Interesting topic, isn't it? On my path to a more profound look at my existence (I am so far outside the box that I can not even see the boundaries anymore), I was lead to Rev. Angela Peregoff and Science of Mind. During one of our class sessions I mentioned that I play MMO's (ok when don't I mention I play MMO's). After a brief explanation of what exactly an MMO was, our instructor said playing games of this type is one way of opening ourselves up to the way of thinking where anything is possible! In our games we can be different races, different sexes, and have different functions. We can play more than one character at a time, we can fly, we can run faster than wolves, we can become animals, we can heal the sick and we can raise the dead.
In Everquest II, I have an ability called Featherfall that allows me to float down from the highest levels, as if skydiving without a parachute. This is one of my favorite things to do in game. Almost as if the experience is tugging on a soul memory buried so deep it took a game to awaken it. All my life, I have felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. In my game I feel most at home. Don't get me wrong, I have a full life that I enjoy and life path that is amazing to travel, but I have always known there was more.
We live in a three dimensional existence. Or do we? I have recently found out that scientists believe that there can be as many as 11 dimensions. What if the flashes of creativity that we get are glimpses of an existence in another dimension? What if multiboxing characters in a game is a tug on a string to remember that we are living more than one existence at a time? I have come to believe that gamers are drawn to games because we are multidimensional beings and games tug at memories buried in our 3 dimensional way of thinking. I feel that game designers have a mandate to create games that help awaken our long buried soul memories. I know many game designers and a lot of them are just as far outside the box as I am, even if they do not realize it. They are driven to create games that push our way of thinking to the limits.
Just my opinion
Gethani
For more information just google dimensional shift, Noetic Science, A. R. E.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Art of Saying A Lot While Saying Nothing At All
A couple of weeks back, someone pointed me in the direction of a 2 part article at TenTonHammer, they interviewed Jason Roberts, and Steve Danuser, from 38 Studios. In case you are not familiar with 38 Studios (I found it amazing that some people I play games with never heard of 38 until I told them), it was founded by Curt Schilling (pitcher-Boston Red Sox and avid gamer), R. A Salvatore (fantasy author) and Todd McFarlane (comic book creator).
Up until recently, the design team has not said very much about what they are doing. The most we really know is it will be a fantasy game. They are keeping information closely guarded until they are ready to release it. I think it is a good thing. Creating something like this takes several years and I personally, do not want to be tired of it before I can even play it. I know others that are just dying to get the least little clue as to what the game is going to be about! They won't find that clue in this article. Never the less the interview is a good read. For people that do not have any idea what it takes to get something like this off the ground, Jason and Steve give little tidbits of the design process. They also discuss PVP, PVE and questing.
I know some of the people that work at 38. I know their philosophies on games. I have faith that the game that eventually comes out is going to be a good one.
Up until recently, the design team has not said very much about what they are doing. The most we really know is it will be a fantasy game. They are keeping information closely guarded until they are ready to release it. I think it is a good thing. Creating something like this takes several years and I personally, do not want to be tired of it before I can even play it. I know others that are just dying to get the least little clue as to what the game is going to be about! They won't find that clue in this article. Never the less the interview is a good read. For people that do not have any idea what it takes to get something like this off the ground, Jason and Steve give little tidbits of the design process. They also discuss PVP, PVE and questing.
I know some of the people that work at 38. I know their philosophies on games. I have faith that the game that eventually comes out is going to be a good one.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
EQ II Living Legacy Celebration and Unofficial Party!
Rewards Await Your Return! Experience the Living Legacy Events Now!
Living Legacy is a celebration in honor of the millions of past, present and future EverQuest®II players. Norrath will be home to an eventful summer dedicated to the heritage and progression of the EverQuest II world. Numerous rewards await the legends that return to the fight and live the EverQuest II legacy.
Come back for FREE or join now and enjoy the celebration!
Free Game Play Time
All inactive subscribers (in good standing) and trial EQII accounts can play at no cost until July 31, 2008.Free Rise of Kunark All-In-One Pack
Access the latest content; keep a complimentary digital copy of this compilation version of the game when you convert to a monthly subscription plan for EQII.New Recruitment Trial Program
Future EQII legends that are invited will receive various rewards for their participation.Recruitment Rewards
Earn up to twenty (20) months of free game play added at the end of your current subscription by recruiting friends who become EverQuest II subscribers.
