Sideshow & Syrana

Hi, remember me? Probably not. I sometimes live here.

Anyways… I did enjoy the Cataclysm expansion. They added a lot of cool features. The new zones and the reconfigured zones were both very well done. I now have more characters at max level than I ever have before (3, up from 2.) But, as with a lot of the “end game” stuff, I get bored quickly. I don’t raid, too much trouble. I play, what most would consider, casually. I pop on for a few hours a week and do mostly solo stuff. I do enjoy PvP on occasion, but one can only do Tol Barad and Firelands dailies enough times. Losing Tol Barad over and over is no fun, either. Earlier this week I cancelled my WoW account (again) like I do when I get a little bored of it. I can almost guarantee I’ll be back, just not using it enough to cover the cost right now.

Though, I jumped into the game last year after it became “Free-to-Play,” I’ve been playing Lord of the Rings Online more now. I stopped since Cataclysm came out, but now I’m back in it. Syrana’s dad is also playing, which gives me someone to play along with. It helps a lot. I don’t feel obligate to play since it’s free at the moment, though I can buy add-ons or other things whenever I wish using their in-game store. I think they did a good job with their transition. The game is deep enough to play completely free, but they give you options to have more, but only if you want. You also can gain points playing the game which can be used to buy items. The option to pay monthly is done well enough that it’s tempting, but you can try a lot of it before you buy.

It’s nice to have that feeling that everything is new and exciting, again. I haven’t had that feeling in WoW in a long time. I do like the comfortable feeling of WoW, knowing where everything is and how it works, but sometimes I like to not know what’s going on. I like to learn. I am currently doing that and really enjoying it.

For anyone else out there playing LotRO, I’m currently playing a Warden on server Firefoot. That character’s name is Luminthia, though I also have a Hobbit named Gertbee.

When you look at the Sims, you’ll notice that bar the expansions packs, very little has changed. But that’s putting to one side one big Sims 3 expansion – The Sims Medieval. Introducing a quest system, the game starts to take on a simulation/RPG feel, and it’s innovation like this that could really drive the Sims forward into a new generation of gaming experiences.

The Sims as it is needs to spice things up, as bar rewards and the odd graphical overhaul, not enough has changed. Some people like that, but the problem with nothing changing is that those who aren’t graphical purists won’t see many reasons to purchase a $60 version over one with a few less features and polygons for $20. Whether you’re a fan of sim games or partypoker, it’s easy to slip into the Sims for days, and with less originality in the sequels over time, you’re going to see a drop in the number of people wanting to fall down that rabbit hole again.

So how do you fix it? Well, modernising it helps, and this has happened with the Sims 3 to some degree. They can now chat online, and social media will be the next extension of that. Better AI would also be good, as seeing more realistic behaviour certainly helps (most people would simply run to the toilet even if asked to do somethig else if their “bladder meter” was empty, rather than urinate all over the floor).

We love the Sims, and really want to see the series continue, but with new features to spice things up, and perhaps a few more points in a Sim’s intelligence field! The Sims on consoles had a great story-mode, too, allowing you to complete goals and move through life and houses achieving things at work, at home, and so on. This “real life” aspect to working hard and achieving something beyond more money is a great future direction, but only time will tell. We wait, and we hope.