Category Archives: beta

Shocking! Asian grind game is grindy

Posted on October 21, 2009 by SynCaine

This is rather amussing. Damn NCSoft for tricking everyone into believe this Asian import with a year+ record of well documented grinding would be a grind. Those bastards. (Bonus points for kicking those with high-end rigs in the nuts once … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, beta | 15 Comments

What buying Aion says about you

Posted on October 16, 2009 by SynCaine

The MMO genre has many unique aspects that separate it from other gaming genres, with perhaps the ability of fans to shape future content being among the greatest. Everyone has at least some idea of their perfect game, and while … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, beta, Darkfall Online, EVE Online, MMO design, Rant, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft | 51 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

Aion end-game, way ahead of WoW and WAR.

Posted on September 17, 2009 by SynCaine

Found this interview about Aion Abyss PvP after following a few links. After reading it, the WoW PvP grind pre honor revamp sounds tame and fun compared to high-ranked Abyss ‘PvP’, and WAR’s keep swapping has NOTHING on Aion’s PvQ … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, beta, Combat Systems, Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP, Warhammer Online | 41 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

Fallen Earth: Some beta impressions

Posted on August 27, 2009 by SynCaine

I’ve had the Fallen Earth beta on my hard drive for a good week now, and have put in somewhere around 5-6 hours with it. From a technical perspective (graphics, sound, animations, FPS), if you have the top-end hardware to … Continue reading →

Posted in beta, Fallen Earth, Fallout 3, Random | 10 Comments

Champions Online: My review (EG-style)

Posted on August 17, 2009 by SynCaine

If Champions Online survives longer than HellGate: London, it will be a miracle. I think the idea behind CO is to take CoH, make it suck, and try to get people to pay $200 up front for it before they … Continue reading →

Posted in beta, Random, Rant | 36 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

MMO games: Why are they more fun in beta?

Posted on April 24, 2009 by SynCaine

If you’ve been playing MMOs for a decent amount of time, it’s likely you have taken part in at least a few beta tests, be they open or closed. If a game really got you interested early, you might have … Continue reading →

Posted in beta, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 14 Comments

Paid beta: You’re playing it.

Posted on April 22, 2009 by SynCaine

DarkFall is often referred to as a paid beta, and I agree. It has some serious issues, a multitude of minor problems, and countless little nagging annoyances. Despite all that however, it’s still the most engaging and enjoyable MMO experience … Continue reading →

Posted in beta, Darkfall Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 9 Comments