First Time MMO PC Builder, Part 4 (Continue Testing)

Meet GArMOS-1 (short for Green AR-madillo Made,
with added Portal reference)

I've been up and running on my new PC for about three weeks now, and things have been uneventful, which I suppose is what one would be hoping for on a brand new machine.  I've got over 150 GB and counting in MMO clients on the data drive (good thing I didn't try to go pure-SSD), as I install everything I'm playing, and a bunch of things that I might hypothetically play in the future (since this machine will unfortunately be deployed on the wrong end of a DSL connection, which I distrust immensely, in the near future).

So far, everything I have attempted to run has run, despite the older graphics card.  Given what I'm hearing about specs for the next generation of GPU's, I'm definitely expecting to get better value in a few months.  In the mean time, the only settings I have had to downgrade are things like max quality shadows or anti-aliasing.  I guess I sort of notice these, but I don't consider these performance issues so much as cosmetics.  While modern MMO's are delivering maximum settings that require some serious computing power, developers aren't abandoning the mainstream (and my machine is a bit above mainstream even with the out-dated GPU).

Several people during the process commented that my tales of troubleshooting prove that I should have just paid someone to build a machine for me - in particular, the Canadians apparently have a chain that is well known for this sort of thing.  I'd say a few things to this:

• Paying someone else to build the machine - and provide a warranty - may be more costly than you realize.  Doghouse Systems (official sponsor of numerous MMO podcasts) charges $1750 for a machine that's roughly comparable to what mine will be when I upgrade the graphics card, only mine cost under $1200.  Maybe your local shop manages to be cheaper without compromising on reputation, but they have to pay the employees who will provide your warranty service somehow, along with shipping, any expenses for parts, etc. 
• As those of you who have read my posts about F2P business models know, I'm someone who derives some degree of satisfaction out of pursuing and obtaining a good deal.  Technically speaking, it may be correct that my time is worth more than the money I save on this exercise, but that's part of the fun for me.  I could definitely see how someone with a different personality would find this less enjoyable.  
• In the longer term, I value the knowledge I've taken away from this project.  Because I assembled this machine, I don't have to shrug when something stops working.  That knowledge - especially since this is unlikely to be the last computer I ever assemble, has some value in the long run.

At the end of the day this type of project may not be for everyone.  I personally enjoyed it greatly, and I wish the best of luck to anyone else looking to take the plunge.  

World Events Collide

This week is an odd confluence of world events in World of Warcraft.  We are currently midway through the Lunar New Year event, which is set by the Chinese calendar and therefore does not always fall in the same window in the US.  WoW's Valentine's event has been expanded out to two full weeks to accommodate a lengthier token grind - albeit a big improvement from the original iteration of the event, which was both short and purely random number generator dependent.  On top of that, the newly revised Darkmoon Faire carnival is up and running for the first full week of the month. 

I actually am in game working on various projects during this busy stretch.  I just completed the token tour for the new lantern minipet, during which I dug up a bunch of Archeology sites.  Charm bracelets for the Valentine's event, and its new pink ostrich-ish mount, are earned through normal killing of mobs.  Effectively, these events are holding my attention because they offer additional rewards for stuff I was planning to do anyway.  The other side of the coin, however, is that I tend NOT to work on WoW when there is NOT an event going.  I suppose I'm holding out for a little more in exchange for my time in WoW, in the same way that I hold out for a little bit more in exchange for my money in non-subscription titles?

Ever Test An Indie MMO?

Eric at Elder Game has opened up signups to test his one-man indie MMO, Project Gorgon.  I don't have the time to justify taking a slot among his testing ranks, but it's definitely an interesting project.  It's fascinating for me as someone who analyzes game design to see the choices that a real live developer makes on allocating development resources - choices that are easier to comprehend because of the scale (one developer, as compared to the $100 million AAA MMO studio).

If you have the time, and you find what he's written on the project interesting, I recommend the project.  It sounds like fun, and you might learn a thing or two.

STO hits 2 years, two weeks

Star Trek Online has a curious double-two birthday - two years as a game and two weeks as a free to play game.  This game has been on my list of things to maybe try when it went free to play.  The promise of a raincheck for a free level 50 ship - there's a thinly veiled implication that it will be cash store only whenever after this weekend it returns - was enough to get me to sign in and grind out the requisite five levels. 

Lt. Green Armadillo, commanding officer of the USS PVD-1, and his bridge crew

It's hard for a rank newbie to say much about a two year old game that hasn't already been said by two years' worth of rank newbies.  The two week old business model is a bit more interesting to judge.  There are definitely things about the model that are attractive to a visitor - such as no charges for content.  The catch is that this feels more like a traditional F2P game than a retro-fitted subscription game.  Case in point, there was a kerflaffle a few weeks back where they introduced a desirable new ship using a cash store-facilitated lottery approach.  Not necessarily an auspicious start to a free to play game, though I'm told that some of these antics existed back when the game also had a monthly fee.

That said, the big thing that this game has going for it is that there are some things it does very differently from what we see in any MMO - not just the space combat system but how the crew system is used to determine your ship's abilities.  While I maintain that free to play games that charge for content are generally more trustworthy, the cost of trying this one for a bit for some variety - $0 - is not that bad.

The anniversary Enterprise-looking ship, which may someday possibly be the USS PVD-5 (or however many ships I go through before then)