22 April 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
When you’re playing an online game there are a few crucial systems under your control that you depend on for an enjoyable experience. Your computer, your Internet connection, your input devices (no batteries here!), they all have to be responding adequately or one may be thrown through the other. On the flip side, the company providing the experience needs dependable servers, few latency spikes and, naturally, compelling gameplay.
What if the gameplay itself becomes frustrating?
I’m not griping about a challenging boss fight, the umpteenth FedEx quest, an unusual balance change or an encounter so unique or gimmick-driven that it’s outside the cultural norms. I am referring to actual gameplay systems that cause active inhibitions. In an MMOG, you can brush a nuisance game mechanic off. There’s plenty of other content to chose from. Worst case, you have to wait for the next batch of content. In a MOBA, that’s not possible. Unless the character is modified it’s possible to come across the “broken” design at any moment. Continue Reading
16 April 2013 | |
iTZKooPA
SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.
Lore: Aphrodite, by all accounts, is incredibly attractive. The Greek goddess of love, procreation, beauty and pleasure is so desirable that the rest of her pantheon feared that godly rivalries for her hand would result in war. This is despite her being born a full adult from the mutilated genitals of Uranus. Ehem. Origin aside, her beauty resulted in an arranged marriage to Hephaestus, the ugly and deformed equivalent of the Roman smith Vulcan.
Being a deity in the Greek pantheon means such a social chain as marriage wouldn’t stop her from messing around. Aphrodite had the pick of any man she desired, gods and mortals alike. The rotating consorts caused as much strife as Zeus and the other leaders likely feared. For instance, her union with the violent God of War Ares bore Phobos and Deimos, the personifications of Fear and Terror that road to battle with their father. Continue Reading
14 November 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
“OP!” It’s a call every MOBA player is familiar with. Often levied on new champions, gods, avatars, what have you, the fist-shaking declaration is nothing new to gaming. Certain weapons in FPS games, rush strategies in RTS titles or pixel-perfect combo links in fighters, the cries of “overpowered” have been with gaming since Lawrence Taylor crushed quarterbacks in Super Tecmo Bowl. Likely before. The derisive comment is simultaneously a cry of agony and complaint against imbalance. Yet, in the case of today’s popular massive online battle arena titles, it’s often misplaced, misdirected and inaccurate.
Be it League of Legends, SMITE, DotA 2 or Heroes of Newerth, champions aren’t natively OP at release. Once the rage subsides, think on the points after the jump. A combination of them is likely the cause of your avatar’s recent demise, not a game designers inability to get things right. They may feel OP, but they aren’t. Continue Reading
10 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.
Lore: Ares is one of the most fearsome gods in the Greek pantheon. One of two legitimate sons of Zeus and Hera, Ares represented the worst parts of war, the physicality and sheer violence. His sister Athena represented the more humane acts of strategy, military intelligence and leadership. Gods large and small tended to stay away from Ares fearing his insatiable appetite for battle. Despite his fearsome reputation, Ares found himself on the losing end of many myths, most notably the Trojan War where military tactics won over violence.
Ares is well-known for his title as the Greek God of War, but has few mythical legends of his own. Instead many of his deeds, often humiliating defeats, are alluded to as part of other myths. One constant is his insatiable lust for being a part of the beast with two backs. He fathered dozens of children, many war gods in their own respect, with Aphrodite and numerous other consorts. The adulterous union with Aphrodite lead to Phobos and Deimos, the personifications of Fear and Terror that road to battle with their father. Continue Reading
10 July 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.
Lore: Zeus is one of the most well-known gods of any pantheon. The founding member of Olympus with his siblings – including older brother Hades – the God of the Sky and Thunder wrestled control of the heavens from the previous generation of Titans, including his father Cronus. His founding status and control of thunder and the sky awarded Zeus extreme power when the realms were divided between himself, Hades and Poseidon. Even those gods not descended from him respectfully call Zeus “Father.”
Continue Reading
