Quote:Volumes have already been written about real life, the most accessible and most widely accepted massively multiplayer online role-playing game to date. Featuring believable characters, plenty of lasting appeal, and a lot of challenge and variety, real life is absolutely recommendable to those who've grown weary of all the cookie-cutter games that have tried to emulate its popularity--or to just about anyone, really.
Real life isn't above reproach. In one of the stranger design decisions in the game, for some reason you have no choice in determining your character's initial starting location, appearance, or gender, which are chosen for you seemingly at random. However, over the course of your character's life, you have tremendous opportunity to customize and define a truly unique appearance for yourself--not only can you fine-tune your hairstyle and hair color, but you can also purchase and wear a seemingly infinite variety of clothing and influence your body type using various in-game mechanisms. For example, if your character exercises frequently, you will appear fit and muscular. You may also choose from a huge variety of tattoos and body piercings, and later you can even pay for cosmetic surgery, though this is expensive and there's a small chance that the operation will backfire. At any rate, real life offers a truly remarkable amount of variety in determining your character's outward appearance, and this depth isn't only skin deep. The only problem is you're relegated to playing as a human character, though the game does randomly choose one of several different races for you (which have little bearing on gameplay and mostly just affect appearances and your standing with certain factions).
The gameplay itself is extremely open-ended, though it's structured in such a way that you'll have a fairly clear path to follow when you're just starting out. Real life features a great system whereby newbie players will automatically be guided along through the early levels by one or more "parent" characters who elect to take newbie characters under their wing. This is a great system, as these older, more-experienced characters reap their own benefits from doing a good job of guiding the newbie character along. The system does have some problems, though--sometimes you'll encounter "griefer" parents who shirk their responsibilities or, even worse, seem content to harass newbie players. Such a situation could, in theory, irreparably damage your experience in real life. Fortunately, chances of this are relatively slim, as a harsh punitive system is in place to prevent the vast majority of players from experiencing or engaging in this sort of behavior.
Typically, a character will learn of the numerous viable career paths available by undergoing schooling. This can be a long and tedious process, equivalent to the sort of "level treadmill" monotony that characterizes almost all MMORPGs. Nevertheless, many players do manage to enjoy themselves in this phase, especially if they band together--real life definitely rewards players who join groups, though soloing is certainly an option as well. At any rate, through the schooling process, as you engage in various activities, you eventually settle on a career path, and this is when you can start making a good amount of money and really taking matters into your own hands.
There are a few known exploits for making money, but generally the game's financial system is well balanced, complex, and rewarding for those who put forth proportionally more effort. You can use money to acquire new and better clothing, your own custom housing (a tremendous variety of options are available here as well), and new means of transportation ranging from bicycles to automobiles and beyond, and you can even employ other players and some non-player characters to do your bidding. Most notably, certain actions in real life are necessary and yet require a considerable amount of expertise to perform, or are simply boring. Additionally, even if you do have expertise in a field, that doesn't mean you can perform a given task for yourself--in this way, real life encourages and even forces player interaction, so those who prefer to go solo might find themselves in a bind at times. For example, even if your character specializes in dentistry, that doesn't mean you can perform a root-canal operation on yourself. Fortunately, dentistry is one of many lucrative professions in real life, and its practitioners can easily afford to pay for the various required maintenance tasks, freeing up their own free time for more-interesting activities.
One issue with real life is that it gives you very little specific feedback on character advancement. To give a couple of examples, a highly proficient player might receive a sudden pay raise or might become a champion boxer, but there's no clear way to tell exactly how smart or how strong you really are. Cleverly, there are in-game ways of at least getting a sense of these and other key attributes. You may attempt to lift weights to roughly determine how your strength compares with that of other characters. Various tests are available to gauge your overall intellect and expertise and knowledge in a variety of fields, though annoyingly, you need to pay a considerable fee to take some of these--and if you fail, often you aren't allowed to retake the exam for a while, or sometimes at all.