As part of this Celebration Grimwell will surprise players by visiting their servers (he did the Unrest party on his own time, this party is unofficial), you can't miss him he is about so high, with a feather over his head. He has a little quest he is giving out and then he invites players to the Community Lounge, somewhere off of Poet's Palace. The zone is only accessible by summoning!
At the door is Scheherazade, The Door Keeper. She will port you out if you choose to leave. In the middle of the main room is the Wishing Pool, one player at a time can toss in a fishing line in and see what gets pulled out.
The door on the right side of the main room leads into a bed room where one can find Shakhnazarian Keeper of Secrets!! I wonder if he could be bribed. There are magic lamps through out the zone. Rub on one and see what happens!! The pillows on the beds can be clicked on and used for pillow fights! I like this much better than the Frostfell snowball fights. Needless to say I stocked up!! Unfortunately, the pillows are no-zone.
Across the hall from the bedroom there is a nice bar. Click away to find out what it in store!! I want Hal to take care of the libations in my North Freeport home!
I don't want to give it all away. There are other things to find and enjoy. So if you see a lonely Halfling with a feather over his head standing around in a main city near you, Hail him and see what happens!
Thank you Dominio for taking the time to create this fun little adventure. I am all for having the pillows incorporated into the game,by the way! The pillow fight was lots of fun!! Hmm, I wonder if the fighters can hit Master P with pillows!!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
The Agency
A friend recently sent me this link, interview. It is an interview with Hal Milton, Lead Designer, SOE Seattle, The Agency, done by MassiveHQ. I ventured into The Agency at last years' SOE Fan Faire. To be honest, I really have not actively searched for information about The Agency, since I am not sure this is going to be my kind of game. I read the interview and found that I would definitely like to try it out.
One thing I found interesting is Aliases. Say I get a mission to infect the main computer with a virus in the opposing agency's local headquarters. The headquarters is located in an area behind the favorite nightclub of the rich and famous. To get myself from the front door to the area I need to be, I have to get through the nightclub without drawing attention to myself. So I wear my alias attire, in this case a dress, high heels, purse, blackberry, chihuahua (these are from my imagination for descriptive purposes only) etc, carrying identification as Silver Fox debutante. As I work my way through the night club, mingling here, flirting there I arrive at a safe spot where I can switch into my agent attire and complete my mission. I know I am not doing this justice but the concept really fascinates me!
Normally, I play healers in MMO's and I was not disappointed to find that there is a Field Medic specialty!! So everyone else can fight it out while I do what I normally like to do!
The article goes into way more detail then I have here. Please take the time to read it. I will do my best to post more information on The Agency as I stumble across it in my Alias as an MMO Gamer!
One thing I found interesting is Aliases. Say I get a mission to infect the main computer with a virus in the opposing agency's local headquarters. The headquarters is located in an area behind the favorite nightclub of the rich and famous. To get myself from the front door to the area I need to be, I have to get through the nightclub without drawing attention to myself. So I wear my alias attire, in this case a dress, high heels, purse, blackberry, chihuahua (these are from my imagination for descriptive purposes only) etc, carrying identification as Silver Fox debutante. As I work my way through the night club, mingling here, flirting there I arrive at a safe spot where I can switch into my agent attire and complete my mission. I know I am not doing this justice but the concept really fascinates me!
Normally, I play healers in MMO's and I was not disappointed to find that there is a Field Medic specialty!! So everyone else can fight it out while I do what I normally like to do!
The article goes into way more detail then I have here. Please take the time to read it. I will do my best to post more information on The Agency as I stumble across it in my Alias as an MMO Gamer!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Interesting!!! They finally lost the "of"!!
| Word Mark | EVERQUEST II THE SHADOW ODYSSEY |
| Goods and Services | IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: COMPUTER GAME SOFTWARE AND VIDEO GAME SOFTWARE |
| Standard Characters Claimed | |
| Mark Drawing Code | (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK |
| Serial Number | 77451534 |
| Filing Date | April 18, 2008 |
| Current Filing Basis | 1B |
| Original Filing Basis | 1B |
| Owner | (APPLICANT) Sony Online Entertainment LLC LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 10202 W. Washington Blvd. Culver City CALIFORNIA 90232 |
| Attorney of Record | Lynn S. Fruchter |
| Type of Mark | TRADEMARK |
| Register | PRINCIPAL |
| Live/Dead Indicator | LIVE |
| Go me!! | |
Thursday, April 24, 2008
What is Odyssey and Why Does it Have a Shadow?
