Being a Female Gamer

I don't really talk about being a female gamer much on my blog, but I thought it might be an interesting topic for some people. I honestly don't address it much because I am an experienced gamer period. I would much rather be known as that then a female gamer. I've been gaming since I was young and to this day do so more then any of my brothers. I don't believe my gender effects my capabilities or aptitudes as a gamer.

The only thing that my gender seems to effect is how male gamers treat me in primarily two ways. Since I don't wish to be treated any differently then my fellow gamers regardless of gender it has been annoying to say the least.

One annoying attitude that I've encountered is some male gamers automatically assuming that because I have inferior skills. This certainly can and has been disproved in the past but it is no less annoying dealing with this type of male gamer. Over the years as more and more females have become gamers the younger generations don't typically carry this same attitude as much. Though some of my fellow female are not helping the issue by calling themselves gamers when they are more interested in being interesting to male gamers. Ladies, it is fine to chase male gamers, I've always had an affinity for them, but please do not besmirch the name of true female gamers everywhere by calling yourself what you are not. Trust me. Most will like you anyway!

Which really leads me to the other issue I've had. A true "gamer chick" is the male gamers dream girlfriend. She is someone that not only won't keep her man from gaming, but will join in the fun! Time and again male gamer friends have expressed feelings for me. Feelings that I haven't returned. It makes things very awkward! I've even had to break off friendships in some cases. Unlike some I take no pleasure in someone caring for me when I don't feel the same.

But being a female gamer is not all bad. It did lead me to the one that has captured my heart. I wouldn't change that for the world.

In Search of RP on an MMORPG

I have to admit I'm not married to the idea of playing just text based games. I've played a multitude of computer and console games over the years from games on an Atari and a Commadore 64 computer to the newest generations of gaming consoles and computers. I like graphical RPGs. In the past couple of years I've happily played and "beat" many Final Fantasy Games, Kingdom Hearts I and II, and also Persona III. I've casually played many more. I have avoided getting dangerously hooked on Guitar Hero even though I found it immensely fun at a friends abode. The problem is I found it too fun and my days are packed as it is!

For solo gaming I prefer playing console games though I play graphical computer games as well. So why if I like graphical games do I still actively and happily play an online text based game with no graphics? The answer is simple. I have yet to find any graphical game with a good enforced roleplay environment. Not from a lack of trying either. In the MMORPG genre I've played Everquest, Ultima Online, and Dark Age of Camelot. My last experience was awful and has kept me from even trying World of Warcrack. Excuse me, Warcraft.

When I play an online fantasy game with other human beings I want them to enrich my gaming experience, not destroy it. I like adopting the role of the character I am playing, and if my fellow players aren't trying to do the same it severely detracts from the game for me. The big MMORPGs are trying to make as much money as they can. They aren't willing to spend the time or money to enforce a roleplaying environment. The most I have ever seen MMORPG creators do is designate RP servers but it is mostly on the honor system that those who join to serve whether or not they roleplay.

Several years ago I had completely given up on trying to find a good RP environment on an MMORPG so I decided on a different strategy. If the environment on the RP server as a whole wasn't good then maybe I could find a guild that roleplayed with each other. I spent days trying to research online what the best RP guild was on any Dark Age of Camelot(DAOC)server. I started a character, built them up, and devoted weeks to trying to get into the guild. When I finally did make it in I found that even they didn't roleplay.

That is the primary reason I still MUD. I've found game administrators of MUDs and MUSHs will create and enforce good roleplay environments. If I want to play a graphical game I fire up one of my game consoles and have a blast instead of paying a monthly fee to play a game online with others that actually by and large make my gaming experience worse. I haven't completely given up on MMORPGs yet, but I'm not holding my breath.

Dealing with Disruptive Players

Whatever the type of environment that a game administrator wishes to create on their game be it RP (roleplay) enforced to a PK (player killing) game, it is important to protect it. If you are building a nice sand castle, the last thing you want is some bratty kid to come along and kick it down. Unfortunately there will always be individuals that take joy out of destroying what is valuable to others. A game admin can not completely keep all disruptive players from a game, but there are ways to minimize their impact.