The game's player-run economy and well-balanced career system are extremely well done, but similar to what's found in other games. On the other hand, a particularly innovative aspect of real life is the way it forces you to gain certification to use certain objects. This feels much less contrived than the level caps or class restrictions found in other games (there are no "levels" or "experience points" per se in real life), and it also prevents players who "twink" money from their parents from automatically getting access to all the best facilities and equipment--though it's certainly true that players of good parentage have an inherent and arguably unfair advantage. Nevertheless, it's standard practice to have to qualify for certain professions, to engage in certain activities, to use certain equipment, and so forth. This system is quite modular. For example, even if you've become certified to drive a motorcycle, that doesn't automatically qualify you to drive an automobile.
This example is evidence of some of the amazing depth offered by real life--there are so many different options and viable decisions for a character to make that it's just about impossible for any one character to see everything and visit all the colorful and sometimes dangerous locations. Unlike in other MMORPGs, combat actually isn't a major factor for most players in real life, though players are bound to engage in a few skirmishes early in their lives. Interestingly, though, real life does offer an amazingly intricate combat system, featuring complex hand-to-hand and ranged combat options that a character may learn and even specialize in.
That being the case, you'd think more players would be drawn to combat in real life, and in some territories, they are. However, the PVE (player vs. environment) aspect of real life is relatively unpopular, and the PVP (player vs. player) portion, while interesting, is far too risky for most of the population. That's on account of the game's very strict death penalty and punitive system--you may freely attempt to harm or kill any other player at any time, but you will then likely be heavily punished by the game's player-run authorities. The punitive system has loopholes and other problems, allowing certain players to elude punishment and continue to engage in various player-killing activities. But for the most part, real life does a good enough job of making the punishment fit the crime, as it were, so in most regions there's a relative sense of order.
Player death is a serious issue in real life, and cause for continued debate among players, who often direct unanswerable questions on the subject to the game's developers, who are apparently (and understandably) so busy that they generally keep silent. In short, players who die--at the hands of other players, by the occasional environmental hazard, or when their account expires--are essentially removed from the gameworld and apparently cannot return at all. This further discourages players from engaging in PVP combat, but it does help real life's rapidly growing player population from getting too out of hand (though eventually there will be a need for additional servers).
Real life looks incredible, to say the least. To be sure, certain areas appear drab and colorless, even unpleasantly so. But some of the outdoor environments and even some of the player-made urban settings are truly a sight to behold, and various environmental and weather effects only add to the charm. The character models, meanwhile, are as impressive and detailed as they are varied. Some are incredibly striking and beautiful, while others appear hideously ugly--it's great that you can more or less decide for yourself on which side of the spectrum you wish to be. Real life also features some of the most believable ambient effects and footstep sounds to date, and it offers an incredible variety of music for good measure. In one of the game's best touches, players can actually compose, conduct, and perform their own music, and this is viable either for solo players or for groups. Especially skilled musicians go on to become some of the wealthiest and most popular characters around. The music career path is more complex and challenging than you'd expect, and it's another one of real life's really impressive and well-implemented features. One of the coolest experiences in the game is in traveling to different regions and listening to how different the music sounds for that territory. For that matter, architecture and even player languages differ depending on region.
Real life can occasionally feel like a chore. Some players legitimately dislike it, despite having attempted and even excelled at numerous career paths. Others externalize their frustrations by harming other players or, in some cases, even harming themselves. These players do have access to various support forums, and often end up whiling away the time by engaging in various available minigames or other competitive activities. Socializing is always an option, and as with other online RPGs, real life is certainly at its most rewarding when you manage to find and consort with other like-minded companions. At any rate, it's hard to fault the game for lack of content or viable activities, and even when certain players try to subvert the system or harm others, it still makes for some exciting and spontaneous events for other players who happen to be in the area or just hear of the event. Beyond that, real life can indeed be very time-consuming, and some of the less exciting moments, such as when your character is tired or injured, can be annoyingly so.
