(This entry was written for SNHU's GAM-205 class in the Fall 2017 semester.)
Unfortunately, this blog post will be a little bare bones when it comes to pictures. My desktop computer, which has been with me for about six or seven years is finally dying. Until I can transfer my stuff onto my high-powered but heavy laptop, I won't really be able to access much of the stuff on my desktop, like Steam pictures. Anyway, I'm talking more about WoW this week, and mostly it's on character identity and the Bartle Test.
The Bartle Test is a online test that sorts the players of online games into four groups based on what they enjoy. These groups are achieving, exploring, socializing, and killing. When I took the test this week for class, my readout was as an EASK. This meant I enjoyed exploring the most, achieving second, and killing last. I want to apply that rating to my experience this second time with WoW:
Exploring: These people enjoy exploring the world and discovering its lore. While this was my highest ranked group in the test, I don't really feel this way with WoW. Sure, I can tell you all about what the endings in The Binding of Isaac mean or I'll go running around underground in Terraria, but the story/world is contained in those individual games. WoW has a whole backstory involving the RTS Warcraft games, books, and all sorts of other media I'd need to read to learn all about the World... of Warcraft. And when you count world events that happen in WoW, there are some things I might not experience that could give important context to the lore of the world. Some people enjoy buying multiple products to get the whole story for something, but I don't feel that way.
Achieving: These people enjoy completing all the challenges the game has to offer and collecting the treasures in the game. Sadly, I don't have a time machine, so I'd have no chance to complete the many challenges available for me. Both in the sense of not having enough free time, and in the sense of missed world events. If I wanted to collect all the stuff in the game and I'm lucky to find some world event stuff on sale, it would most likely cost an arm, a leg, and enough harvested organs for every person in the New England area. Given my character's Apprentice skill at first aid and his two crappy starter daggers, the only surgery I'd be doing is some extremely rudimentary surgery. Joel from Vinesauce could do better than me on the surgery regard, and he has a tendency to carve satanic imagery on his patients' heads.
Socializing: These people enjoy forging connections with others online and being with friends. I wish I was more this type. When it comes to interacting with others online, it almost always feels like just talking to an NPC or AI. I never really feel like I'm interacting with a human. Luckily for them, I always try to be polite to them despite this divide (unless they decide to be an ass first.)
Killing: These people enjoy the PVP aspect of online games the most. This is definitely not me. Not just because I consider myself good-natured when it comes to others, but in WoW, I'd likely be going against others who have played way longer than I have, have way better gear than I'd ever obtain, and not only know how to min-max themselves, they'd know every single "wrong" decision I made when making my character.
Creating my Character: Like I mentioned last time, I didn't really put too much thought into making my character. I mostly chose goblin because it was a new race to me and rogues are apparently a good fit for goblins. In retrospect, I probably should have chosen to be a tauren shaman again just to see how the game had changed in my absence, but oh well. The game doesn't really offer that many options for customizing your non-clothing appearance, anyway.
One thing weird they did with goblins (and worgen) was to actually give them a sort of story they follow when they start a new character. While some people would probably like to roleplay why they're a executive at a fictional soda company, I felt like it was a little stifling when it came to roleplaying who I could be. It also creates this weird scenario where every player-created goblin in the game worked for the same company, had the same friends, and had the same secretary. It also means that Deathwing, some evil dragon who starred in the Cataclysm expansion, has visited the goblin home island, like, 1.2 million times now on the U.S. servers. He visits it so many times and gives so many "death and destruction" speeches, I bet the goblins there feel the same way I feel whenever someone announces the end of the world. The answer, if you're curious, is apathy.
A big problem I have with creating a character in games like these is that the clothes/armor you wear affects both your appearance and how powerful you are. As such, characters with the same class who are around the same level will likely be wearing the same stuff, and when you reach endgame levels, where there is likely a specific equipment set that is optimal for each class, you'll have a bunch of people running around dressed like the Osomatsu brothers found a cloning machine and robbed a Renaissance fair. I know some games, like Terraria, had an idea to add 'social' equipment slots, so you could wear armor for stats, but not have it show up over your hat that makes you look like Quote from Cave Story. It works well in that game, but in an online game with PVP, it can make it hard to tell just how strong someone could be. That orc in noble clothing could actually be packing +11 Armor of Meteor-Stopping underneath, or he could just be dressed for a party and nothing else.
With the main computer down, I can't really say much else or play more WoW, but I should have it up for the final blog post. And who knows how many more outdated references I'll find.
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| You're making me feel old, Jamaican troll! Knock it off! |
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