRY19
Submission Guidelines - Falennt CRY20
CRY3
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Page 3 \/ From the Editor's Desk - Falennt
Dear Reader,
Firstly, apologies for the huge delays in the coming of the Cry and
to those who have been waiting for it eagerly. There was some administrative
changes to staffing just over the last month and the paper should be back
on track.
You will be noticing some changes to the paper starting with this issue.
I do hope to present a quality read hence we have streamlined the articles
to that which would cater to general gaming interest.
I will also be doing random "street" interviews of players and immortals
alike for our Street News portion, offering another avenue to enjoy each
other's perspectives towards this MUD that we all love.
Finally, our new Eye on the Community will focus on all the player-
related content that you hope to publish in the Cry of Despair - be it
roleplay, personal stories or heroic recounts. If you do have content you'd
like me to publish, do send me a mudmail.
Lastly, I would like to thank Kadgeon for her stint as the Cry Editor
and rolling out some very cheerful and chirpy issues in the past month.
Cry Editor and Publisher
Falennt Sarien
CRY4
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Page 4 \/ Is Innovation the Key? - Featured Article
I am a player of both text and graphic games - rather born into the
era whereby it was the heyday of MUDs and the slow proliferation and
growth of the visual gaming industry. In university back in 1996 - I
delved into the world of MUDs: the text and its imaginative magic
extremely attractive. I had no computer at home, since I stayed in a
rented room an hour away from the university and being cheap, I did not
opt for a dial-up connection. So I MUDded from the computer labs in the
engineering faculty with a ton of other students (Who incidentally were
also MUDding but in different languages).
visual gaming was still weak - 2D flattened landscapes in blocky
colours that serve little attraction. Incidentally, if you think about
the MUD, it is 2D with the same blocks of colours: only difference
being the visual was only limited by your imagination and ironically,
you thought in 3D.
The MUDs sat upon their Thrones in the gaming world in those years:
I did not just join one MUD: I joined many - Dikus, Godwars, Circles -
just to get a taste of what those codes offered the gamer. The journey
of everything was interesting to state the least though I still
returned to the main MUD I liked.
Continued on HELP CRY5
CRY5
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Page 5 \/ Is Innovation the Key? - Featured Article
2001 saw a sudden leap and a burst of energy from the visual gaming
industry. Blocky colours were gone, the 2D flat landscapes vanished,
visuals became the stuff of imagination. The millenium years saw such a
mighty growth from this industry that new titles and refurbished old
ones flood an already burgeoning market. This industry's innovations are
aimed predominantly at the millennials, the Peter Pan Generation deeply
connected by social and mobile networking platforms. Games are innovating
by the dozen. There is definitely ample argument supporting the need
to keep renewing and inventing though not every grass on the other side
of the fence is greener.
.
Innovation can come in different forms - game mechanics relooking
at the Holy Trinity, implementation of systems that give players a bigger
control over the economy and their gear. One can think of intricate
crafting systems to put in - allowing players to create their own foods
and drinks for buffs, allowing players to forge their own weapons and
armor. Dungeon instances where everyone can get to run the area
without one group dominating the place. To some, innovation need not
neccesarily be beneficial as long as it makes what is technologically
impossible ten years ago on this platform, possible to create.
Continued on HELP CRY6
CRY6
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Page 6 \/ Is Innovation the Key? - Featured Article
To others, innovation is to set up what the game never had and
which provides a clear advantage to the community. Whichever the
case for innovation might be, it comes with its set of pros and
cons, of which, sometimes you may end up enhancing or destroying
certain aspects of your game through innovation.
Lets theorycraft through a case-study: the implementation of
dungeon-instances. In brief, a dungeon instance allows many groups
to participate in the dungeon at any one time without having to
wait for another group to clear out, and further more, wait for
mob repop. The benefits of this system are clear - it is more
efficient, it reduces negative situations that may arise between
two rival groups, it lets players be flexible about their gaming
hours without having to wake up at 4am to kill Nabri the Insane
because he only spawns at 4.30am.
Limitations of such a system appears to be rather community-
driven. Instances remove the concept of a multi-user community
into just pockets of "instance groups". Since there is no
need for exploration in an instance which boils down to "kill
mob"and "get loot", the system appeals to perhaps 1/4 of the
gaming society out there who are mainly Achiever types (a
category based on Bartle's Gamer Psychology Test which is also
featured in this edition. Even negative situations between
rival groups could lead to changes in community behaviour -
new alliances formed, new diplomacies or even intensify
the rivalry to the delight of the PK and duel-loving players.
Some instance groups are pre-set and woe be with you if
you happen to be living in the wrong time zone. Instancing hides
players from each other - keeping community apart.