It's also true that real life is constantly being refined. Some players argue that many of the numerous changes constantly being made are for the worse--for example, players running once-profitable tobacco companies, as well as the players who are addicted to using popular tobacco products, often complain that the tobacco business is being "nerfed" for no good reason. But either way, it's good to know that players are able to actively improve certain features that require finer tuning. This keeps the developers free to focus on bigger issues.
Ultimately, if you take a step back and look at the big picture, you'll see that real life is an impressive and exciting experience, despite its occasional and sometimes noticeable problems. It says a lot for real life that, even with these issues, it's still very highly recommendable. Simply put, those missing out on real life are doing just that.
Gamespot gave Real Life a 9.6, which means it's not quite as good as Metroid Prime...
Quote:Well, friends. The time is upon us. The ever strict and stringent Famitsu has reviewed a few titles we're anxiously awaiting here, and one we've had for a while but the Japanese just got. Are you prepared for the scores?
I'm not dead, just school is hard and set design is ASS ITS ASS AND THEY DONT CARE THAT I HAVE NO SLEEP (i WILL KILL SOMEONE WITH MY OWN BLOOD11) like 5 hours of sleep in a month just so i can MAKE UP FOR OTHER PEOPLES MISTAKES AND ITS fuck i have to take a shower FUCKING TIME LIMITS ON EVERYTHING I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO BE SEARCHING FOR RED COINS FUCKING SHOWERS FUCKING SCHOOL there's some game designers at school that said they're testing a sequel to Morrow Wind does anyone know about it? one of you stay up for 3 days and write me a 1000 page book on what they believe in and what division of faith is wrong because YOU CANT FUCKING DO IT WITH A SINGLE PENCIL WHAT DO THEY THINK THAT PENCILS GROW ON TREES???? FUCK ASS NUN J-LO MADE A MOVIE WITH THER BOYFRIEND OF THE WEEK AND THIS IS THE INDUSTRY I'M GETTING IN TO I SWEAR TO GOD I'D KILL HER IF HER ASS WASN'T SO NICE MAYBE I'LL KEEP HER ASS IN A JAR OF THAT LIQUED
its not a Hoax the chinese goverment says it is true that they have captured photos and even videoes of these creatures, with atleast Thousand witneses and even korea recently reported sightings. They same it is the same ancient creature believed to be nessie in scotland, they have witnessed atleast 20 of them in a lake in China . The legend of these creatures goes back to anceint imperial china ,but now they got proof.
OH THANK YOU GOD! After months and months of worrying about whether or not Shenmue III would actually get made, Sega confirmed today that Shenny 3 is indeed in development for an unspecified platform. There will be some more solid info in September.
Quote:Shenmue III Confirmed
By Mike Viscel -- Staff Writer
Published 10:51 AM CDT July 14, 2003
That's right, Sega is planning on continuing the story of Shenmue.
Fans have been begging Sega-AM2 to continue the story of Shenmue. The original Shenmue for the Dreamcast captured a fanbase immediately. Sega continued the series on the Xbox, which attracted newcomers and old Shenmue followers alike.
At the beginning of the year Sega had mentioned that they were not sure what direction the Shenmue series would take. There had been speculation that Sega-AM2 would actually just release a DVD movie to continue and finalize the Shenmue story for the fans. That option has been put on the back burner.
Today it was announced that Sega-AM2 is developing a third installment in the Shenmue series. Although no details regarding the storyline, platform or release date have been announced, the game is said to be in development. Sega has stated that they will reveal more details regarding this game in September.
Ever since the game was officially unveiled to the public last month, a ground swell of curiosity has grown around Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest, the latest title from the developers behind Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Built around the mythology of EverQuest, Champions of Norrath features familiar locations, items, and characters from the popular MMORPG series, but will be very accessible to the average action/RPG player. GamePro had a chance to discuss the game with Rob Hill, producer for Sony Online Entertainment and one of the top folks behind the EverQuest series.
GamePro: How long has Champions of Norrath been in development? How many people are working on the project?
Rob Hill, Sony Online Entertainment: Champions of Norrath has been in development for a little over a year. At present there are over 16 people actively working on the project.
GP: How much of the game's internals are from Dark Alliance?
