A License to Bill

Welcome to Loading... for November 30th, 2006, the last day before the last month. You can read previously enjoyed editions of Loading... in the blog archive. (For the navigation impaired that means you click the link and then look in the right menu.)

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Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle sitting in on Loading... with some good news: you need only put up with second rate commentary and Vin Diesel for one more day! John "Boomjack" Hoskin is set to make his return tomorrow, and we're all very glad to see him back in action following his recent illness and hospitalization.

The other day, a friend and I were talking about memorable MMOG personalities or, in his opinion, the lack thereof. Platformers have Mario and Sonic, action games have Gordon Freeman and Lara Croft, sports games have their ... er, John Madden? But at first glance, MMORPGs have, well, you. Does creating the hero take some of the fun out of being the hero? Not necessarily; any good actor can fill a part in a play, but, in all likelyhood, only a percentage have fun improvising. Different games for different folks.

Getting back to the topic at hand, I had to think a bit to trundle up some memorable MMORPG personalities. From EverQuest, there was Emperor Crushbone, Lord Mistmoore, Lady Vox, and (for me, due to a temporary obsession with making Trueshot Bows) Trumpy Irontoes. EverQuest II has Antonia Bayle (and her hot real-life manifestation) and Lucan D'Lere. For World of Warcraft, I could only come up with the orc warchief Thrall.

I'm leaving out the licensed games (e.g. Star Wars Galaxies) since their principal NPCs were already well-established in players' minds. Do MMORPGs built on a license take some of the fun out of learning about the game's core conflicts and personalities? Many derided the folks developing the problem child MMO Star Wars Galaxies; after all, how could you not make a success with a Star Wars license?

Though a license brings you instant interest from franchise fans, I'd imagine that it's far more difficult to build an open-ended game around a world that seems inextricable from its very linear, well established storyline. Many a screenwriter finds out the hard way that you have to plan for a sequel;many times the original movie doesn't have enough unanswered questions to adequately support a follow-up. To me, far better to make a title that preserves the feel (not the plot) of the franchise a la Final Fantasy XI or, like Warhammer Online, use a license whose plot hasn't really made it to the mainstream. Or, just as well, use a license where open-endedness is built into the storyline, as in Stargate Worlds.

What memorable MMOG personalities have you come across? What do you think it would take to make a successful licensed MMOG? Don't forget to post in our forums or at the bottom of this blog. If you are shy (or female and sending in naughty pictures) you can e-mail me.

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11.30.2006 Exclusive Content

Warhammer Online: Chaos Chosen Career Overview
Today we have two new careers up in our Warhammer Career list; the Warrior Priest & The Chaos Chosen. Both of these classes have only have basic information and images released, but we have our "Ten Ton Thoughts" on the matter up along with the associated images Warhammer Online: Empire Warrior Priest Overview
If you like Sigmar and fine killing times; the Warrior Priest is for you. Probably the closest Warhammer equivalent to the Paladin, the Warrior Priest is a holy fighter of the Empire god Sigmar./ Dungeons & Dragons Online: Apprentice's Companion IV - Fourth Level Arcana
With roughly a half-dozen new spells, 4th level arcana after Module 3 has changed the way Dungeons & Dragons Online plays. But only half of those spells are really good. Before you spend money on a scroll or to swap spells, read what Darkgolem has to say. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes - Poll: I'm Bringin' Sexy Back
Are your MMOG characters sexy, generally attractive, or about as scary as that freakishly big-headed plastic Burger King dude from TV commercials? We sometimes take ourselves a bit too seriously at Vanguard Ten Ton Hammer, so this week's poll takes on a lighter tone and asks: are you bringin' sexy back? World of Warcraft - Aurael's The Burning Crusade Beta Journal #4
Have you ever wondered where Death's Door or the mysterious Area 52 is located? Want to know what happens when a level 60 gets it in her head to scout out uncharted areas in the Burning Crusade beta? Find the answers in Aurael's Beta Journal #3, with screenshots galore! World of Warcraft - Random Thoughts on the Burning Crusade
This week Messiah talks about several random bits from the Burning Crusade beta and how they will transfer over to the release. These are all items that all of us in the beta have gotten used to and are almost taking for granted now, but shouldn’t be. What will become of us once they change in release, and should they change? World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade Honor Changes
A lots changing with the honor system and we have the low-down on what's up! We've gone through the new arenas and PvP system from the beta and have reported back on how all of the new changes work! We've also taken a quick look at the new arenas. Vin Diesel Fact of the Day: Vin Diesel can immediately locate the burnt-out bulb on an unlit string of Christmas lights. As always, thanks for visiting TenTonHammer.com,

-- Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle