Monday 10 December 2001

Pic of the day: Sadly, no one has based a massively multiplayer online game on the world of Daggerfall. One can hope that some day ... yeah, right.

Feudalism online

Well, it beats anarchy, right? Yes, a-pun my word. Anarchy Online is a massive multiplayer online game, set in one of those dark science fiction futures, where nanotech substitutes for magic. I'd be happy to play it, since it is Norwegian just like me, but I simply hate dark science fiction futures.

(I sincerely believe that unless we overcome hate, prejudice and greed, we shall never touch the stars. I feel secure in my conviction that this is built into the universe as an unbending rule. Certainly I would have thought about that if I made a universe: Can't have vermin running all over the place. In fact, unless we upgrade our ethics fast, we are not even likely to stay alive on Earth without outside intervention.)

Anyway, yes indeed, Anarchy Online is one of those nifty Norwegian programs. It seems that occasionally a small group of people over here get a good software idea, and goes on to program it, in English of course. You won't know it is Norwegian unless someone tells you. See also Planetarion, the massively popular online strategy game. Or Opera, the small and fast yet fully functional web browser that is slowly eating in on the market of the bloatware twins. Of course, with a population like a somewhat largish American city and a slightly higher standard of living, it is not surprising that we have a similar production of software goodies.

***

I'm not such a nationalist, however, that I play a game I know I won't like. I am not a dark SF type at all, and not cyberpunk. High Fantasy is my style. Medieval stuff without all the grit, sparkling with magic. That's the way I like it. Elves are welcome, and the occasional unicorn. Stuff like that. Luckily, I'm not alone in this preference. In fact, I'm not sure I really belived this would become so popular.

I still have some budding novels that I wrote long ago, which revolved around massive multiplayer online fantasy roleplaying games. I imagined a time where telecommunications would be cheap and fast, and computer technology would be so advanced that each player could have his or her own unique character that could be identified at a glance. And these people would live in a dual world: An offline mundane world, and an online world of sparkling magic. What fascinated me was the ideas of what this would do to young impressionable minds. Today, I think we know. And not just young ones, either.

I've mentioned EverQuest to the point of boredom already. I'd still like to take another shot at it, but I do not know for sure that I dare. But it still looks like #1 in terms of raw undiluted cuteness.

There is Asheron's Call, which I frankly don't know much about. I have the vague impression that they prefer to stay a smaller and closer community, and don't particularly want a steady influx of newbies. Then again, I may be wrong. Perhaps it is just plain hated, seeing as it is under the wings of MicroSoft. Apart from this, I think it is fairly similar to EverQuest, but I know it only from the occasional review.

Sierra's The Realm is gone, but another old-timer survives and even flourishes. Surprisingly, Ultima Online is still going strong. Unless I am mistaken, this was the game that made massive multiplayer games a household concept, and paved the way for today's crop of such games. And it reamins infamous for the hordes of newbie-killers trawling the countryside and slaughtering new players, who then cry and want their money back.

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And then there is Dark Age of Camelot. This game has suddenly become a huge hit over in the USA. Sadly, that is also the only place you can play it. I checked on Amazon, and it was not to be shipped outside America. European release is supposed to be around February 1st. If this had not been the case, I would have been sorely tempted to shift my allegiance.

My first impression was that this was a typical boy game, focused narrowly on player vs player fighting. And indeed, the game is built on the foundation of constant warfare. However, the actual gameplay is far more subtle, according to various reviews. It is a wartime economy, but you may serve in many different ways. For instance there is always a need for good crafters of weapons and armor. The system of item use places a strong demand on the economy: Equipment has optimal levels, so a player will need to replace his stuff as he rises in levels. Since there also are many variations in equipment type and quality, the "industrial base" of craftsmen may be decisive for which faction eventually gains supremacy.

The traditional plague of immature player-killers is avoided by separating the factions into three homelands. All who live in the same homeland are allies by default, while all foreigners are enemies. You cannot attack your countrymen, and you have nothing to gain from it either. Those who want to kill players, will have to go to the borders and fight there; but unless well prepared, they will die easily. Only cooperation will get you anywhere. Or so is the theory. I have obviously not seen it directly.

The game sure has the potential to be horribly boring unless you are the sociable type. I am not sure what that would mean for me. It is possible that I shall find out, come February. But right now, that's far away, like a vague and unreal dream of the far future. I can hardly even imagine that it is soon Christmas. I'm just so happy to be alive, and each day is another gift.

Real Life. Sparkling with true magic, too! Coming soon to a journal near you, I hope ...