Continued on HELP CRY7
CRY7
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Page 7 \/ Is Innovation the Key? - Featured Article
In contrast, MUDs are still very much an array of public dungeons,
if you think about game design whether you are creating a big box
tossing many small boxes inside (i.e. instanced virtual world)
or a bunch of boxes with a central hub connecting them. MUDs tend
to be, if not, have always been the later. You could put that
concept clearly to how areas and the hub are structured in many.
Now technological code for MUDs is advancing - it may come to
a point where by instancing becomes possible in the MUD. What
do you think would be the ramifications of such a system for a
a MUD? True that it may remove some problems such as griefing
and dungeon staking, would community be broken or would people
find closer bonds since instances would demand a balanced class
set for efficient clearance. Implementing instancing would mean
a closer re-look at the class roles and skills to enable them
to function better.
It is all food for thought in any better sense. I like the
way the MUDs function, I like the way MMORPGS function. I don't
like, and do not hope that the features in MMORPGS would manifest
in the MUDs - since what we have here in a MUD is where the
attraction is. Large public dungeons, a close community and the
player-world connection which a visual world cannot achieve.
The End
CRY8
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Page 8 \/ Gamer Psychology - Featured Article
If you have not taken Bartle's Test of Gamer Psychology before, this
may be a good time to sit through the test and its 30 questions and
see what interesting results could turn up for you. The best is to
answer all the questions honestly (The first reaction is usually by far
the most honest since you don't think about it)
You can find the link here:
http://www.gamerdna.com/quizzes/bartle-test-of-gamer-psychology
You as a player would have a different agenda in mind to use the data
from the results compared to a game designer, a game administrator and
even guild and organisation leaders.
The Test divides players in four major categories - Achiever,
Explorer, Killer and Socializer. After completing the 30 questions,
you get a percentage breakdown of your type and perhaps your preferences
about what aspects of a game you like, what kind of game would you
usually choose and what you would frequently, if not always, be doing
in a game.
Continued on HELP CRY9
CRY9
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Page 9 \/ Gamer Psychology - Featured Article
For the game designer and game administrator, being able to obtain
such data would be helpful in the management of your virtual world.
If there is a high concentration of players with Explorer tendencies,
simple puzzles and small repetitive areas are not going to keep them in
your game for long. A low concentration of players who enjoy Socializing
would mean you might not need to invest effort into creating more chat
channels or social media platforms.
A guild leader with ambition would probably use this data in the
same way. With a large number of Achievers in the guild, leaders may
look to arranging runs to challenging areas or gaining trophies to
boast to other guilds. A high number of Socializers would mean
the leaders would have to have a certain level of charisma or create
avenues for socialising to keep the members.
Whether it is truely useful or just another gag, the Test has
stood the test of time (forgive me for my pun here) and is still
being widely used today. So have fun with the Test, and maybe tell
us what you are!
(Incidentally I am a 78% Achiever, 47% Explorer type though I do like
duelling, player-kill as well as large-scale PK battles)
The End
CRY10
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Page 10 \/ All ABout Villain NPCs - Street News
Whether it is the alignment, the theme, the concept or the background
story, or the many efforts you and your team put in to demolish it, the
villain mob in the Realms comes in a variety of beasts, demi-humans,
monsters, even inanimate objects. The Cry asked this question randomly
to our players and immortals to get an idea on what to them is the best
villain mob out there, and why.
.
Conran says 'probably Master Tullfuhrzky, to me'
Conran says 'I remember there being children being tortured there, but
it's been a while'
Conran says 'just the fact that he randomly slaps you when you walk
in, he's really rude, I dunno if that really makes him a villain'
.
Schridex says 'for me it would be between Set, the werewolves in
Redfernes, Or Danny! Lol'
Schridex says 'It's been a while since I've go out to explore
though, I've been focused on leveling since I've been back. :)'
Schridex says 'Now areas are a whole different story! Lol'
.
Feit says 'hrm, I'd say Seth I guess'
Feit tells you 'only been here a month though'
Feit tells you 'his equip seems to be the focus of almost everything
and his name (although he is evil) is revered for some reason'
Loril says 'OK, I actually DO have an answer. Duke Luther.
He's like so many politicians, he convinces everyone that he's all
kinds of benevolent and yet ...'
Loril says 'Yet, the clues are there. Spend some time with his wife.
Pay attention to the reasons he has people imprisoned. Read the
graffiti!'
Loril says 'But let's just say that I'd never turn my back on the Duke.