RH: We started with the core engine of Dark Alliance and began to add many new features to get the look and functionality we wanted for Champions of Norrath. The engine now has the ability to do random dungeons, higher polygon characters, more detailed textures, and support much more art then previously. We also modified the game's interface to allow for more actions to be available to the player while they are engaged in battle. They can quickly bring up spells and skills at a second's notice, which is important due to the amount we provide to players.
GP: The game will be released on a double-layered DVD; was this decided upon from the start, or did it come as a surprise?
RH: This was realized early on. Due to the amount of content and detail we have added to the world, the amount of art space we needed simply would not fit on a single DVD.
GP: What's the one part of the game you'd like expectant gamers to pay the most attention to?
RH: To start with, the game looks amazing. The detail on the characters, environments, and spells will wow game players. On top of this, the emphasis was placed on providing characters with a deep array of skills, spells, and items to gain during play. This alone adds quite a bit of replayability to the title that will be very appreciated by our audience.
GP: How much leeway has SOE given you with the EverQuest world?
RH: The goal was to make a game that did not require knowledge of the EverQuest world, but provided players who are familiar with EQ many recognizable aspects. We took character classes, spells, items, and location names from EQ and adapted them into a riveting action RPG experience.
GP: Did you play the online game to death before starting work on Champions of Norrath?
RH: We not only played the game, but consulted many of the reference materials that are available about Norrath.
GP: Will there be any online-only expansions in the future?
RH: This has not yet been determined.
GP: Can you use the voice headset while online?
RH: We are still considering a variety of options.
GP: Since Champions of Norrath supports four players online via the multi-tap, can you play online with more than one person on the same PS2?
RH: No. Each player online must be connected with their own PlayStation 2.
GP: Can you please explain what type of online experience players should expect from Champions of Norrath?
RH: Players can expect the opportunity to join up to three of their friends from anywhere in the world online and enjoy an intense action role playing game in a stunningly beautiful game world. We have designed the character classes with many support roles specifically for the multiplayer modes. Clerics will heal and buff friends, warriors will protect them, and the wizards and rangers will support from range. This type of combination is a key component to EverQuest and we try to maintain it where possible in Champions of Norrath.
And a preview from GameSpot:
Quote:Sony Online Entertainment recently dropped by the GameSpot offices with a new build of Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest. Currently in development at Snowblind Studios--the same development team behind Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance--Champions of Norrath is an action RPG set within the realm of the popular massively multiplayer online RPG EverQuest for the PC. As such, fans of the EverQuest series will immediately recognize the five playable character classes: the barbarian warrior, the dark elf shadow knight, the high elf cleric, the erudite wizard, and the wood elf ranger. Each of these characters can be customized in a number of ways--you can customize skin color, hairstyle, tattoos, and facial hair.
Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest will offer both online and offline gameplay modes.
These character classes also have their own unique attributes. The barbarian warrior has high strength and stamina and can swing a massive weapon around and inflict generous amounts of damage on enemies. Conversely, an erudite wizard has high intelligence and thus can obtain enough mana to cast a variety of different spells. Some character classes will have slightly more balanced attributes, such as the shadow knight or the cleric, which have reasonable melee attack skills that are complemented by magic spells. For example, the shadow knight can cast a pet spell that causes a skeleton to rise from the ground and aid in your attack on the enemies in the dungeon. Likewise, the cleric can summon forth a mystical hammer that will attack any enemies within sight.
Like in any good action RPG, attributes can also be boosted by certain types of weapons, items, and armor. Champions of Norrath uses a prefix and suffix system for weapons, so a basic broadsword can be changed into a rusty broadsword of fire, indicating that it will give bonus attack damage for fire. The same sort of effect also works for armor, but instead of increasing offensive strength, it increases your resistance to certain types of attacks--a fire shield would increase your character's resistance to a fire attack. There are also weapon auras that will automatically give trait bonuses to characters that are in the immediate area, which is an interesting design method for keeping players close to each other.
You'll be able to interact with familiar faces from the EverQuest universe.
