First: Griefer, a story by a fellow Metblogger (in Atlanta) Will Hindmarch that extrapolates the concept of griefing into a real-world, near-future(?). Well worth your time.

Second: Another link to The Escapist, this time on the topic of how or why “regular” folks view gaming: The Myth of the Media Myth.

Third: Winner of the “best comment” award on MetaFilter for this tongue-in-cheek “review” of the MMO “Outside”.

The respawn rate of objects and players is ridiculously slow. A dead player can expect to wait for years to respawn, and will be set back to zero assets and a tiny, nearly helpless form. Death is hardcore, and resurrection all but impossible. Outside is not a game for the QQers out there!

Happy Wednesday!

Me? I play mostly late at night so the only person I’m neglecting is my wife (who’s usually on the PC next to me, though not playing WoW) and not my kids.

Parents, how do you handle your gameplaying and, if they’re old enough, do your kids play too?

Sorry guys.

Anyone close to the limit? Ever?

[Via BoingBoing]

Not that I wanted flowers or a “Dear John” letter, but the original Guild organizer had left to pursue interests outside of Azeroth and I had never done much with the group, but I did trade some items and run some quests, so I wasn’t a complete unknown.

Now, unfortunately, I’m getting messages left and right from folks I’ve never met recruiting me to this guild or that. I think I’m better off - especially since I’m a haphazard-playing, tanking Druid - to just finding random “friends” and enjoying the game that way.

Is my guild assessment wrong? Should I have done more? Is it wrong of them to dump me this way with no notification? Is it kosher to just invite folks willy-nilly to a guild without playing alongside them first?

I actually feel sad a bout this.

This has caused quiet a kerfuffle, especially on DIGG (which I realize is somewhat verboten here), but the responses - both pro and con - are interesting.

So, apropos of Paul’s WoW Drama post, I thought I would highlight one WoW player, Gateux, doing his part to spread the 16-bit meme.

Is this a violation of the WoW TOS? Is this kind of dissent useful? Is this a virtual protest akin to some of the Second Life nastiness?

What’s your take?

Embedded small here. Click to embiggen.

Take note of WoW’s placement, off to the right at the confluence of practicals (n00bs) and focus-on-web, amongst other MMOGs and Second Life. Far from focus-on-real-life and intellectuals, no offense taken here. ;-)

The whole thing is pretty tongue-in-cheek, but good for a laugh if you spend any time on the internet.

[Via Kottke]

First off, I spent $2 for a 14-day trial (and a CD) when I could’ve signed up online for free for 10 days. The wait either way seems oppressive, but it made moving to a paid subscriber a snap. Still, trying the game first (as opposed to just jumping in) seems like a barrier to entry. Of course, someone could’ve loaned me there copy and the free trial account, but my friends don’t play (yet), that’s my role.

Converting the account was a snap, but I’m a tad disappointed that I simply couldn’t pay my money online without the need to buy a box and some CDs. Don’t get me wrong, I like the product catalog and instruction booklet as much as the next guy, but they already had me. I had an account and a character and was logging on regularly to play.

My experience was wholly online. Why make me trek to a store to buy a physical object when all it would contain is a number? Couldn’t I just buy a new number online?

Anyhow, I succeeded.

The one drawback I can see to being a full-fledged World of Warcraft player is how much I care. And I don’t mean that in some crazed, must-play way, I mean I truly care about my character. I want to see him succeed. I’m engrossed in the story and my role in it. It’s certainly not like the pen-and-paper days of yore when I’d spend an entire weekend and a case of Mountain Dew playing DND.

My first real taste of the bitter Alliance/Horde struggle occurred in-game last night when a level 70 Tauren Druid named Stew came wandering into Auberdine. He easily dispatched most of the level 17 - 37 folks who sought to resist him, but to no avail.

I’m not too terribly bitter to die at the hands of a more experienced player role-playing his version of the storyline, I just wish I could have done more. Instead of getting angry I’m taking things seriously (too seriously?) and vowing revenge.

So that’s my story. I’m sure I’ll continue to post more here, but I thought it instructive and fun to look through the eyes of a newbie, but that’s not me anymore (especially anymore).

If you’re on Nordrassil, look me up some time.

Today marks the 14th day of my 14-day trial and, while I’m going to pay for the full version and likely sign up long-term for monthly membership, I’m kind of sad that I didn’t blog more often about my newbie experience.

I’ll likely devote one last post after this one to the process of purchasing the full retail game and moving from n00b to full-fledged warcrack addict.

But this time around I wanted to mention community as the real “killer app” lurking in the bowels of Azeroth. Last week I posted a tongue-in-cheek link (sorry if that wasn’t clear, my internet irony senses are failing) about WoW being a detriment to relationships. In reality, I think nothing could be further from the truth.

In the comments to that post there are a multitude of folks who talk of playing with their significant other or meeting new friends playing WoW and I completely agree. Far from the flaming hordes and unwashed masses of folks too busy to chat or lend a hand directing you in a quest or helping you fight off an attack, I’ve found the opposite to be true.

WoW enables quick, ad hoc group generation for specialized tasks like playing simultaneously on a random Tuesday night, but it also allows for longer term guild-building and relationship formation. I actually became the charter member of a guild last week and I’ve taken great advantage of several raiding parties and small groups to help distribute the risk of leveling up and enjoying the hell out of it.

It’s great to see other character classes, weapons and abilities combine to defeat a knot of gnarlpines or harpies. Certainly nothing like Leeroy Jenkins, but I’ve got to aspire to something, right?

In the end, I think the real reason Wow or any other MMOG survives is because of the MMO and not necessarily the G. The fact that we have millions of people all over the world playing at once using the internet is really the amazing innovation and wonder here. Sure, it doesn’t hurt that the world is immersive and beautiful and meticulously-planned, but if everyone playing were an egomaniacal asshole, I’d have left the first day.

So this isn’t the end of my n00b-ness, I have much left to learn. And this isn’t my last post in this series, either, since I’d love to stay on as an author after my column is done.

It is, however, the end of this particular diatribe. Good night, and thanks for helping me out or playing along with me, internet. I’ve enjoyed it.

For what it’s worth, my wife respects my burgeoning WoW habit so long as it doesn’t infringe on our Lost and Grey’s Anatomy-watching (yes, I went there).

Also, actually playing the game for hours on end has delayed the next installment of Tales of a Wow n00b. Stay tuned.

[Via Joystiq]

First, I want to thank all the gracious and kind commenters on yesterday’s post. Your suggestions and advice were invaluable. As a true Wow n00b and someone who has logged next to zero hours in this or any other MMOG in the last few hours, the few simple tricks have been the most helpful.

Keep reading for my small realizations that have been a huge help.

First and foremost, the toggle for running, numlock, is a godsend. This world (of warcraft, natch) is so huge that without the ability to run I would have never gotten my purple (blue is for smurfs) night elf ass back to Shadowglen. Thanks for that. Thanks also for the whole right-click while running to steer. Fabulous.

I’ve got to say my biggest fault in Day 2 was getting myself farther afield than I should have. The world is so big and non-linear (while my first few tasks were relatively linear) that had I payed a bit more attention and stuck closer to home I wouldn’t have died almost a dozen times in the past 24 hours.

Having said that, I managed to grow from level 2 to level 5 tonight, completing 3 tasks/quests/challenges along the way, due in no small part to your help. Thanks.

I think I also finally awoke to all the many and varied icons around the periphery of the screen. Once my eyes focused on those (instead of the scenery or an enemy I was fighting) I got some more keyboard shortcuts beneath my belt fingernails. I especially like the number-mapping for different offensive attacks.

All in all, I got more “done” tonight than the previous two nights combined, easily, but I have less to say about it, because I was actually in the moment and playing instead of thinking about what I was doing. I suppose it’s like practicing any sport or skill; the more you do it the more natural and fluid it feels.

I do have one negative comment: what is up with all these folks (other n00bs) challenging me to duels? I didn’t sign up for this just to do the mano y mano thing. I came to adventure!

I’d also like to acknowledge the really excellent tool tips pop-ups that occur when you do something new for the first time. I had my reading eyes and paying-attention brain on tonight and I’m glad I did. Now that I can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time, it makes expanding my knowledge that much easier.

I know I’m still a n00b, but even this soon in, I’m feeling it less and less.

My question of the night: what kinds of online resources exist for mapping/gazateer functionality for Azeroth. I’m fairly good with cardinal directions and mapping, but the mini-map, the whizzing landscapes and all the camera controlling has me flipped around sometimes. Suggestions and razzing welcome.

And here’s my final point, I promise. I’ve been impressed with my fellow n00bs (duelers excepted) in-game. Most are helpful and exploratory and not too chatty. I’m just beginning to see the benefits of teaming up and joining a group to not only accomplish goals, but also add to the social aspect.

If you can’t tell, I’m really loving this game now! G’night!