Some games require that each potential player gets evaluated before they are allowed on the game. While this can definitely can keep more bad players from the game, it also just keeps players from the game period. Not many have the patience or desire to jump through a bunch of hoops for a game they may or may not enjoy playing. I wouldn't suggest this method if you want a larger and active player base.

One of the most effective ways to minimize the impact of a trouble player is to have a quick and easy way to isolate them from the rest of the players. If the game has public channels then there needs to be some coded mechanism that prohibits disruptive individuals from speaking on them. It needs to be something that can be done swiftly. It isn't pleasant for anyone to have to deal with a string of profanities or insults spammed over and over again.

Another important way to isolate disruptive players is to have a holding area that they are transferred quickly. It should be a room that they can not leave without being allowed. This would be a spot where a staff member could speak to the individual to see if some resolution can be reached.

A game administrator can not be around all the time. There needs to be a mechanism for other trusted individuals to isolate a trouble player from the player base. There should be enough people to cover this duty 24/7. I can remember once when I was a player helper a new MUD when the game admin went on vacation for the weekend. A disruptive player came on the game and started spamming every channel he could. The game admin had not coded any way for us to isolate the offending player so the whole game was held hostage by a moron until he got tired and quit. Thankfully the game admin coded a way for us to keep people from speaking on channels if we needed and we never had the same problem again.

Every game has a way to nuke, dust, or destroy a character. I've noticed from years of experience that for some people any attention is good attention. Many people that cause problems are waiting for a pay off. My best advice is to always stay calm when dealing with trouble players and give them as little attention as possible. The standard way that we deal with obvious troublemakers on the game I am a staff member on is to isolate the player and ignore him. We've found that if we destroy trouble characters they will often come back again and again. But if you give them no attention and you don't allow them to make you angry suddenly their little disruptive game doesn't become as fun for them and they give up.

With some planning and coding, you can easily keep trouble players from being incredibly disruptive.

Merchandising for Games

Game administrators are often looking for ways to advertise their game, encourage pride, and make some extra money. While creating your own merchandise may seem intimidating, it truly is very easy to do so. There are many online stores out there that will produce and sell the designs of individuals. With a graphic and just a bit of time, it is easy to create products such as t-shirts, mugs, and bags that can be sold almost immediately.

Merchandising Websites

There are several websites out there that allow individuals to place graphics on their items and place them up for sale in a customizable store. There are differences between sites, but once items are created, then the amount of mark up can be set. CafePress is the most well known site and has more potential for outside customers, but for most online games the player base is going to be the primary market.

CafePress

Printfection.com

Zazzle.com

Spreadshirt

Some of the other sites beyond CafePress will allow a better deal for customers because base prices are lower. If a game admin just wants their player base to just advertise their game, they might consider not adding any mark up to the products in their store at all.

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Free Marketing Graphics for Online Text Games

Most games already have some sort of graphic that was created for them. If a game administrator doesn’t have a graphic for their game there are many public domain graphics that are free to use. Below are a few alternatives, but there is a lot of good public domain artwork out there.

Public domain graphic sites with Fantasy art

* Karen's Whimsy
* Clipart Guide
* Free Clipart Network

Any image might need some modification. There are fantastic graphic programs out there. If you are looking for a good free one I would suggest Paint.net.

There are a multitude of artists that would be willing to create game graphics for a reasonable price. Look soon for a post about fantasy artists!

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Dungeons and Dragons

Playing and staffing a MUD takes a lot of my time, but I still make the time every week to play Dungeons and Dragons. It is a past time that I have been doing on and off for about 23 years. (I was very young when I started!) One of the reasons that I got into online gaming was that I couldn't be in a consistent table top gaming group at the time.

Playing on an RP enforced MUD is the closest thing that I could find to replacing the Dungeons and Dragons experience. If you play on an online text based game and have never tried Dungeons and Dragons (D & D) I would reccommend giving it a go!

