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is the premier daily MMOG newsletter, only from Ten
Ton Hammer!

Welcome
to the 1,376th
edition
of Loading...

One problem with online gaming is its players. There are always players
out there looking for the easy way to advance in the game. But what
happens whn you remove the human element and have the game play you
instead? We discuss the implications of game systems built solely to
combat player exploits today in href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/loading/jul/15">Loading...
Keep it Real.

width="100%">

The
Pulse

You vote with what you
view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the
result
is the Ten Ton Pulse (What
is The Pulse?
).

Today's
top 5 Pulse results this week:

  1. World
    of Warcraft
  2. EverQuest
    II
    (UP 2)
  3. Dungeons
    and Dragons Online
    (UP 2)
  4. Vanguard:
    Saga of Heroes
    (down 2) href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/eq2">

  5. Age
    of Conan
    (down 2)

Biggest
movers over the past 24 hours
:

  1. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/52">Pirates
    of the Burning Sea

    - UP 29  to #17
  2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/306">Jumpgate
    Evolution

    UP 20 to #16
  3. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/42">City of
    Heroes

    - UP 14 to #12
Recent Releases


Upcoming
Releases



  • July
    20,
    2010
    - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2461"
    target="_blank">Need
    for Speed World (release)
  • August
    17, 2010
    - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/140">City
    of Heroes: Going Rogue (release)
  • September
    30, 2010
    - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/ffxiv" target="_blank">Final
    Fantasy XIV

    (release)
  • style="font-weight: bold;">October
    26, 2010
    - LEGO
    Universe
    (release)

  • style="font-weight: bold;">November 2, 2010
    - DC
    Universe Online
    (release)


Upcoming
Events

  • style="font-weight: bold;">7/22 -
    7/25 - target="_blank">Comic-Con
    International
  • style="font-weight: bold;">8/5 -
    8/8 - href="http://events.station.sony.com/fanfaire/" target="_blank">SOE
    Fan Faire 2010
  • style="font-weight: bold;">8/18 -
    8/22 - href="http://www.gamescom-cologne.com/en/gamescom/home/index.php"
    target="_blank">Gamescom 2010
  • style="font-weight: bold;">9/3 -
    9/5 - href="http://www.paxsite.com/paxprime/index.php" target="_blank">PAX
    Prime
  • style="font-weight: bold;">9/3 -
    9/6 - target="_blank">DragonCon
  • style="font-weight: bold;">10/22 -
    10/23 - href="http://us.blizzard.com/blizzcon/?rhtml=y" target="_blank">BlizzCon
  • style="font-weight: bold;"> 3/24
    -
    3/26 (2011) - target="_blank">CCP
    FanFest



Loading... Daily

I have been playing an unhealthy amount of href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/998">APB
over the past couple of weeks. It's just one of those games that no
matter how much I play the previous day, I'm always in the mood to play
some more the next day. I'm not even quite sure why as I'm not very
good at the game. I get repeatedly owned on the playfield, and in turn,
repeatedly get frustrated but yet I always seem to go back for more.



Earlier this week Ethec spoke about href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/loading/2010/jul/12">some
of the flaws of the game and some potential solutions. And
while I won't get into another analysis of those aspects, partly
because they've been covered, partly because I'll be posting a full
review later this month, I do want to draw attention to one aspect of
the game that has been sucking some of the fun out of the game. The
matchmaking in the game is, for the most part, awful. Not because
there's anything particularly wrong with the system itself apart from
the fact that it can be abused. And if something can be abused it's a
sure bet it will be abused. And it has been abused.



I can only recall a handful of times where the opposition set against
me was an actual even fight. Usually the players coming against me are
hundreds of ranks higher with weapons that will kill me with one shot.
The fun factor is severely compromised in this situation, at least for
me. I'm sure it's all giggles on the other end as they pick me off from
100 yards away with a mere thought.



Part of this problem comes from the ability for players to refuse
missions. So what happens is if my threat level appears too high for
someone, they simply won't go up against me. For the most part, the
only players that will fight me are the players who know they can take
me out. It makes sense. Why go into a fight you may lose if you can go
into a fight you're almost sure to win?



In one of our play sessions together Ethec, Sardu, Shayalyn and I
discussed options that could make matches a bit more even. Realtime
Worlds, the game's developer, is considering href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/86804">a different
option though. They're tossing around the idea of having a
"switch" of sorts so that when players enter a zone, they're off duty,
during which time they won't get any missions and they can just go
about their business. Once they throw the switch and become on-duty,
they'll start receiving missions automatically. The choice is removed
and they're put into missions the game selects for them.



This sort of system will work, but it removes the human element. It's
one less choice players can make in the game. The problem is that
removing options from games is often counter productive as choices are
what separates decent games from great games. Once you remove player
options it becomes a situation where it's more of the game playing the
gamer instead of the gamer playing the game.



Even though in some ways the change would be welcome as I would no
longer be hunted by bottom feeders, I think I would much prefer another
option we discussed which would put players of certain ranks in the
same instances. One instance for 1-50, another for 51-100 and so on.
This way players would retain their options and the missions would be
much more evenly matched. Try as I might, I can't imagine why Realtime
Worlds would opt for the automated system over a simple sorting of
instances based on rank.