Word Mark EVERQUEST II THE SHADOW OF ODYSSEY
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: COMPUTER GAME SOFTWARE AND VIDEO GAME SOFTWARE
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 77451534
Filing Date April 18, 2008
Current Filing Basis 1B
Original Filing Basis 1B
Owner (APPLICANT) Sony Online Entertainment LLC LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 10202 W. Washington Blvd. Culver City CALIFORNIA 90232
Attorney of Record Lynn S. Fruchter
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
Some one sent me an instant message today telling me the Trademark Watchers caught the new expansion name for Everquest II. He then went on to send me the name "The Shadow Odyssey". In the few seconds I had to take that in, I decided I liked that name, it was different and evoked a bit of mystery. Then he sent me a new message saying "Wait." The Shadow of Odyssey. I felt deflated. My mind started racing down new roads with the name "The Shadow Odyssey", and then hit a brick wall with "The Shadow of Odyssey". What a difference a 2 letter word makes.
So now I want to know "What is Odyssey?" and "Why does it have a Shadow?" and "Why can't they get rid of the word "of"?
To me, a shadow is not a full representation of the original. So saying a shadow of odyssey is like saying it is not a full odyssey. Considering this is an expansion and not an adventure pack or a content update, the name just does not make sense to me. If Odyssey was something from the EQ past like, Kunark or Faydwer etc, it could be a viable name but for the life of me I can not remember a zone or expansion in EQ named Oydssey.
Of course, in speculating that the "of" is an error and the real title is The Shadow Odyssey, that opens up some room for exploring some thoughts. Odyssey being a long series of journeys about The Shadow government? Species? Movement? Realm? God? Weapon?
To be honest I have not kept up on the lore much, but this calls for investigation. So I am going to start looking into the lore that is popping up. And I hope you do to!
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: COMPUTER GAME SOFTWARE AND VIDEO GAME SOFTWARE
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 77451534
Filing Date April 18, 2008
Current Filing Basis 1B
Original Filing Basis 1B
Owner (APPLICANT) Sony Online Entertainment LLC LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 10202 W. Washington Blvd. Culver City CALIFORNIA 90232
Attorney of Record Lynn S. Fruchter
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
Some one sent me an instant message today telling me the Trademark Watchers caught the new expansion name for Everquest II. He then went on to send me the name "The Shadow Odyssey". In the few seconds I had to take that in, I decided I liked that name, it was different and evoked a bit of mystery. Then he sent me a new message saying "Wait." The Shadow of Odyssey. I felt deflated. My mind started racing down new roads with the name "The Shadow Odyssey", and then hit a brick wall with "The Shadow of Odyssey". What a difference a 2 letter word makes.
So now I want to know "What is Odyssey?" and "Why does it have a Shadow?" and "Why can't they get rid of the word "of"?
To me, a shadow is not a full representation of the original. So saying a shadow of odyssey is like saying it is not a full odyssey. Considering this is an expansion and not an adventure pack or a content update, the name just does not make sense to me. If Odyssey was something from the EQ past like, Kunark or Faydwer etc, it could be a viable name but for the life of me I can not remember a zone or expansion in EQ named Oydssey.
Of course, in speculating that the "of" is an error and the real title is The Shadow Odyssey, that opens up some room for exploring some thoughts. Odyssey being a long series of journeys about The Shadow government? Species? Movement? Realm? God? Weapon?
To be honest I have not kept up on the lore much, but this calls for investigation. So I am going to start looking into the lore that is popping up. And I hope you do to!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Congratulations Travis McGeathy!
38 Studios' Design Team Expands
- Travis McGeathy Joins Steve Danuser and Jason Roberts -
Maynard, MA, April 22, 2008 – Continuing to attract top industry talent, 38 Studios (www.38studios.com), a pioneering entertainment company dedicated to delivering a broad spectrum of entertainment products, today announced the expansion of its industry-renowned design team with the appointment of Travis McGeathy as systems design lead. Travis hails from Sony Online Entertainment and joins his former SOE co-workers at 38 Studios, Jason Roberts and Steve Danuser, who have been laying the groundwork in IP and game development in year one at the studio.
"38 Studios already boasts some heavy-hitting, pop-culture names with R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane," said Brett Close, CEO and President of 38 Studios. "In addition to these visionaries, 38 Studios is extremely proud of the well-known and highly respected designers, artists, and engineers we've attracted. Having Travis, Jason, and Steve as the nucleus of our design team adds further credibility within the industry, strengthening our commitment to deploying a first-rate MMOG, and ensuring fans that we have the skill and experience to deliver an Online Entertainment Experience like no other."
