Loading.. April Fool's Day

Welcome to the 1,048th Edition of Loading...

In this issue, we celebrate one of the high holy days of the Internet calendar: April Fool's Day. Are any MMO developers getting prankish on us? That, plus how some of the top sites around the Internet are celebrating the day in style.

The Pulse

First, you vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the result is the Ten Ton Hammer Pulse (What is Pulse?). Here's the top 5 MMORPGs today:

And here are the biggest movers in the Top 20 today:

Star Trek Online (UP 21 to #2)
Lord of the Rings Online (down 3 to #6)
Champions Online (UP 4 to #9)

Loading... Daily

Loading... where every day is April Fool's Day.

April Fool's Day is a welcome reprieve from the serious business that is the Internet. In past years we've seen some awesome web pranks from MMO developers, you may remember WoW's BurgerCraft and the new Wisp race from WoW in 2006 and the console-ized Molten Core of 2008. I was about to lament the lack of a good WoW joke this year when one of our overseas friends sent us P1mp My Mount on the WoW EU site.

Other games and game sites are making a day of it too. EverQuest 2's annual pranksterish Bristlebane's Day is in full effect today in select zones. LotRO introduced Tag and Freeze Tag, which actually sounds kind of fun... actually, check that, it might not be a prank. We have reports that the Mortal Online was a keeper as well, but couldn't find the newsletter in permalink form. Zam announced that it's developing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Online, and WoW radio has apparently embraced communism "in light of the new World of Warcraft addons policy."

Other sites are getting a little foolish and fun too. Gmail has announced an autopilot feature which replies to your email automagically - which, if ever realized, might put me out of a job. If you're all about zombies, you'll enjoy the latest classic in the ultraviolence category available at Amazon.com [Thanks AngryBeaver!] Warner Bros. has apparently taken over thepiratebay.org, YouTube has a special April Fool's Day mode (add &flip=1 to the URL to activate) and British newspaper The Guardian is apparently going twitter-only. NPR highlights protests against animal mascots for sports teams, and mystery retailer Woot.com is offering three random craps for $3 (plus $1 mil shipping).

More web jokes ranging from the hilarious to the ultra-geeky can be found at aprilfoolsdayontheweb.com. As for Ten Ton Hammer, we don't have any pranks for you, but we do have a completely new look for our landing page - take a look and let us know what you think in the Loading... forum, or as always, feel free to email me.

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our Tavern of the Ten Ton Hammer forum

Is the MMOG Dead? - New Games = Same Old Same

JustaGuy wandered into the Tavern of the Ten Ton Hammer
and threw down a gauntlet--he said that the MMOG, as a genre, might
just be dead. Dead, that is, unless developers are willing to break out
of the WoW mold and adopt a different formula for success.

"What we're seeing right now with MMOs is an evolution--slow changes to
the games we love, but nothing new or truly innovative," he says. "What we need is
a game that will bring a REVOLUTION. The next great game will not be a WoW clone... Just as MUDs became MMOGs,
now it's time for MMOGs to take the next step and become something
else. All these WoW clones are tiring us out. All the hype that
surrounds every new AAA game inevitably leads to a lot of
disappointment when we realize that we're playing the same old shit
with a different label and different lore."

The conversation's been rolling along since the thread began, and it has taken a few twists and turns. My own assertions about why MMOGs fail to hold onto their player bases
stirred up some controversy to add to the ongoing debate. Are MMOGs
dead? What's needed to revitalize the genre? Will the next great MMOG
evolve from the likes of EQ, DAoC, WoW and EQ2, or will it be something
completely new and, as JustaGuy says, revolutionary?

Have your say!

==============================
Epic Quote from the Epic Thread

"Almost
all the game designers skills are about as tired as a 90 year old
Charles Bronson. Its the same old bulls*** from the same old people. I
have not seen one game system in the past 5 years that made me sit up
and go HOLY CARP! I take that back, I cursed a lot at the NGE."

- Spare

"Are you familiar with the Bartles player types? Have you read that
timeless paper he wrote about player types and their effects on
community? Its like modern developers have forgotten or discarded those
excellent ideas. Instead they seem to focus on one player type for a
particular game without caring about other player types and how they
interact."

- Aganazer
==============================

Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell us!

11 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 11 in April! 398 in 2009!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today [Thanks Phil Comeau for links and Real World News]

The Symbiosis of Ship, Captain and Crew in Star Trek Online

There’s certainly been a wealth of recent information detailing the ins and outs of race creation in Star Trek Online, which has the potential to shatter the confines of more traditional character creation tools featured in many current MMOs. In an exclusive interview with executive producer Craig Zinkievich, we learned not only that customization extends far beyond character creation, but some interesting new details on how character advancement will be linked to various other aspects of gameplay, from the ships you fly to the bridge crews you opt to use. In the latest episode of MMOs, the Final Frontier, Reuben “Sardu” Waters explores the potential impact of this type of ‘functional’ customization in STO.
Loading Live #10 Podcast: Post-Book 7 Dev Chat with LotRO's Jeffrey Steefel
Our tenth Loading... Live podcast is joined by Lord of the Rings Online Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel just days after the release of Volume 2 Book 7 and our arrival in Lothlorien. After our weekly MMO news report from Ben "Machail" de la Durantaye, host Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle quizzes Jeffrey on what Book 7 and the high reputation required respite will mean to players and where the action will continue in Book 8 and beyond. Afterwards Jeffrey speaks with the audience for a full 20 minutes, fielding questions about such hot topics as PvMP balance, boats, and mounted combat. Tune in for the full 40-minute podcast and be sure to check out the Q&A transcript as well!
geeked: Patience is a Virtue