Am I missing something? Let me know in the forums.






Shayalyn's Epic Thread of
the Day



From our href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=4">/OOC
(Off-topic) Forum



Snake
gets indigestion




This is one of those fascinating Epic Threads that will make you
go, "Eeeewwww!" Let's just say that, for most creatures, it is
inadvisable to try eating something significantly larger than oneself.
Get grossed out, and then post about it, href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=52196">right
here.



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

Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread




"Just nature's way of
trying to make Reptilian Turducken.
"



- href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showpost.php?p=436099&postcount=5">Anacche

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


New
and Exclusive Content
Today at Ten Ton Hammer

6 Ten Ton Hammer
feature
today! 47 Ten Ton Hammer
features
in July! 759
in 2010!

style="font-weight: bold;">BETA PREVIEW



WoW Cataclysm Beta:
Throne of Tides Preview


href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/cataclysm/previews/throne-of-tides">http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/cataclysm/previews/throne-of-tides



The
Throne of Tides is the first on the instances that will be located in
the Vashj’ir underwater zone, and one of the first two that you are
likely to explore in Cataclysm. It is a gorgeous example of what
Blizzard can create for five player content and what we should all hope
to see more of. Join us as Byron "Messiah" Mudry walks you through what
you should expect to see in this instance when World of Warcraft
Cataclysm launches.



FEATURED



Guild Wars 2 Ranger
Reveal Analysis


href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/gw2/features/editorials/ranger-reveal">http://www.tentonhammer.com/gw2/features/editorials/ranger-reveal



The
Ranger is the latest profession to join the lineup in Guild Wars 2. The
latest GW2 reveal outlines the Ranger as pretty much the same
profession as Guild Wars, except this time they have more focus on
melee, better pets, and a lot more. Join us as we discover what the
latest reveal means when it comes to these ranged wonders.



MEDIA



City of Heroes Previews
More Going Rogue Districts


http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/86812



The
launch of Going Rogue is rapidly approaching and as it does more
information has been revealed about the new City of Heroes expansion.
New details of Nova Praetoria, the most exclusive city ward in
Praetoria and home of the city's elite and The Underground, a network
of tunnels beneath Praetoria has been revealed along with several new
screenshots that offer a look at the impressive visuals of the
expansion.



FEATURES & GUIDES



D-Mail #5 – Using Web
Tools to Enhance Player Community


http://www.tentonhammer.com/features/dmail/5



 Web
tools can have a major impact upon the success of player-created
communities in MMOGs. However, there is a distinct lack of such tools
in our wireless world. To that end, the Syndicate's Sean "Dragons"
Stalzer returns this week to discuss ways that MMOGs can keep a player
involved in the game’s community away from the computer in D-Mail #5 –
Using Web Tools to Enhance Player Community.



DDO Hirelings – Fair or
Foul for MMOGs?


href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/ddo/editorials/hirelings-fair-or-foul">http://www.tentonhammer.com/ddo/editorials/hirelings-fair-or-foul



The
hireling system in DDO is both loved and hated by players. Some say
that the use of hirelings takes the “massively multiplayer” out of
MMOGs, while others say that such statements make as much sense as a
skinny Halfling. Are hirelings good or bad for the social aspects of
online gaming? Jeffprime shares his thoughts.



WoW Cataclysm - The
Worgen Experience Level 1-10


http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/worgen_walkthrough



This
guide is a complete walkthrough of every quest that you need to
complete to go from level 1-10 in no time! Just check the map often and
follow the easy instructions.




Today's
Hottest Articles, Guides, and Features

  1. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/cataclysm/previews/throne-of-tides"> style="font-weight: bold;">WoW Cataclysm Beta: Throne
    of Tides Preview
  2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/nfsw/interviews/john-doyle">Vroom!
    Need for Speed World
    – A Q&A with Senior Producer John Doyle href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/nfsw/interviews/john-doyle">

  3. style="font-weight: bold;">The Ten Ton Hammer E3 Awards
  4. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/ddo/editorials/hirelings-fair-or-foul"> style="font-weight: bold;">DDO Hirelings – Fair
    or Foul for MMOGs?
  5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/giveaways/atlantica-online/level-up"> style="font-weight: bold;">Atlantica Online Level
    Up Giveaway
  6. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/rift/interviews/class-callings-scott-hartsman"> style="font-weight: bold;">Rift - Class and
    Callings Q&A with Scott Hartsman
  7. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/starcraft2/guides/custom-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">StarCraft II - Custom
    Map Reviews href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/starcraft2/guides/custom-1">

  8. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/f2p-preview-july-10">Exploring
    Middle-earth: Hands On with style="font-weight: bold;"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/f2p-preview-july-10">LotRO href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/f2p-preview-july-10">'s
    Volume 3: Book 2
  9. Singularity
    Review (PC)

  10. Ten
    Ton Hammer Live
    Episode 14 with
    href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/podcasts/live/14">Pocket
    Legends

Thanks
for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!

- Benjamin J. de la Durantaye and the Ten Ton Hammer Team.





To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our APB: Reloaded Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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