Welcome to the 1,196th edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news, coverage, and
commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

Peruse any MMOG forum and you'll hear the same criticism over
and over: "[Insert Game Title] is nothing but a grind." But are those
words critical or merely factual? Perhaps MMOGs are a grind by
their very nature. And perhaps the grind isn't such a bad thing. Join
us as we explore the grind factor in today's Loading... A Grind by any
other Game.

width="100%">

The Pulse

You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the
result is the Ten Ton Pulse ( href="http://www.gunnars.com/" target="_blank">What
is The Pulse?).

Here's today's top 5 Pulse results: href="http://www.gunnars.com/">

1. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/41"
   target="_blank">World of Warcraft
2. Dungeons
   & Dragons Online
3. EverQuest
   2 (UP 1)
4. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/254">Aion
   (DOWN 1)
5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/115">Age of
   Conan

Biggest movers today:

1. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2036">Torchlight
   (UP 3 to #11)
2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/43">EVE
   Online (UP 1 to #7)
3. Lord
   of the Rings Online (Down 1 to #8)

Recent
MMO Releases

• 8/25
  - CrimeCraft
  (release date)
• 9/1 -
  Champions
  Online (release date)
• 9/9
  - Dungeons
  & Dragons Online Unlimited (release date)
• 9/15
  - Runes
  of Magic "The Elven Prophecy" (expansion)
• 9/22 -
  Fallen
  Earth (release date)
• 9/22
  - Aion
  (release date)
• 10/8
  - Cities
  XL (release date)

Upcoming
Releases

• 11/3
  - Dragon Age:
  Origins (release date)
• 12/1
  - LotRO:
  Siege of Mirkwood (release date)
  
  
• 12/1
  - EVE
  Online: Dominion (release date)
• 12/2
  - DOFUS 2.0
  (release date)
  
  
• Early 2010
  - APB
  

Loading... Daily

MMOG gamers have had their own special term for repetition for as long
as MMO gaming has been around: we call it the grind. Killing the same
mobs over and over to gain experience or loot is a grind. Running
repeatable quests, for the same reasons, is a grind. You’ll even hear
people say that linear progression in a game--the sort of progression
that takes you from point A to point B to point C without allowing for
much deviation or exploration--is a grind. And they’re right; these
things are indeed repetitive. But is repetition such a bad thing?



We often view repetitive tasks as mundane and tedious. And yet, anyone
who’s ever swung gently back and forth on a porch swing, or bounced a
ball against the pavement over and over, or chanted a mantra, or
counted sheep, knows that there’s also something inherently relaxing
about it.



I’ve heard a fair bit of criticism aimed at href="http://tentonhammer.com/aion">Aion lately.
“It’s just another Asian grindfest,” players say. And, again, they’re
right to some degree. There are indeed repeatable quests in Aion, and
you’ll find yourself killing some of the same mobs again and again as
you progress through the levels. For the first 20 levels or so, you
travel a pretty linear path, which makes leveling up alt characters a
grind. The criticism is valid, and yet I enjoy Aion.



The fact is, I sometimes enjoy grinding. Not long ago, I found myself
logged into Aion and running a repeat quest to kill the same mobs,
kerubim, over and over. There I was in a murky swamp, hanging around a
single location, laying waste to the same mobs over and over again as
they respawned, and harvesting the same two titanium nodes during the
brief period when there was nothing for me to kill. The xp and loot
rolled out steadily, and I was enjoying myself so much that I hadn’t
even noticed a couple of hours had passed. My son, who likes to drop
into my home office from time to time to watch me play, had stopped in
twice while I was killing the kerubim.



“So, you’re camping these guys?” he asked.



It was then that I realized I was. In fact, I’d set up a camp and I’d
been grinding xp and farming coin and loot for quite a while, and I’d
been having fun.



Although grinding isn’t everyone’s cup o’ latte, it seems to depend on
the game for me. Somehow, in Aion, I don’t mind it. I’ve tried to put
my finger on why, and the only real reason I can come up with is
something I’ve discussed in a href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/75054">previous issue
of Loading…, Aion makes me feel epic. I like the way my
character looks, and I like the way she executes her combos, and the
animations that accompany them. I don’t mind playing her for a couple
hours, even though I’m doing the same thing over and over. While I’m
grinding, I concentrate on killing with more efficiency. I experiment
with different weapons (my gladiator has a wide variety of options
available to her). I chat a bit with my guild. And, just like rocking
back and forth on a porch swing, I find this all very laid back and
relaxing.



Grinding is inherent to just about all MMOGs--it’s their nature. It’s
hard to find a MMOG that doesn’t send you out on a mission to kill 20
of something, or collect 10 of something else. But I’m going to go out
on a limb here and say that the best MMOGs aren’t necessarily the ones
with the least grinding, but the ones where grinding feels
less apparent by virtue of other strong game features (like that
feeling of “epicness” I mentioned with Aion), and where any intense
grinding (like my kerubim camping) is optional, not essential.



Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for grindfest MMOGs. A MMOG
grind without other options--without fun and epic-feeling combat, or
interesting quests, or satisfying loot, or plenty of avenues for
exploration outside a linear progression path--is still nothing but a
grind. Ask any assembly-line worker how fun it is doing the same thing
day in and day out. I worked in a plastics factory doing repetitive
tasks for a few months when I was 20-something, and I can tell you that
although I got into a routine and managed to drag myself through each
day, it was anything but exciting. And I was working to earn my weekly
paycheck, so I had some incentive. In most cases, a MMOG developer who
expects a player to actually pay money to do boring repetitive things
(sans the fun incentives I mentioned above) is headed for disaster.



But if you can get into the right groove, with the right game, grinding
can be fun. (Yep, I mentioned “grinding” and “fun” in the same
sentence. Get your mind out of the gutter.) Just like rocking on that
porch swing, or dribbling that basketball, it can be a relaxing and
entertaining way to spend some time.



Is the MMOG grind evil? Or do you find it relaxing under the right
circumstances? Share your thoughts in the href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=47450">Loading…
forum.

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style="font-weight: bold;">Shayalyn's Epic Thread of
the Day



From our href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6">Articles,
News & Event Discussion Forum



style="font-weight: normal;">Chinese Company Drops the Bann
Hammer on MMOG Gender Bending



We've reported a similar news story in the past, but it seems the
Chinese are at it again--they've made an attempt to outlaw playing an
opposite gender character in a MMOG, and expect players to verify their
gender via webcam. Would you play a MMOG that required you to verify
your gender and play a same-sex character? We're talking about it in
today's epic thread. href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=47444">Join
us!



==============================

Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread



"I would stop playing
MMOs. You take away my choice and I'll take away my money."



- AngryBeaver

==============================



Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=32559">Tell
us!

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4 new Ten Ton Hammer MMOG features today! 115
in October! 2,063 in
2009!



Today's New Features & Guides

• Lord of the
  Rings Online - Siege of Mirkwood Live Preview
  
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76046
  
  
  
  The
  latest chapter in the lore rich fantasy MMOG Lord of the Rings Online
  is less than two months away, and open beta is just around the
  corner. Ten Ton Hammer has been granted a live look at the
  fresh new
  content and we want to share! Join Medawky as he embarks into Siege of
  Mirkwood with Live Producer Aaron Campbell of Turbine, delving into the
  fabled forest and uncovering what the future has in store for this epic
  franchise.
  
• Champions
  Online - Blood Moon Impressions
  
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76028
  
  
  
  Cryptic’s
  first free update to Champions Online has gone live today, and there’s
  a lot to see and do. William “JoBildo” Murphy gives his initial
  impressions of all the things that make up Blood Moon. Be sure to check
  back soon for a comprehensive guide for all things Halloween in this
  new patch!
  
• Night of the
  Lost Souls - A Guide to Age of Conan's Newest Seasonal
  Event
  
  http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/76064
  
   
  
  The nights have grown darker across the skies of Hyboria. People are
  dead, but that isn’t going to stop them from trying to kill you during
  the ‘Night of the Lost Souls’ seasonal event in Age of Conan: Hyborian
  Adventures (AoC) . This week Ten Ton Hammer takes the community on a
  guided tour of AoC's newest seasonal event and shows how you too can
  earn your own seasonal pet.
  

• Aion
  Asmodean Aether Extraction Guide 200-299
  
  title="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aion/guides/general/asmoaetherpt3"
  href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aion/guides/general/asmoaetherpt3">http://www.tentonhammer.com/aion/guides/general/asmoaetherpt3
  
  
  
  
  If you're on the lookout for materials to craft something a little bit
  tougher than Titanium, you're going to need Aether Gems. Since leveling
  aether extraction is such a pain in general, the price for the good
  stuff in this area is going to get rather high in a hurry. Why is it so
  difficult to be self sufficient in this? Alas, your hard work thus far
  to 200 is about to pay off further. We at Ten Ton Hammer have you
  covered with our guide to diving into lava on accident, or Aether
  Extraction 200-299, Asmodean style.
  

Hottest Content:

1. Ten
   Ton Hammer's First In-Depth Preview of LEGO Universe
2. Star
   Trek Online VIP Q&A with Craig Zinkievich
3. style="font-weight: bold;">LOTRO - Siege of
   Mirkwood Live Preview
4. EVE
   Online - Exploring the New Player Experience
5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/giveaways/daysofthedead">WoW
   - The Overpull - 10.27.09 - "Race Changing Still Broken"
   
   style="font-weight: bold;"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aion/editorials"> style="font-weight: bold;">
6. Global
   Agenda:
   Conquest and Pricing Options Interview
7. style="font-weight: bold;">Champions Online -
   Blood Moon Impressions
8. Night
   of the Lost Souls - A Guide to Age
   of Conan's Newest Seasonal
   Event
9. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/75710">Which
   World of Warcraft Class makes the best
   Tank?
10. Exploring
    the Lore of Star Trek Online Interview

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Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network! 

- Karen "Shayalyn" Hertzberg and the Ten Ton Hammer
team