Category Archives: Rant

Reasons to skip SW:TOR, +1.

Posted on December 4, 2009 by SynCaine

While I’ll very likely be skipping SW:TOR for a few reasons (It’s SW, it’s ‘casual’, it’s a mega-themepark), the news about henchmen being added to allow you to solo everything makes that choice even easier. Hopefully the idea of designing … Continue reading →

Posted in MMO design, Rant, SW:TOR, Ultima Online | 50 Comments

Passing MMO judgment

Posted on December 1, 2009 by SynCaine

I few days ago a wrote a post about why I believe Warhammer Online failed to live up to it’s potential/hype, and Tobold took the following line and ran (out of context) with it: Because unless you are a believer … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, beta, Combat Systems, Console Gaming, crafting, Darkfall Online, DDO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Fallen Earth, Mass Media, MMO design, PvP, Rant, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 76 Comments

Speaking of getting paid…

Posted on November 17, 2009 by SynCaine

I find it funny people are wondering who would pay $20 for a gold guide when people are freely spending $10 (or more if you gotta-catch-em-all) for a pet, one that will ultimately provide less entertainment per dollar than said … Continue reading →

Posted in MMO design, Patch Notes, Rant, RMT, World of Warcraft | 10 Comments

A hooker or CoD:MW2?

Posted on November 10, 2009 by SynCaine

Now this is a bit of a ratings disparity. Now personally I don’t really care for FPS games, but just looking in from the outside, how amazing does one night of gaming (the length of the single player campaign, reportedly) … Continue reading →

Posted in Console Gaming, Mass Media, Random, Rant | 18 Comments

And this little piggie went to market

Posted on November 10, 2009 by SynCaine

I’ve written before that to most game companies, the only real voice a gamer has is his money. Word-of-mouth, positive/negative buzz, petitions, blog or forum posts; none of these count nearly as much as you making the decision to pay … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Console Gaming, Mass Media, MMO design, Random, Rant, World of Warcraft | 15 Comments

How many WoW pets does it take to forget China?

Posted on November 5, 2009 by SynCaine

I guess when the government shuts you out, it’s time to sell some fluff in the pasture. And when the market smacks your stock around the bean counters demand action, and what better way then to charge for Barbie accessories, … Continue reading →

Posted in Rant, RMT, World of Warcraft | 15 Comments

Beyond flamebait, why Aion’s struggles benefit me.

Posted on November 2, 2009 by SynCaine

On Friday I tossed out some flame bait with my post about Aion, and while it was mostly posted to cure Friday boredom (and not because I was upset, my sickeningly happy friend:) ), there is a very real aspect … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Darkfall Online, MMO design, Rant | 45 Comments

Aion: Eminem’s “Kim” track, final verse, final line.

Posted on October 30, 2009 by SynCaine

Watching Aion bleed out in record time is, to be honest, enjoyable for me. Part of that just comes from my general dislike that the genre of gaming I enjoy most has, on the AAA level, gone from persistent worlds … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP, Rant | 60 Comments

What the MMORPG genre could (and should) be.

Posted on October 19, 2009 by SynCaine

Last Friday’s post, and the links in the comments to Raph Koster’s posts (here, here, and here) (Thanks Brian) about the old Ultima Online eco system have sparked some old memories of what got me interested in the MMORPG genre … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, crafting, Darkfall Online, EVE Online, Housing, MMO design, Rant, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft | 64 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