Welcome to the 1,124th Edition of Loading...

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

What does scoring a baseball game and getting the most out of an MMO have in common? More than you might think. Join Ethec for a quick trip down memory lane and a look at the significance of statistics in today's MMORPGs. That, plus we're proud to unveil our new Champions Online community site today in Loading... Stat Infection.

Coyote 's daily column explores all things geek with Coyote's trademark wit in It's All Geek to Me. Read it daily at Ten Ton Hammer! Today's topic: Zombies... are WE really the monsters? (Are we?)

Loading... Daily

In early summer, right before Baltimore Games Day, we went to a Baltimore Orioles game with some of the EA Mythic folks. One of these guys - forgive me if you're reading, I'm awful with names - was keeping score. "It's just something I've always done," he said, absorbing a mixed bag of admiration and mild harassment from those looking on.

Scoring a baseball game is a lot like scoring bowling by hand, it has its own frame-by-frame (or "at bat") methodology and symbology. That every baseball game can be reasonably compartmentalized, chronicled and broken down into statistics this way is one reason that the some of the first video games after Pong - and certainly the first sports video games - were baseball games, and probably why MLB apps lead the way on the iPhone for real-time updates for those without radio or TV.

My dad, a former teener-minor league coach, channeled some of his disappointment over my unshakable fear of hard objects speeding close to my head (and my quakingly dismal little league batting performances as a result) into teaching me how to score baseball during an all-star game in the late eighties. For a time just about every ounce of my fairly young attention span was spent scoring games in the afternoons and evenings. I fell out of the habit and for a goodly span thought baseball was unspeakably boring, preferring contact sports instead.

Lately I've enjoyed baseball more and more. The local MLB team got a former pitcher to do some of the color commentary, and understanding the duel which occurs just about every at-bat between the batter and the pitcher introduces a lot of drama to the game.

Last night, I took my dad to a local minor league game. Thinking of the EA Mythic guy, picked up a pencil and scored the game, noting even the ball-strike count. It didn't matter that it was all tracked in big bright letters and numbers on two jumbo-trons, I had my own little eclectic set of stats: the four pitchers' individual and combined one-game ERA, the on-base percentage of several of the best hitters. It added a whole new dimension of fun to what used to be a slogging three-hour affair with too much beer and not enough moment-by-moment excitement.

With the rise of PvP (and PvE achievements) in MMORPGs lately, there's been an explosion of stat-driven leaderboards akin to what we've always seen in online shooters. Perhaps no other MMO did a better job of stat tracking than Fury, which was a game slightly before its time in a category where everyone expected an MMO to have solid co-op PvE elements. All of this information is probably recorded somewhere for QA purposes, and there's really no reason not to make it public. Occasionally, public stats benefit a developer too, as was the case when community consternation over the Martin Fury affair in World of Warcraft brought Porkchop's rule of the roost to a quick end.

A stat infection in today's MMOs is something we can all live with. Detractors may note that it encourages min-maxing and an unhealthily addictive competitiveness, but unlike gray grinding, low yield mining, and other activities I can't ever see the fun in, I think detail-oriented competitiveness - whether PvE or PvP - probably ranks up there with social immersion and quality role-play (note I said quality role play, not necessarily using "thee" and "thou" but getting into character like, surprisingly, Goonswarm might get into character) as the summit of video game enjoyment.

Share your thoughts and opinions about the influence of statistics in the Loading... forum or, as always, feel free to email me.

4 new Ten Ton Hammer articles today! 56 in July! 821 in 2009!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

Exclusive Articles:

• Champions Online @ Ten Ton Hammer Community Site Now Live
  September 2009 is the month we all have got circled on our calendars as it is the month Champions Online will hit store shelves everywhere. We're prepared for the game, are you? Not to worry, we've got your back. Today we launch our Champions Online Community site, and with it, you'll be pleased to see new guides, new interviews, and anything and everything that's Champions Online. We've got a dedicated staff lined up to bring you the newest CO news, and the most current guides and articles. So set your bookmarks, and make yourselves at home. Welcome to Champions Online @ Ten Ton Hammer!
• World of Warcraft - Surviving BlizzCon
  Are you heading to Blizzcon - the convention that celebrates everything Blizzard - this year Stuck without a ticket and wondering how to get the pet in a legal way? Well, David "Xerin" Piner comes in with tips on surviving the convention if you're one of the thousands who were able to catch tickets to this must-attend event. If you're not then never fear. There are some tips on the right direction to catching the event's fun without leaving your couch and get the cool new exclusive con pet at the same time.
• Wolf Team Devlog - Team Deathmatch
  While it may not be standard fare (yet!) for MMO gamers, Aeria Games has acquired and is preparing to publish the imported online shooter, Wolf Team. To learn more about this upcoming shoot 'em up, the Ten Ton Hammer staff has posted a brand new publisher post (different than a dev diary) for our readers to check out. It's an interesting little read, especially the part where you get to turn into a werewolf.
• Lord of the Rings Online - Vol. 2 Book 7: Leaves of Lórien Epic Guide
  The Lord of the Rings Online provides players with rich story through the epic book quest that help unfold the tales of Middle-earth. This week Martuk has put together a guide for Volume II, Book 7: Leaves of Lórien. Join Ten Ton Hammer as we aid you in the fight against Mazog and the dark forces of Moria.

Giveaways:

• DDO Unlimited Beta Keys & Store Points Giveaway
• Ten Ton Hammer EVE Online Summer Giveaway

Hottest Content:

1. EVE Online Secrets of a Solar Spymasters #20: Inside the Failure Cascade
2. World of Warcraft: Healing Comparison - Discipline Priest vs. Holy Paladin
3. Upgrades and Devices in Champions Online
4. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/70988">Aion href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/70988">Class
   Interview - The Spiritmaster
5. Champions
   Online VIP Interview - Cryptic Bucks, PvP, and More
6. Statistics in Champions Online
7. A
   Beginners Guide to Crafting in Aion
8. Age
   of Conan 2009 Update Tour, Part One
9. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/70855">Aion href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/70855"> Flight Facts
10. Champions
    Online Power Set Interview - Dual Blades, Single Blade,
    Fighting Claws and Unarmed

Real World News - We couldn't make this stuff up if we tried:

• Detroit: No Budget to Prosecute Breaking & Entering and Other "Low Priority" Crimes
  Just let the criminals have whatever they want, that should solve things.
• Californian 17-Year Old Youngest to Sail Solo Around the World in 13 Months
  Which is one way to deal with those difficult adolescent years.
• Hazmat Team, 3 Engines, and 18 Firefighters Respond to Broken Pickled Chameleon Jar
  The chameleon would be incredibly grateful to Hampshire taxpayers, but he's dead. And a chameleon.

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network! Have a great weekend!

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