Ten Ton Hammer's very own satirical webcomic on all things geek-related is back with a reminder that pressing F5 more than 50 times a minute is keyboard abuse and punishable by time in jail and/or a hefty fine.
Be sure to catch up on any issues of Geeked you've missed by visiting our Comics Portal. Don't forget to rate your favorites while you're at it!
Worlof Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Reputation Guide for Warriors

Getting good gear in World of Warcraft has never been easier. Wrath of the Lich King introduced several new factions in the expansion, but also offered ways that grinding out the faction wasn't so tedious. Today, Adam Stow takes a look at some of the Northrend reputation rewards for Warriors. Find out what's hot and what's not in Ten Ton Hammer's Northrend Reputation Guide for Warriors.
World of Warcraft: Gearing up the Pre-Raid Hunter

Are you trying to gear up your hunter to start those level 80 raids? Did you miss out on the lower tier raid gear on your way to 80? Not sure what to do or how to get started? Don't worry, Ten Ton Hammer is here to help! Join us as we take a look at some of the ways you can start getting your hunter ready to take on those coming raid challenges.
Warhammer Online: Ten Ton Hammer's Secrets to Ultimate Pwnage - The Slayer

Well, it's been about a month now and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning's Dwarven Slayer class has quickly become one of the more popular order classes. Everywhere you go, you can find a sea of red mohawks attacking anything in their area that's Destruction. It's a fun class to play in PvE, but you may be wondering how well you'd do in RvR, especially if that's not really your thing. We here at Ten Ton Hammer feel your pain, for we all started out as PvE folks too once, and to help you get into the groove of what a Slayer was really meant for, we bring you Ten Ton Hammer's Secrets to Ultimate Pwnage - The Slayer!
Black Prophecy Gameplay Combat Trailer
Reakktor Media GmbH today released a new cinematic trailer for their upcoming space combat MMO “Black Prophecy”. The trailer shows never before seen in-game epic battle action between the two dominant races, the Tyi and the Genides, and gives a first glimpse on the mysterious alien race known as “The Restorers”. Come for the over-the-top, Soul Caliber-esque voiceovers, stay for the gorgeous visuals in this latest gameplay trailer from Black Prophecy!
EverQuest 2 GUI: I Am the Warrior

Patch notes are one of the least exciting aspects of MMO games so why spend your valuable time trying to figure them out? Ten Ton Hammer's "expert" patch note translators RadarX and Coyote sat down with EverQuest II's Game Update 51 notes and picked out everything you need to know. Entertaining and disturbing, this is more information than most people want to consider but where else will you find such in depth analysis?
Vanguard: The Tao of Fishing

What's better than floating around the middle of a lake, fishing with friends, and drinking beer? Doing it from the comfort of your own computer chair, of course! No more will we hear the muffled whimpers of sunburned gamers as they indulge in the gaming goodness of online worlds. The Vanguard: Saga of Heroes development team has created a fishing system that's not only enticingly engaging, but deceptively entertaining as well. Join Dalmarus as he deciphers the riddles of fishing in his latest Vanguard guide!
EVE Online: Cash Flow for Capsuleers Mission Guide

Being a new pilot in New Eden can be difficult but you don't have to go at it alone! As the first EVE Online mission guide of many to come, we have posted the popular

newbie series "Cash Flow for Capsuleers". This group of complex missions is accompanied by your tutorial but don't think that just because you're a rookie that they are going to go easy on you! We'll lend you a hand with some great mission advice as well as plenty of info on rewards and new player tricks that will assist you in successfully getting this series done as painlessly as possible.
Choosing the Right Leader in Atlantica Online

When gamers look for a title that isn't afraid to differ from the norm and that delivers an experience complete with all of the gameplay elements we've come to love in MMOGs, Danny "Ralsu" Gourley recommends Atlantica Online. Now he brings Ten Ton Hammer readers a guide to selecting the best class at character creation.

Hot Content - Or, what I took a fancy to:

Real World News

Pigeons smuggling mobile phones into Brazilian Prisons

Apparently its well know in prison circles to improve cell reception.
Enraged bear traps Las Vegas bachelor party in bathroom

The grizzly-bearded Animal Control Officer we interviewed suspects the bear was bi-polar.
Woman lay dead in home for more than a year

A well-known local musician, she is now busy decomposing her next album.

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!

-- Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team

To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our EverQuest II Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

Featured

About The Author

Comments

Related Content