Ideas that will be ignored, number 462: Reinventing the gift system

Gifts in Istaria are a nice thing - they can be cast on you by other players (or yourself) with each adding a temporary, but long, two-hour bonus to a statistic. As you go up in levels, you get additional gift slots, so these nice little bonuses can stack up. The power of the bonuses also increases as the caster gains levels and although they aren't huge, they can make a real difference.

Since the game was launched, though, there has been a static number of gifts - namely bonuses to the games four main stats (Strength, Dexterity, Power and Focus) alongside Speed, Alacrity (which speeds up your casting) and Armour. In addition, dragons get Velocity (for flying speed) and Dragon's Gift (adding to their specific abilities).

Now I'm not criticising the system, quite the opposite - gifts are useful, scale well and are a good element of the game. However, I think the developers are missing a trick with them. I expect they would be a relatively easy thing to introduce more of, so why not firstly have some fun, and secondly add some really good high level ones to quest for?

Seasonal things, for example, could be fun. Istaria does good events for the likes of Halloween and Christmas, but they could be spiced up with some fun gifts - silly stuff that, when cast on you, you had the choice to accept. You could jingle as you walked, have a different appearance, or sprinkle snow behind you as you ran - who knows. But they could also be a little malicious too - perhaps there could be an extra slot for pranks at Halloween, for example.

At the other end of the scale, you could add quests where the reward was a high level gift ability (not formula, so keeping it as a hunting prize), perhaps in line with a character's class. It would be good if they were level 100, say, but each character could learn achieve only one, aligning them to a certain class (which is sadly lacking nowadays, with so many multi-level 100s roaming around).

Thee bonuses could add extra bonuses when fighting certain types of creature, or in certain places in the world, maybe they would buff healing spells or increase fire damage versus the withered Aegis. The list of possibilities is endless. If you've got any ideas, please post a comment. You may even get a prize for being the first ever person to comment on my blog :p

If you happen to have landed here from the moon and haven't realised this blog is about the MMO (that's 'massively multi-player online' game) Istaria, which you can play for free, go check out its official site at www.istaria.com

High level hunting in Istaria: Murial vs the Aegis

For this week's blog, I thought it'd be nice to look at a few in-game high level battle images. Over the next month or so I'l be mainly concentrating on taking a new character through its paces, but this gives you a pictorial idea of what things look like when you're nearer level 100 than level 1!

I'd like to thank my guild mate Murial for the screenshots. That's her, standing over the freshly killed body of a Blight Hound, one of Istaria's nastier inhabitants. Murial's got multiple level 100 skills, which is one of the great features of Istaria. Many games only let you level one class, or perhaps two plus a couple of crafting skills. In Istaria, you can pretty much be everything all in one character, although they do make it tough.

Firstly, you will only get all the strengths of the one adventuring class you have currently selected: skills from other classes will either work at half strength, or not at all. Secondly, you have an overall rating that goes alongside your current adventuring level. This rating affects how much experience points you need to go up a level, and is adversely affected by the total amount of adventuring levels you have. So, the more you multi-class, the longer it will take to level up.

Some of these shots were taken on a high level hunt with two other members of our guild, Universal Soldiers - Neuvitas Silver and Vici Legends - with 'art' along for the ride. It's a lot more fun to hunt in groups and you get experience bonuses for fighting multiple enemies, so it works out well that way too. Groups can be big as well, where they are often restricted in other MMORPGs.

The first thing you'll probably notice from these images is the foreboding atmosphere in the backgrounds and the stark, broken lands on which they're walking. In Istaria, all players are essentially on the same side (although some dragons may dispute that) - all races have joined together to fight the threat that faces them all: the 'withered aegis'.

Areas blighted by the aegis are left dead and lifeless and are the most dangerous in Istaria. Yup, you guessed it - that's where the hardest adventurers head and where the best rewards are to be had. While Istaria does use a lot of the clichéd fantasy races and trappings, such as elves, dwarves etc, many of the races and creatures you fight are unique to the game.

Here's a good example - a winged Kwellen Berserker in classic 'before' and 'after' poses! The red beam you can see on the creature is showing this is the chosen target - this can really help on a crowded battlefield, where a creature may be stunned and you don't want to hit it and break the effect.

Something else you may get from the pics is that the graphics are hardly up there with the latest games. This is simply a fact - Istaria wasn't released yesterday and will never look like it was. However, the sky effects are top notch, the music atmospheric and the spell sounds and effects really add to combat. It's also a challenge - something many games nowadays shy away from in their desperate attempts to reach out to the lowest common denominator.

What's more, it's a challenge all the way through the levels. Istaria can be pretty unforgiving right down at low level, although you can still use the cheaty methods of power levelling found in all games, if you want to. But if you're looking for a challenge, you'll often find that fighting a single creature of your level will be a tough fight, and a single mistake could see you taking a dirt nap.