D & D Edition 3.5 was getting particularly complex. Even a veteran gamer like myself found it complicated! Dungeons and Dragons got a large overhaul in its fourth edition. While some old timers have complained it makes the game too simple for the novice it is still a lot to learn. I applaud the change because it makes the game more accessible to new players.

For those interested in playing, check with your fellow gamers to see if anyone plays. Most groups wouldn't mind someone visiting one of their gaming sessions to observe. There are plenty of different styles of gaming group so focus on the game play primarily. If the people in the group do not appeal to you there might be others out there. The old fashioned way of finding a gaming group is creating a flyer for your local gaming store and posting it up on their bulletin board. Those who run game stores can be good resources as well.

Playing D & D can get you out of the house and interacting with honest to goodness individuals, an important thing for reclusive gamers to do from time to time. The game play will be likely slower then you are used to, but roleplay can be more enriching.

There is a lot of information online at the Dungeons and Dragons website so if you are interested go take a look!

5 Tips for Aspiring Staff for an Online Text Game

I've spent almost 6 years as a Staff member and sometimes builder on a MUD. We often have people ask what they can do to become a builder or a staff member. Having seen many people attempt to become staff and succeed or fail, I have a few nuggets of wisdom about this endeavor.

1.) Be patient and willing to prove yourself.
If you are generally inexperienced in building or other skills needed by those who work on MUDs, then you will likely need to spend some time on the game proving yourself. One that has lots of experience that can present themselves as being very valuable will likely be able to get a position much quicker. Otherwise an potential staff member needs to prove that they are reliable before they are hired. A player will likely need to play a game for some time before you will even be considered for a position.

2.) Be an active part of the game community.
Spend time playing the game that you wish to work on. Being a consistent player on the game will help to prove loyalty and reliability. If there is a forum for the game be an active and positive poster.

3.) Get a "lesser" job for the game.
When additional staff members are needed, a game administrator will often look to those who have already proven a desire to work on his or her game. Many games "hire" people to help out new players. Many games also have in character leadership positions. If you manage to get a position then do your best. If you do not present yourself well then you won't be considered for anythign else.


4.) Take initiative.
Look for chances that you can help out the game even if a task has not been assigned to you. Find a way to offer doing the tasks you feel would help the game without causing extra work for the existing staff. Don't expect to hear an answer back right away or at all. If you have offered something that is needed and they wish you to do it they will gladly contact you. Better yet, find tasks to do that do not require authorization.

5.) Put your best foot forward.
Show yourself to be mature, reliable, and level headed. Admins are looking for individuals that will make their lives easier and not more difficult. If you have an opportunity to do anything relating to the type of work you wish to do then jump at the opportunity. If you are given a task completely it swiftly and well. I have seen the majority of people fail at this point by either not completing the work given or doing it in a timely manner.


While you may believe that game administration would take whatever help they can get there are a lot of considerations. It takes a lot of time and energy to train staff and builders, the existing staff needs to know that this investment will pay off. I have seen far more people fail then succeed. Being a staff member is a lot of work and is not nearly as glamorous or personally beneficial as it might seem. If you don't seek to work on a game merely to make a positive difference for the game, then don't even try. If you are seeking to do it for personal gain you will almost always be unhappy or unsuccesful in the long run!

Good Luck!

Resources for Admins, Players, and New Players

If you reading this blog you are probably very interested in online text gaming. I've written quite a few posts and topics that would aid beginners, veteran gamers, and admins. Below are some articles and posted listed by knowledge and interest.

For New Online Text Gamers:
Just What is a MUD?
Why Text Based Games?
Selecting an Online Text Based Game
What is Roleplay?
Acclimating to a MUD Quickly
RP Classifications for MUDs

For MUD Administrators or Staff:
Making an Online Game Welcoming for New Players
Guide to Creating a Safe Online Game Environment
Survival of Online Text Games

For Players:
Top Five Mud Clients
Making your Mark on an Online Text Game
Pay to Play Online Text Games
Gender Bending on Online Games

Happy Reading!
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Hero by Day, Zombie by Night

In honor of Halloween coming up, I'll let you all know of another one of my other gaming diversions. (As if I don't have enough already!)