Continued on HELP CRY11
CRY11
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Page 11 \/ All ABout Villain NPCs - Street News
Monrad says 'Seth because it takes loyalty and skill between comrades
to repetitively beat him down, and I have seen some of the best runners
cower away because of the risk involved'
.
Kellian says 'if you want the hardest, most evil mob I have come across,
it was a Goblin during a IGQ'
Kellian says 'jacked my mdeath total and taught me how to walk to
Solace without directions from here. hehe'
Kellian says 'we had a strong group too, just fighting. those things
were mean'
.
Raveyn says 'I'm going to have to choose Satan, because I think
Underworld sets up the experience so magnificently - you really do feel
as though you have traveled deep into the depths (of a very realistic
hell like place) - and it is a "complete package" - the story, the
sensationalism, fear, excitement, anticipation and hey, nice loot too'
Raveyn says 'except for one tiny thing, satan always seems '
more manly to me *g*'
.
Destre says 'The most villainous mobs in Realms are the cute rabbits
in Shadow Grove'
Destre says 'They lurk out there, oh so innocent, just waiting to
thump you with their big furry feet'
Continued on HELP CRY12
CRY12
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Page 12 \/ All ABout Villain NPCs - Street News
You ask Kali, 'what is the best villain mob you've ever encountered
and why?'
Kali says 'I don't think I've ever met a mob more villainous than
myself.'
.
Ceirana says 'The first being Jimmy'
Ceirana says 'since I have yet to be successful killing him but got him
to dying once'
Ceirana says 'he's especially villainous to me because he's in Vast
Horizons.'
Ceirana says 'and reef wraiths and shadowsharks'
Ceirana says 'reef wraiths because they gang up on you and it's hard
to 'finish' a battle to recall and shadowsharks because if you
inadvertently walk into one it's usually bad news.'
.
Petrograd says 'My mob choice was Overlord Graajchzrakil'
Petrograd says 'He's an evil dude, I'm not sure what he did.
The entire theme there is very ominous.'
Petrograd says 'But he's my favorite because he's a fun tank, you
got to be on your toes'
Petrograd says 'So it requires skill and team work'
Stoneheft says 'Am I allowed to choose from my own areas?
That's kinda cheating, but... Baron Appleby.'
Stoneheft says 'He stole an entire area from the only peaceful group
Cof industrialists in the whole western half of the game.'
Stoneheft says 'After stealing from them... he just lives very
nicely with his ill-gotten gains.'
- The End
CRY13
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Page 13 \/ Nation News: Uruk'hai [1] - Klaatu
From the Opallinoc News Bureau for March, 2013
Dateline Opallinoc: Water Source
Meeka was getting water from the village well for brewing a batch swill.
She noticed the water to have a cloudiness to it when filling her vats
from the well bucket. Tasting the water, she didn't notice anything out
of the ordinary. Thinking nothing more of it, Meeka went to the copse of
willows to gather some sap. Inside the cracked tree, Meeka mentioned in
passing to Hakupa about the cloudiness of the water. The Shaman took a
sample and did some testing. " What treachery is this?" proclaimed the
Shaman Hakupa. "There is foreign matter in the water!" The test results
were sent to the High Council for discussion.
.
Dateline Notre Dame: Healing
Volstagg, the Catacomb Dweller, and Zontar, the Uruk'hai Expedtionary Force
leader, made an emergency trip to Darkhaven, Old Thalos, Thul Ab'Hara and
Solace seeking balms and cures for the massive hangovers suffered during
the seasonal festivites. Many shops were visited and purchases of herbs,
elixirs and hair of the dog were obtained. Unfortunately nothing has provided
relief to the Uruk'hai plagued by the after effects of Meeka's special swill.
Thus the last recourse to end the suffering is under way. Prayer at the Altar
of Thoric and hope of Sonoria taking pity us.
CRY14
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Page 14 \/ Nation News: Quendi - Annale
Icicles still cling to branches - winter leaves still refusing
to fall to Spring's warm breeze. Snow covers the ground leaving
the Island still trapped in a winter wonderscape. And yet,
the quiet murmer of awakening animals begins to fill the air,
a hopeful whisper bringing with it the promise that....
.
, __ \/ __
/\`\ /o \{}/ o\ ...Spring is the air.