Fights can be incredibly frenetic and exciting, especially when you're grouped. All the normal MMO group combat rolls are available, with tanks, ranged damage dealers and healers on show - plus everything in between and combinations of them all. Here Neuvitas goes hand to hand with another Kwellen Berserker, while Murial casts from range. As a druid, she can both heal deal out some hefty damage, but her armour isn't the best, so letting someone else stand toe-to-toe makes sense - although I'm not sure Neuv here would agree!

And as I say, however bad ass you may be, there's always something wandering around Istaria that will bring you crashing back down to earth. Complacency can get you too - I've often been fighting a series of golems, only to suddenly to attack a named boss that looks the same and been dad before I knew it. I'm not sure Murial knew what she was getting into when she picked on Dalknor here, but the outcome is plain to see...

That said, there isn't much of a death penalty in Istaria: you get some stat reductions that, when they stack, can slow you down pretty hard. However, you don't lose items, or have to return to your corpse - you just need to take a bit of downtime. However, in a game that's as good on crafting as it is in adventuring, there's always something else to work on.

If you're interested in looking into the game Istaria, visit the official website at www.istaria.com

Wurm vs Istaria: and the winner is... (part 3)

Blogging regularly is harder than I thought it would be. It seems that whenever I get a break long enough to play a game, I have to write a blog instead! But which game would I play? Well, the answer will be on the blog after this. For today, I'll move on to...

Community

It's a huge part of the success of MMOs in general, and MMORPGs in particular, but can be a troublesome beast. Games that attract a lot of younger players can end up with a pretty annoying feel, while very popular games often have more than their fair share of griefers, cheats and gold sellers (people that try and sell in-game gold for RL money, which is normally banned by game publishers, but very hard to police).

Luckily, I don't really come across any of the standard community pitfalls with Istaria. The game has been around a long time now, and a lot of the players have been around since the start, despite the wealth of problems there have been along the way. Some people have noted that this makes it seem a bit cliquey to some new players, even impenetrable for others, but it sure beats constantly being spammed with messages either asking you for money or offering it to you from some dodgy website, as happens in some games.

The positive side of the old player base is they've seen it all, know how close the game has come to folding completely, so are always happy to see new faces. After all, the more new players that stay, the longer Istaria's stay of execution will continue! You should find that most players are happy to give advice, while others will help out with making equipment and other items.

One problem is that new players won't find an awful lot of people to group up with for combat, as there are precious few new players on at once. However, grouping certainly isn't necessary and there are plenty of hunting groups around when you get up a few levels. One of the great things about the levelling system is that you can group with people a lot higher or lower level than yourself, although this can have a big hit on experience gained. But it's not all about levelling up - fun is more important.

Wurm works a little differently. Dishonesty is almost encouraged, with the ability to steal and later kill other players being part and parcel of your existence (or death). However, this doesn't mean community is harmed - far from it. It's just different.

As I said about its crafting, Wurm looks to emulate reality in a lot of ways - its tough, things erode, nothing comes on a plate: this is hard middle ages living, fantasy game style. It can be a similar story with the community too. You'll find a lot less people ready give you something for nothing, but then again people will certainly talk and help you - for a price - but it's normally a fair one. For example, if you want a fishing line (quite tough to get your hands on when you start out, but very useful to get food) you can ask in the chat channels for it, but chances are someone will expect you to do some mining for them, or dig them some holes, before you get your precious line.

Wurm's area of local chat is restricted too, which adds a real feeling of foreboding when you exit your comfort zone. If you're in a well populated area, there will be a good list of people in your chat window and likely some banter. However, as you head further away, the number of players in the area dwindles and you can find yourself alone, of with just a few names you don't recognise. Those who play Eve will know this feeling all too well - it's a far cry from the friendly, laid back atmosphere in Istaria.

Overall, both games have very different communities but they're both great in their own way, so I'll again have to call this a score draw. Next up I'll look at the worlds themselves, and give one final score. So it's 3-2 to Istaria so far - can Wurm draw level? I'll let you know at the weekend.

Istaria - www.istaria.com

Wurm - http://www.wurmonline.com/getting-started

Wurm vs Istaria: and the winner is... (part 1)

Well, if you want to know, you'll have to wait - I don't have time to write it all up in one go! I've broken the games down into pretty typical key areas (combat, crafting, community etc) and looked at my experience of the games. In fairness, I've only being playing Wurm for about a month, and Istaria for years, so I'll happily admit that there will be many depths of the former that I'm not yet aware of. However, a game either grabs you or it doesn't, so I feel justified in making my decisions based on my time played to date. Just take any comments on Wurm as what they are - a beginner's perspective.

Combat

This is quite a way from perfect in both games (although my guild mates in Istaria would question what I know about it, seeing as I craft all the time!).