But weapons and armor aren't always necessary when trying to give your characters a little boost in strength or defense. The high elf cleric has a variety of "buffs"--spells that are designed to enhance a character's current abilities. You can learn additional skills and spells, or perfect the ones you have, by spending experience points in the skill-tree portion of the character data screen. Each character class has a different skill tree that corresponds to its innate strengths, so the barbarian has several special melee attacks that he can learn, while the erudite wizard has numerous offensive-oriented spells, such as fireball and root. The skill tree doesn't have a stringent progression, so it seems that you'll be free to choose which spells or skills you want to use after learning the first two or three skills in the tree.
As for the structure of the actual game, there will be several different hub areas based on various locations on Norrath, such as the treetops of an elven city under attack by goblins. Within these hubs, you can venture into the dungeons to defeat an assortment of nasty creatures, to collect items, and to level up. However, the development team at Snowblind has also designed these dungeons so that they're randomly generated, in the hope that you will continue to play the game and level up your character long after you've defeated the last boss. Whether or not that equates to the 100 hours of gameplay that Sony Online Entertainment is touting for the game remains to be seen. In addition, there are approximately 40 different types of graphic sets for the dungeons, so you'll see everything from spider-infested dungeons covered with enormous webs to more traditional caves. However, the main storyline will not change significantly as you progress through the game.
You'll be able to use a variety of spells to enhance your character's abilities.
The variety in the dungeons is matched by the added detail given to the character models, which now feature three times more polygons than they did in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Plus, you'll undoubtedly notice the attention that was paid to the details on various types of armor, which range from typical shiny metal plating to incredibly ornate designs that look as though they were influenced by Mardi Gras. But more importantly, the excellent water effects from Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance make a return in Champions of Norrath.
Even in its early state, Champions of Norrath looks like it will instantly appeal to EverQuest fans but also any fans of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, since the combat and overall controls are quite similar. Interestingly, the game will have support for online play (up to four players at once), but no subscription fee will be charged for the game. Sony Online Entertainment said the game will be shipped in November (before Thanksgiving) on a dual-layered DVD. Look for more on the game soon.
I had not intended to kill cs, Some of the things admiral and SSb said were just vicious and disheartening,if I wanted to destroy cs I could have done it in 2 minutes. Removing the link is hardly destroying the place, as for those threads ez boards is a gay bugged system even the post count for battlefeild has been bugged for a long time.I was gonne do it but I backed out knowing that I was gonna harm more then just those who did harm to me.
heck I cared alot about this place, I helped you out whenever you asked for it , I was the one who gave geno and lumashi some admin and mod powers.I tried to restore the link and did some damage control before you baned me.
I really wish admiral finex and SSb didnt take everything so seriously, when you insaulted me for that color thing I tried to joke about it but afterwards you were just so nasty you had me tears.I tried to close the topic yes, since I wanted to drop the meaningless insualting thread which pretty much didnt belong in the battlefeild to begin with.Then you had to go and say I was so stupid I should kill myself and that everyone hates me after how much i supported you earlier that was uncalled for and crossing the line. Of course I got mad like any person who has had his self esteem spit on.
all you had to do was say sorry , but no you brought up that i am gonna talk to everyone and have you baned becuase I closed that thread earlier. (well before the link incident)
As for those missing threads that is the result I suspect of internal error at ez boards deleting a few threads would be a waste of my time and hardly a way to harm you.
weltall please forward this to cs.
may I add , that if I hadnt of done anything at all , no one would have cared that AF, SSB,
had said the nasty thing they had said to me , I am disgusted at how little people like Geno who call me a liar after how much I had done for them assisting them in the past , Geno couldnt edit his posts I helped him with that ect....
But I should have retired I should have seen this coming , atleast then I could have left with some shread of decency, but now things have to be twisted and actually I am surpised some of you believe I did this out of insanity and that I am just evil a person , As for admiral finex I am surpised even you could have so little compassion in how you treated me earlier over such a trivial reason. I have feelings like any human being if anybody was betrayed it was me.
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