I've been playing a simple web browser game called Urban Dead for a couple of years now. Like most zombie themes the premise is simple some awful zombie creating virus spread upon the town of Malton. To protect the rest of the world Malton was quaratined by a large (apparently inpenetradable) fence and the remaining survivors were left to fend for themselves. The game pits zombie against survivor and at times survivor vs. survivor.

The game is a very simple turn based web browser game. Actions points limit the amount of actions a player can take in a day. The max action points a player can have is 50 and they reaccumulate at a rate of one per half an hour or 48 per day. Survivors defend their safe houses by barricading them up and killing attacking zombies. They can take care of each through healing and turn zombies back into humans with revive needles. Zombies shamble around the game trying to eat tasty, tasty brains.

You can play this game very effectively as a loner especially as a zombie and as a survivor as long as you learn how to find revive points. Survivors die a lot in the game so players get used to it! Some players chose to play characters that are described as being "dual natured" they adopt the role of the helpful survivor or the brain eating zombie depending on what side they are on at the moment. For the casual player it does not take a lot of time to play and can be a fun diversion.

More serious players a lot of times end up joining a group. There are plenty of different types out there - Pro-survivor, zombie, player killing, anti-player killing, roleplaying. Whatever your prefered playing style there is a group out there for you.

The community is very active in general. There is a lot of good information on both the game and groups at the Urban Dead Wiki.

If you want some extra help in game while starting I would highly suggest to contacting the Malton College of Medicine to discover where they are headquartered at the given moment. They are a very helpful pro-survivor group that is focused on helping new players. The best way to contact them is on their forums.

I would definitely suggest Urban Dead for a fun gaming distraction!

Six Advantages Text Games Have Over MMORPGs

I’ve heard many speculate that online text games will be extinct in the coming future. The truth is that those online text based games that are keeping for the same exact market of the MMORPGs and graphical web browser games are less likely to survive. If an online text game or the industry in general wants to survive then they need to focus on the advantages that online text games have over flashier graphical games.


Portability, Discrete Gaming, and Customization

Portability, discrete Gaming, and customization are three different advantages to online text gaming that tie together with the way that text games are played. Players can chose from a multitude of different clients for both PC or Mac including java clients and telnet itself (for the really desperate). Online text games are extremely portable. MUD clients can fit easily on and run from a flash drive. In most cases a player only needs an internet connection to play. This means that players can easily access their favorite games from the library, school, work, while traveling, or any where they can get a wi-fi connection. Online text games are much more discrete then any graphical game. If someone is playing a graphical computer or web based game it is very evident at a glance. While the scrolling text can look odd with the proper use of client features an online text based game can look very much like a text document at first glance.

Gaming for Blind Players

There are millions of people in the world that are legally blind or sight impaired. For those individuals that use screen readers to access the internet the only viable multi-user RPG are online text games. Blind gamers can be just as skilled and successful on online text based games. With slight game modifications in some cases and care in game design, a text game can be just as accessible to a blind gamer as anyone else. This is another reason why graphical interfaces should not be required to play an online text game.

Low Cost

Most online text games are free, a minority of games that charge a monthly fee or have a “pay for perks” system. Those text games that are free have an obvious advantage over the graphical games that charge hefty monthly fees. The developers of these “free” games have expenses and still try to make money in a multitude of ways many of which require players to pay to get the most out of the game. There are some gamers out there that don’t want to or can’t pay for those advantages and aren’t willing to play a game in which the playing ground is not even for them.

Gaming without Cutting Edge Technology

We have all been witness to the fast pace of technological advances, but there still will be for some time those individuals that have limitations because of the system resources of their computer or the internet connections that they use. The newer MMORPGs are in competition with each other on the cutting edge and that often means a player needs to have an upgraded computer and a high speed internet connection to play or optimally play a newer MMORPG. In some rural areas and parts of the world high speed internet connections are not even available. In some cases online text gaming is the only viable option for those who can’t get past the technical limitations of their connection or don’t have the resources to upgrade computers or internet lines.

