New MMORPG Age

[Ordika]

Nearly everyone has a pretty good idea about it most of the time. But "have a pretty good idea" and "know" are not the same thing.

It's totally reasonable to start with what people say they want. It's suicidally stupid to take it as absolute authority as to what will actually make them happy. I'm not, by the way, claiming that "experts" are necessarily noticably better at it; in many fields, experts consistently underperform pure chance.

Mostly, the point is that you have to be ready for the possibility that what you really want is something you haven't thought of yet, or something you've thought about and dismissed for what seem like perfectly good reasons.

It is also a good idea to separate the abstract ("What will make you happy.") from direct answers to a direct desire ("I'm hungry and I want Chinese food.").

Ask most people if $1Mil will make them happy and they would say yes, ask most lottery winners and they will tell you what they found out (there are tons of TV specials about this).

[the_real_seebs]

It is also a good idea to separate the abstract ("What will make you happy.") from direct answers to a direct desire ("I'm hungry and I want Chinese food.").

Ask most people if $1Mil will make them happy and they would say yes, ask most lottery winners and they will tell you what they found out (there are tons of TV specials about this).

Good points, both. And consider the question of why lottery winners often end up unhappy. Why does $1M not make them significantly happier? In most cases, it isn't that there don't exist ways to spend $1M that would make them happier; it's that they make choices which don't actually make them happier. I know pretty much what I'd do with $1M, and I am pretty sure I would be happier having had it, but that's because I have learned some of the tricks. (Answer: Pay off any convenient bills/debts, maybe buy a couple $k of luxury goods, then spend the rest on people who need the money more than I do. This is an exceptionally effective way to convert money into happiness.)

[SanguineDeath]

Sorry, I just skimmed over some of these posts or just passed them - too long

Here's my simplistic take. I like games. I play games I like even if they're not "popular." If I have fun, that's what's important to me.

Leveling - some games make it really fun like Rift, WoW - used to do it a long time ago, other games leveling is such a horrendous experience, I'd rather watch paint dry - Terra.

Modern games vs "old/er" games. For all you "old time gamers" out there. We ALL know that these modern games are so simplistic, so easy to play, you can be blindfolded, using a joystick when the game calls for a mouse. Case in point. Rift - easy peasy to play:

1) You craft - get mats, go to station (with recipe), press button - boing new stuff. Older games, EQ1 &/or 2 either:
a) after, what seems forever, gathering mats, you attempt to craft chance of FAIL and all your time and mats are gone
b) you can get seriously hurt/killed crafting if you're not paying attention
c) nothing gets crafted cuz it doesn't proc in your favour...

2) You quest: kill monsters, gather stuff, talk to npc's etc... we know the drill

3) You get xp for that doing stuff

No secret arcane stuff you have to do and the game is so user friendly and intuitive.

I'm playing Jade Dynasty now and looking forward to the new game "Age of Wulin." OH MY GOD. I don't know if any of you played it but I'm am so TOTALLY lost... It's my 3rd day, I have a lvl 31 toon that uses scythes as a weapon augmented with magic but there are literally a million and one things I'm trying to learn about this game. There are close to 150 levels, you have tons of slots for things like clothes, weapons, jewelry, and then there are the things native to Chinese lore/mythology. Chi slots, then there's a special slot for "Espers." They're a type of special relic that grants you more stats and special abilities. Then as you lvl, your Esper lvls with you and you can go to an Esper enchanter and upgrade them to something else or change their abilities. Then you can go into a "meditative" state and gain xp this way. Then last night, I was standing in a temple chatting with someone who's clan (guild) I wanted to join and BAM over 75K HP. I said "what was THAT? How did I get all that xp?" They said it was the "Gift of Heaven." Everynight at 8:30 people randomly receive xp or other useful things to get gear, weapons, etc..., as a "Gift of Heaven." There is just so much to learn it's overwhelming at times. But I will say the graphics are great - chinese themed with sparkly dragons, fu-dogs, panda mounts - hey, pandas are cool here, it's a chinese themed game It's really enjoyable playing but like I said, there's A LOT to know and I don't even know 1/10th of what's going on. Rift I basically learned or knew the entire "system" within a few days coming from WoW. Jade Dynasty kind of reminds me of EQ2 and games from an "older time." You had to know the game - wasn't simple dumbed down game so anyone with half a functioning brain cell can play. But I think, sadly, this is the way MMO's are going these day - make them super dumbed down, super simple so no thought is required and more ppl = more money will come and play. A reason why I just got annoyed and stppped playing D3, that and the "devs" nerfed the hell out of it. For anyone who is interested in oriental themed games, check this out or wait for Age of Wulin from gpotato, supposed to be really kick asset...