Category Archives: Age of Conan

Wizard101 and AoC reviews

Posted on June 10, 2010 by SynCaine

The EG review of Wizard101: Cute and polished, but did we not learn from FF7 that no one wants to watch the same overextended summoning animation after the 10th time? Bonus points for making the first battle seem like I … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Mass Media, MMO design, Wizard101 | 8 Comments

Snicker indeed.

Posted on May 13, 2010 by SynCaine

Our good friends at EuroGamer strike again. Read the comments over at Lum’s site for a link to the original review that was pulled down, along with some good points, like complaining about the lack of a level cap increase … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Darkfall Online, Mass Media, Rant, Uncategorized | 11 Comments

2009 predictions: BINGO! (not exactly)

Posted on December 30, 2009 by SynCaine

Can you believe I had trouble finding my 2009 predictions post. I know, how hard is it to find a post titled “2009 Predictions” on my own blog, but um, it took a lot longer than I care to admit. … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Aion, Darkfall Online, DDO, EQ2, EVE Online, Fallen Earth, FreeRealms, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 6 Comments

Life Evolution in the sandbox

Posted on November 24, 2009 by SynCaine

Pacing and gameplay evolution are very important and at times overlooked factors in any MMO. The actions and motivations of a day one player are very different than those of a two year veteran, and good game design takes that … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Aion, Combat Systems, crafting, Darkfall Online, EVE Online, MMO design, Patch Notes, PvP, Ultima Online, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 20 Comments

Your MMO won’t have a million subs, sorry Blizzard.

Posted on September 30, 2009 by SynCaine

Tobold and I have a friendly little challenge going (around comment 45 on that post), one that sadly won’t have a result for a few years. The challenge is simple: The next Blizzard MMO won’t reach the popularity of WoW. … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Aion, Dark Age of Camelot, EQ2, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, Site update, SW:TOR, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 57 Comments

Launch Day: How to deal with day one in the post-WoW MMO space

Posted on September 22, 2009 by SynCaine

From an outsider’s perspective looking in, Aion’s launch seems to be having the same issue Warhammer Online had a year ago; dealing with the huge initial rush of players and tourists flooding the servers on day one. In the post-WoW … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, beta, Darkfall Online, EVE Online, MMO design, SW:TOR, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 6 Comments

When it comes to open beta, timing is key.

Posted on August 28, 2009 by SynCaine

Out of all the open beta discussions that I’ve seen (is it a free trial, should it be given a pass because it’s a beta, etc), I’ve yet to see anyone mention that timing of an open beta could play … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Aion, beta, Blood Bowl, Darkfall Online, MMO design, Warhammer Online | 9 Comments

Warhammer Online: After almost a year, does Mythic finally get it?

Posted on August 18, 2009 by SynCaine

I’ll fully admit I might be too close to this to see it clearly, but with that said, I’ve noticed a pattern in Mythic’s approach to patching Warhammer Online, one that might be applicable to other MMOs as well. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Dark Age of Camelot, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Mass Media, MMO design, Patch Notes, RvR, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 16 Comments

Fans of hype, fans of gaming.

Posted on June 2, 2009 by SynCaine

Hype in the gaming industry is a form of entertainment all its own, and history has shown that plenty of people LOVE getting wrapped up in the pre-release fanfare. This is not only something that consumes people in their search … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, beta, Diablo 3, EVE Online, Mass Media, MMO design, World of Warcraft | 8 Comments

Giving credit when it’s due.

Posted on May 13, 2009 by SynCaine

It’s very easy to point out flaws in a game or it’s developer. When a server crashes, it’s impossible not to notice. When you are in a login queue, you know it. If your current class/race is underpowered, it affects … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Darkfall Online, EQ2, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, PvP, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 39 Comments