Gender Bending on Online Games

If you are unfamiliar with the term "gender bending" it is an informal or slang term for an individual of one gender adopting common mannerisms, dress, or behaviors of another gender. On an online game the term is used for players who decide to play characters of an opposite gender.

There are many reasons for someone to play a character of an opposite gender to themselves including roleplay challenges and experimentation, while some male gamers claim that playing a female character gives them a game advantage. Personally I don't have a major problem with players who attempt to play another gender, but there are some behaviors of gender benders that myself and other players find annoying.

The worst issue in my opinion, involves male players playing female characters on games where romantic or sexual roleplay is common or allowed that hide their "real life" gender. As long as a gender bender isn't engaging in romantic or sexual roleplay this is fine, but far too often we see these individuals actively seeking romantic relationships with individuals without divulging information about themselves that could be very important to their fellow players. From experience as a game admin, I've found this behavior far more common for males and when they are actively seeking out relationships with males and females. If you happen to be playing a character of another gender is simply a matter of common courtesy and respect that you divulge to other players your gender if you get any where close to romantic or sexual role playing.

The other aspect of gender bending that I find disappointing is when players create characters that are more like parodies of the other gender. As a female gamer it is particularly annoying to see a male playing a female with an over the top "sex pot" description or behaving in stereotypical ways. But because these descriptions and behaviors can be so over the top, it is sometimes a good way to identify a hidden gender bender. The female running around in a chainmail bikini with the over explained attributes is most likely being played by a male player.

Some games have rules against gender bending, in fact I read one article about a Chinese MMO called "King of the World" that confirms the gender players of female characters through webcam. These games are in the minority though. The bottom line for most games is that if players don't want to get in romantic relationships with characters that are being played by the opposite sex they need to go out of their way to ask. Even then that individual could be lying. (I've personally known of cases where a player has done so.) You would think that players would have the common courtesy to tell at that point, but the sad reality is that the majority won't.

Romantic RP - Engage in it at your own risk!

Courtesy of Penny Arcade - Click to Read!

Making Gaming Environments Safe for Players

I am a female gamer and I've been playing online text games for over 18 years. The internet provides many freedoms including anonymity to an extent. Because games are recreation, many players believe it gives them a license to do whatever they wish. Having held the job myself, game administration can be very busy working on online games and handling players issues can be frustrating. If the administration of a game wishes to keep gamers, especially female gamers, they do need to spend time creating and maintaining a safe environment for them.

The three main areas that are important to making a game environment safe for players is game design, rules, and rule enforcement. All do take some thought and effort but they are important to creating a safe environment for players.

Game Design

If admins want to make players feel comfortable, the game should not encourage any sexist or inappropriate behavior. The female gamer population is growing every day. If a game admin doesn’t want to alienate these potential players they need to consider what message the game is presenting to them. While the environment seems to be getting better with each passing year, females still deal with a fair amount of inappropriate behaviors in real life including being disregarded by male peers or being regarded for the wrong attributes. In our fantasy worlds, most women don’t want to deal with the issues we have to deal with in real life.

• Give female characters equal oportunity for success on the game.
• Make sure that NPCs are not designed in offensive ways nor model inappropriate
behaviors.

Rules
There should be clear rules of conduct on any online text based game. I can tell you from experience that while certain things should be considered common sense, that common sense is not common especially online. Players will do things inappropriate all the time. Online text games players come from a multitude of countries and cultures with varying rules of conduct. If a game has clear and specific rules of conduct then it is much cleaner and easier for administrators to deal with inappropriate behavior.

• Model good behavior by respecting your players.
• Create a no tolerance policy for disrespect in all out of character
communication.
• Don't allow sexual RP on games with underage players.
• Have clear rules on sexual RP on games just for those over 18.