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|| ,/ (_)@(_) (___) OO()OO @@@@ _ ',_/Y\_,'
|| ,\ | /) (_)\ Y 'OOOO',,,(\|/ _(_)_ {_,_}
|\ || |\\|// vVVVv`|/ @@@@ _ \/{{}}}\| (_)@(_) |
| | || | |:,,,(___) | @@()@@ _(_)_| -Y- wWWWw(_)\ (\| /)
| | || / / {{}}} Y \| @@@@ (_)#(_) \| (___) | \| //
\ \||/ /\\|-Y- \|/ | \ \/ /(_) |/ |/ Y / \|/ |//
`\\//`,.\|/|//.|/\\|/\\\|,\|/ //\|/\|.\\\| // \|\\ |/,//
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
CRY15
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Page 15 \/ Nation News: Pixies - Kosaim
This is PNN, Your source for Pixie News
The Sugar Festival was a success this year, but was marred by that fact the
poetry contest was sabotaged by a theif who stole all the quills.
An investigation will be launched to find the quills and the thief.
It is believed that magic was involved.
In other news. Rumours have floating around that the former queen of
the fae, the Countess She'
*the writing mysteriously ends*
CRY16
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Page 16 \/ Freelance Food Reviews - Azula
Juel's Pastries, City of Aurora
4 out of 5 moons
Standing on the western end of Commoner's Street, the bakery of Aurora has
stood on the same corner for hundreds of years. I sampled the cherry pie. It
was delicious, but at a cost of 1,243 gold pieces I thought it was overpriced.
The atmosphere was the selling point for this beauty of a bread shop.
Merchants from the eastern trade route mingle with drow from the dirty streets
of Shadowport. The chairs and tables are worn smooth, polished by a thousand
patrons.
Butcher Shop, The City of Salburg
2 out of 5 moons
When one steps off Birch Street into Nerath's butchery one is greeted by a
whiff of old meat and fresh orc sweat. This shop is the most disgusting place
I've ever eaten, and the ambience leaves much to be desired.
I've long been curious about the taste of human flesh, and I chose to
sample a few slices of the roast human, it was surprisingly tender. As they
say: when in Salburg, do as the Salburgian's do.
-Azula Morningstar
CRY17
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Page 17 \/ Arete: The Realms First Sit In - Ladril Raveyn
Although the members of Arete had considered themselves a group before
the official title was created they got their first chances to do some
order bonding a few days before the mist cleared away atop Mount Doom
revealing their acropolis to the Realms.
While the members waited to see what would reveal itself to them beyond
the fog the Gods themselves bestowed upon them gifts. First Destre came
with coffee and doughnuts so that the hungry members would not starve,
fasting while they waited the arrival of their new home. Raveyn, Alex,
Jaxxon, Arca, Chyort, Gnorin, Juan, Fabinyre, Leosith,Ladril and Adorg
all joined in Arete's first "Sit In" on December 3rd.
The next day Belkira and Destre bestowed a tent to shelter them from
the cold winter temperatures. Only the squeals of delight and anticipation
kept the members warm as the cold winds of Mount Doom howled around them.
There were many and they came from all corners of the realms; guilds,
sects and orders alike all united in a common cause and all partaking in
their first activity together. It was a great start towards what promises
to be a great future!
CRY18
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Page 18 \/ Goodbye GoT, Hello GoO - Riddick
As the last leaders of GoT, Teddios and I would like to thank all the
members of GoT, past and present for thier memberships and we look
forward to the Kinship of Guilds to form a greater organization.
We would also like to honour all the former leaders for thier work
at keeping the guild an honourable and elite fighting organization.
As the reign of GoT comes to an end, we begin a rebirth in the powerful
Guild of Origin.
I will be forever honouring all Guild points, so if you have a character
that has guild points, seek me out and i will exchange your points
for equipment (All your records for points are stored by myself).
It has been an honour serving all members and I believe I'd speak
for all leaders of GoM, GoT and GoW when I say we are all committed to
making the transition to GoO a fun and exciting experience!
Riddick, the man with White eyes.
CRY19
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Page 19 \/ News from the Ringbearers - Monrad
The ancient and honourable Ringbearers would like to extend invitation
to all to join us in friendship and combat to destroy the mobs across the
Realms and enjoy the companionship of loyal friends who have each other's
backs to the end.
.
In the last month alone we have defeated several multi AV mobs, including
over one hundred kills of Sin and Olsen. We look forward to adding members to
our established and loyal family, so if you consider yourself a team player
who will put the whole above yourself, come join us at the Reed and make some
friends for life!
CRY20
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Page 20 \/ Submission Guidelines - Falennt
Submissions to the Cry of Despair will no longer be paid monetary fees.
All submssions is done on a voluntary and by choice basis.
.
The Cry of Despair is a good starting platform for anyone who wants to
try out writing Realms-based content - be it roleplaying stories, fan
fiction, levelling tips, area reviews, game ideas and personal thoughts
.
Submissions should be mudmailed directly to Falennt before the 25th
of the month. The Cry will be published on the 1st or 2nd of the next
month.