As systems design lead, McGeathy, known as "Rashere" in the online gaming community, will oversee the team responsible for creating the innovative gameplay mechanics that will bring to life the MMOG codenamed "Copernicus." At SOE, he held the position of lead designer on EverQuest and was responsible for the overall creative direction of the product and management of its design team.
Danuser, also known as "Moorgard" in the online world, joined 38 Studios in 2006 as the director of community development and lead content designer. He is establishing the foundation of 38 Studios' community while directing creative development of the company's upcoming MMOG. At SOE, he was the original community manager for EverQuest II, founding and maintaining one of the strongest and most vibrant communities in the MMOG space. He later moved into the role of designer and contributed to expansion packs and live updates, including the popular Echoes of Faydwer.
Design director Jason Roberts oversees the creative and technical operations of the 38 Studios design department, ensuring that both gameplay systems and creative content meld into a cohesive and entertaining experience. Prior to joining 38 Studios in 2007, he was lead designer of EverQuest II, providing guidance to the development process of three expansions and three adventure packs, including Desert of Flames, Kingdom of Sky and Echoes of Faydwer.
About 38 Studios
38 Studios, a media and entertainment company founded in 2006 by Curt Schilling, is in pre-production on an original fantasy IP driven by the creative and artistic visions of pop-culture icons R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Entertainment products will include a massively immersive Online Entertainment Experience (TM) that transcends the traditional MMOG genre, novels, comics, toys, movies, TV, and more. For more information, visit http://www.38studios.com.
38 is really pulling in some talented people. I really can not wait to see what they have in store for us! Congratulation Travis! Would you do me a favor and /bonk Moorgard for me!
- Travis McGeathy Joins Steve Danuser and Jason Roberts -
Maynard, MA, April 22, 2008 – Continuing to attract top industry talent, 38 Studios (www.38studios.com), a pioneering entertainment company dedicated to delivering a broad spectrum of entertainment products, today announced the expansion of its industry-renowned design team with the appointment of Travis McGeathy as systems design lead. Travis hails from Sony Online Entertainment and joins his former SOE co-workers at 38 Studios, Jason Roberts and Steve Danuser, who have been laying the groundwork in IP and game development in year one at the studio.
"38 Studios already boasts some heavy-hitting, pop-culture names with R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane," said Brett Close, CEO and President of 38 Studios. "In addition to these visionaries, 38 Studios is extremely proud of the well-known and highly respected designers, artists, and engineers we've attracted. Having Travis, Jason, and Steve as the nucleus of our design team adds further credibility within the industry, strengthening our commitment to deploying a first-rate MMOG, and ensuring fans that we have the skill and experience to deliver an Online Entertainment Experience like no other."
As systems design lead, McGeathy, known as "Rashere" in the online gaming community, will oversee the team responsible for creating the innovative gameplay mechanics that will bring to life the MMOG codenamed "Copernicus." At SOE, he held the position of lead designer on EverQuest and was responsible for the overall creative direction of the product and management of its design team.
Danuser, also known as "Moorgard" in the online world, joined 38 Studios in 2006 as the director of community development and lead content designer. He is establishing the foundation of 38 Studios' community while directing creative development of the company's upcoming MMOG. At SOE, he was the original community manager for EverQuest II, founding and maintaining one of the strongest and most vibrant communities in the MMOG space. He later moved into the role of designer and contributed to expansion packs and live updates, including the popular Echoes of Faydwer.
Design director Jason Roberts oversees the creative and technical operations of the 38 Studios design department, ensuring that both gameplay systems and creative content meld into a cohesive and entertaining experience. Prior to joining 38 Studios in 2007, he was lead designer of EverQuest II, providing guidance to the development process of three expansions and three adventure packs, including Desert of Flames, Kingdom of Sky and Echoes of Faydwer.
About 38 Studios
38 Studios, a media and entertainment company founded in 2006 by Curt Schilling, is in pre-production on an original fantasy IP driven by the creative and artistic visions of pop-culture icons R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Entertainment products will include a massively immersive Online Entertainment Experience (TM) that transcends the traditional MMOG genre, novels, comics, toys, movies, TV, and more. For more information, visit http://www.38studios.com.
38 is really pulling in some talented people. I really can not wait to see what they have in store for us! Congratulation Travis! Would you do me a favor and /bonk Moorgard for me!
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