Rule Enforcement

Rules are not worth anything if the game administration does not enforce them. There are many degrees of game rules. Some warrant tolerance and multiple chances. But if you do not catch and stop the disrespect and disregard of fellow players the problem can very easily spiral out of control.

• Be firm but fair with your players when enforcing rules.
• Don’t be afraid to delete the characters of players that are repeat offenders
and be prepared to ban certain IPs.
• Make it as equally evident that false accusations will be dealt with just as
firmly.
• Game staff should be approachable about harassment issues and make the players
feel as if such complaints are taken seriously.
• Don’t get involved in player issues that happen outside of the game.

For a more indepth advice for making gaming environments safe - http://mudadventures.webs.com/articles.htm

Pay to Play Online Text Games

There are a lot of online text games or MUDs that can be played for free. There are some games out there that are still charging players to play.


Monthly subscription:
This model for making money on online text based gaming seems to be a dying breed but there are still a few MUDs out there that require a monthly subscription fee to play in the full version of the game. Many games in this model will have additional monthly fees for access to special features or areas. A few examples are:

DragonRealms: $14.95 - $49.95 per month
GemStone IV: $14.95 - $49.95 per month


Pay for Perks:
Some other online text games charge for either monthly or one time fees for "perks". Such perks can be experience points, coin, storage for items, extra or bonus items, higher quality equipment, player houses, access to premium areas, or inclusion in staff run events or roleplaying. Examples of these games are:

RetroMud
Threshold
All of the Iron Realm Entertainment Games -
Achaea
Aetolia
Imperian
Lusternia


Per-minute or hour Charges: I don't know of any MUDs that actually require players to pay by the minute, but I am including this for historical reasons. Back in the 80's and 90's there were online text based games associated with online services. As examples Dragon's Gate was available first on GEnie and then on America Online (AOL), Isle of Kesmai was available on CompuServ and Gemstone II was available on GEnie. These games could be very expensive at $6 to $36 dollars an hour. That is more than what most MMORPGs ask for as a monthly subscription now a days. Times have certainly changed!

Most pay to play games have free trials and pay for perk games are free to play. It can sometimes be hard for a player to tell what type of game they are on. I would recommend talking to game staff in the first couple of hours of play to determine if they have any sort of pay systems in place.

MUSHclient Review

There are may good MUD clients out there to use. I used GMUD for years until it stopped working well with the newer operating systems. (I can no longer recommend GMUD at this time because of it.) While I use ALclient occassionaly, I've been happily using MUSHclient as my primary client for years. While the program used to delay opening if you used an unregistered version, it has been changed so there is no difference between a registered and unregistered copy. I would still encourage everyone to donate to the developer if you end up using it often!

MUSHclient only takes up 11MB on a hard drive or flash drive. Having played MUDs before on telnet I would not want to do so again without a mud client again! If you like to MUD I would suggest carrying around a flash drive with a client, you never know when you may have free time. All mud clients I have tested will run right off a flash drive.

Features:*
Aliases (command shorthands)
Triggers (auto-reponse to keywords)
Timers (send commands at intervals)
Keypad-navigation (use numeric keypad to go North, South, etc.)
Tab-completion (press to have a word completed from recent MUD output)
Speed-walking (quickly move by typing speed walks, like 4n 5w)
Auto-say. Having a long conversation? Let MUSHclient put "say" in front of everything you type.
Graphical bars (health bars, experience bars etc.) implemented by miniwindows
Sounds

For those who are active scripters, MUSHclient supports JScript, Lua, PerlScript, PhpScript, Python, VBscript. It runs with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista and under Wine on Linux.

There is even a chat feature in which you can speak to others with MUSHclient and allow them to view your screen as well. I've played around with this feature but not used it much.

MUSHClient has a 500,000 line buffer. Depending on how active you are this allows for days of playing to still be accessible on the client. Coupled with the search text feature it can be incredibly useful.

I also enjoy the ability to change all the presented colors on the client. To avoid mistakes I change the color of my backgrounds for different characters and accounts.

I've enjoyed using MUSHclient for years and it meets my needs very well!