Battles in Istaria can be fantastic. Fighting single creatures near to your level is usually challenging and certain creatures will heal each other and generally join in the fun if you're not careful. Groups are easy to set up, team combat is fun and despite some lag issues its a rewarding and fun experience. There is a strong array of combat classes; any MMO player should find a style they like to play. There is also a strong multi-classing element to the game, so it's also possible to mix things up if you want to. Creatures too have a strong range of abilities, similar to those players can use, so you'll often find the spells you're casting being used back on you! It's certainly better than many MMOs in this respect.

On the down side, the weakness of Istaria's creaking engine means creatures don't appear in an area until you arrive there and hang around for a few seconds. This can certainly make life interesting, but doesn't do anything for immersion. Also, due to the trouble the game has had with funding and staffing over the years, there aren't a whole heap of interesting quests to do. However, the nature of the game's economy and crafting system means that you'll often have a reason to go hutnig that doesn't need some poor quality fantasy novel idea to string it along: need some cool new armour? You'll have to go hunt for the tech items which drop from creatures. Need to build your new crafting station? Well you'd better take your sword, because those woods are full of treants and spiders.

At lower levels at least, Wurm's combat is quite simply awful. There are no creature animations (at all - not even movement. Things just kind of float towards you), no interesting moves, no nothing. It is painfully slow and in no way enjoyable - you simply choose which combat 'style' you are going to use (defensive, normal or aggressive) and stand there, hoping for the best. Yes, it really is that bad. Magic, ranged combat etc do come into the game later, but why anyone would still be bothering with combat in Wurm by then is beyond me.

In fairness, Wurm's combat does stay true to the game. It's hard from the off, meaning you will struggle to kill anything, even a cow. If you die your skills take a pretty big hit and you'll also find your weapon will degenerate quickly (not that it's much good to start with). You can run away pretty easily though, which was a surprise. It also fits well into the realism element of the game, with animals being used for skins and meat (and not dropping +1 swords).

Overall, an easy win for Istaria when it comes to combat (although I'd be interested to hear if Wurm's combat gets better at higher levels). I'll look at crafting tomorrow.

Istaria - www.istaria.com

Wurm - http://www.wurmonline.com/getting-started

My incredibly selfish Istaria wishlist - the Top 5

I know, it's selfish, but every MMO player has a personal list of things they'd love to see in game soon er rather than later. Here's mine:

1) Recall points: In Istaria (as in many MMOs), your character can 'bind' themselves to a spot and return their any time at the press of a button. However, you can only be bound to one place at a time. With a beautiful plot on the edge of the village of Darvus, it's not practical to make it my recall point because it's in the middle of nowhere, and I have to run a mile to the nearest portal (think Stargate-style teleporters that take you to other points in the world). It would be great if we could have a home recall as well as one other - perhaps we could do a cool quest to get the privilege once we get a class to level 100, for example, as a reward for our dedication to the cause :)

1b) OK, I know giving myself a cheaty extra wish already is a bit much, but its a kind of cover for the fact 1 is a little unlikely (and probably hard to implement). If not a second recall point, please, devs, could you at least put an 'out' portal in Darvus? Our neighbours have them and we're sick of being poor relations, especially on Order where Darvus is way more developed than the likes of Elmnic nearby.

2) Resources: While we're on the subject of Darvus, it would be nice if a few more nodes could appear nearby. One of the main things that makes Istaria great is the crafting, and making buildings that help people work on various crafting skills. My plot now has everything a young woodsman or weaver needs to ply their trade on the local elm and kenaf. However, the unpopulated local village of Elmnic (which also has an out portal, I may add!) gets nearly all the elm trees. Share the love around, please.

3) NPCs: NPCs, or non player characters, play an essential part in any MMO - they give out quests, buy and sell items, act as guards and gate keepers etc. Sadly, a couple of NPCs are missing in the region of Spire's Shadow, a key area to work on maple trees. While its certainly not a game breaker (top tip - jumping off Spire's Apex gets you pretty close - just be careful of the lake!) it surely wouldn't take much time to get these lazy buggers back to their posts so that we can attune to these landing pads. And bring back Seldon, even if its only for a week. I've still got a note to give back to him from about five years ago!

4) Structures: There have been persistent rumours of new buildings for players to build - non-human versions of many of the common structures such as houses, workshops and silos would be a great start. This would add so much to the landscape and give a much needed boost to players who have been around a long time. Istaria is very much built on players building on their plots and this area could do with a bit of love. Which leads me to the most important request...

5) Community projects: Please keep these coming! If I had to define one thing that made Istaria great, this would be it. There should always be community projects to work on - I've not been involved in the last few, as I've been working hard on my own plot, but some of the best times I've had in game have been on them. They bring people together, introduce new content and get people talking - all the good stuff. And if you can throw in random spawns of Withered Aegis (Istaria's bad guys) so the adventurers can get stuck in too, more's the better.

Learn more about Istaria at the official website, Istaria.com