*From the MUSHclient website

Five Great Comics for Online Gamers

Every mu* player needs a fun distraction from time to time. One of the great things about online text games is that it is very possible to surf the web while doing so. Below is a list of webcomics that many gamers will enjoy.

In quasi- order of online gaming relevance:

1.) The Noob
A webcomic about a fictional MMORPG called Clichequest. It follows the
characters and the game staff. Not specifically about online text games, but many
of the humor still applies.

2.) Elf Only Inn
Elf Only Inn follows a group of individuals in a fantasy based chat room. At
some point in the strip the group moves to play an MMORPG. If you have spent a
good deal of time in a theme based chat room, MMORPG, or like to roleplay you
will find this comic particularly humorous.

3.) Looking for Group
A webcomic that follows an elven hunter and an evil warlock in an MMORPG. Filled
with onling gaming humor and fantasy and pop culture references, this comic is an
entertaining read.

4.) PVP (Player vs. Player) Online
PVP online is about a video game magazine and its employees. The webcomic is
about video games with other "geek" references to comics and RPGs. One of the
main characters, Jade, plays online roleplaying games.

5.) Order of the Stick
Order of the Stick follows an adventuring group playing Dungeons and Dragons.
The audience for this webcomic is D&D players (a must read for them) and table
top RPG players.

ASUS 1000HE Netbook Review

After abandoning my laptop for classes because it was too heavy, I went on the look out for a netbook. After weeks of research I settled on the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE . This is a great machine for portable online gaming! Overall, I have not been displeased with this netbook.





Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280
Hard Drive: 160GB 5,400rpm
Graphics: Mobile Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
Operating System: Windows XP
Memory: 1GB, 667MHz DDR2
Screen: 10 inch
Battery Life: 8 - 9 hours
Cost: Approx. $400.00





One of the main selling points on this netbook for me was the nearly normal size keyboard. While I do find that I fumble a bit more then on a full size keyboard, it is rare. My biggest complaint in that regard is that with the compressed area I accidentally hit the touch pad far more, but that is mostly because I am able to type at regular speed on this netbook.

The battery life on this netbook is very good. I regularly take it with me all day without the power cord and I have never had any battery issues. I use the computer for a couple of hours and have it in standby the rest of the time.

I was able to easily upgrade the memory on this netbook to 2GB. All I had to do was remove a couple of screws on the back panel and snap it the memory card. It only took a couple of minutes!

Because of the larger size (you can get netbooks smaller) and the extended battery this netbook is heavier than the average netbook at 3 pounds. After lugging around a laptop it seems incredibly light to me! I've been able to fit this netbook comfortably into my moderate size purse.

My only real complaint about this netbook is that it does not work very well with my home wireless network. Since I use it at home in the room with my wireless router I have opted for a hard connection, but I'm hoping to find a solution for the issue when I have the time. I have used it successfully on public wireless networks and my laptop works just fine on my wireless network at home, so I've determined that my netbook and wireless router don't want to play nice with each other.

With the Asus 1000HE all you need is a mud client and a wireless connection and you will be able to ready for gaming on the go!

U.S. Military Targeting Gamers

Recently, I lost a good friend and fellow gamer to the conflict in Afghanistan. He was far too great a guy and far too young at 21 to be taken from us. It made me sit and reflect more about the fact that it seems like a much higher percentage of the gamer population vs. general population ends up in the military. There are many things that could account for this, but one fact that I've discovered is that the United States Military is heavily targeting gamers for recruitment.

For years the military has had TV commercials targeting gamers by equating the games they play and their fantasies to life in the military. Just like the video below.


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Commercial directly targeting video gamers
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In July of 2002 the U.S. Army launched "America's Army: Special Forces" a free video game specifically designed to influence and recruit young gamers into the armed forces. Millions of people have downloaded this game to date. The free game comes with sacrificed privacy. The military tracks and stores game statitistics on each user. Avid players that do very well are even sent e-mails asking if they wish for more information on the Army.


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Trailer for the Game America's Army: Special Forces
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The last recruitment tool I will mention is the Virtual Army Experience. VAE is a mobile exhibit with a lifesize version of America's Army video game. To be able to participate individual's must give their personal information to recruiters. After a mock briefing, game participants sit in replicas of army vehicles and Black Hawk helicopters shooting game automatic weapons at 180 degree screens.

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Wall Street Journal Report on the Virtual Army Experience
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Ironically enough these gaming experiences are even less realistic then the plethora of military games on the market. While the military claims to be giving gamers a "real" experience they are only showing the side of war they want participants to see.

Please don't get me wrong. I have great respect for those who join the military. I recognize that our country needs an armed forces. I just strongly believe that the military shouldn't sugar coat military life with inaccurate and flashy depictions of war. I greatly worry for my fellow gamers that have joined the armed forces for adventure.

For those that are out there already, my prayers are with you every day. For one soldier I held dear his adventure is over. Rest in Peace, James, we miss you dearly.


My thanks to the following sites for information:

The Kool Skool Blog
truthout

RP Classifications for MUDs

In an earlier article I've defined what roleplaying (RP) actually is. Understanding what roleplaying is is key to understanding all the different game classifications. Roleplaying is adopting the role of a character. Roleplay classifications determine how much a player needs to stay "in character" while they play.


Non-Roleplaying game
If a game is listed as non-roleplaying then they do not wish their players to roleplay at all. Being in character or adopting a role is not wanted on the game. Most of the time players speak very openly about the game and its mechanics in speech, over channels, and via tells. Talking about the "real world" is not normally restricted as well. Anyone who tried to roleplay on one of these games could likely be ridiculed by the player base, so it is good to know what type of game you are on!

Role-playing Accepted
Roleplaying is accepted on these games but not really expected in any way. But if a player choses to develop a character a bit and RP being someone in the role that their character is it wouldn't be discouraged. In an RP accepted game pretty much any playing style is accepted. Players can interact with the game and play as they wish.

Roleplaying Encouraged
If a game is classified as RP encouraged then the game designers want players to RP and adopt special roles for their character. Encouraged means that RP is not strictly enforced. There are more restrictions to how players communicate with each other and likely distinctions between modes of out of character (OOC) and in character (IC) communication. But some players may chose not to spend much time developing their characters or acting out a personality that is different from their own.

RP Enforced or Mandatory
On a game that is RP enforced or RP mandatory it is expected and required to roleplay. Not only is it expected the staff (and sometimes players) will take measures to make sure the rules surrounding acceptable communication and game behavior are followed. The game will also be designed to facilitate roleplay. It is important to learn the rules on such games so that the integrity of the game world is maintained. Players are encouraged to immerse themselves into the unique game world through their game play.

Understanding the difference between different types of games will help you find the game environment you will particularly enjoy.

Acclimating to a MUD Quickly

I've talked about how to make a MUD newbie friendly for administration on a game. But if you are a player you might be interested in how to acclimate to a MUD quickly. After all you want to make the most of your game time!

The first thing you should do when trying out a game is to check and see what online web resources are for a game. Information can be sketchy in a game itself but the information on the web is always accessible. The game staff may have even created an extensive new player guide for their website.

Another good online resource are game forums. Sometimes those forums are accessible to the public and full of answers to questions from new players. If the players are passionate about a game they may have information about their favorite game on their own sites. Sometimes that information may even be more helpful than what is on the game site, so taking a few minutes to see what is out there on the web can be very worth it.

Once you have information from the web it is time to start the game proper. Sometimes the creation process can be very extensive and you will be happy you have all that information available. You may be excited about getting into the game proper but make sure you use the creation area to its full extent. A well designed creation area will give a player a lot of valuable information.

While looking for information on the web for the game and going through creation try to determine what way you can directly access help from a live player. Sometimes things are so confusing a player will need that extra help and attention. Just don't overtax the individuals that are there to help you. Try to discover as much on your own if you can. Most of these people are volunteers!

Don't be afraid to ask your fellow players for help. A brand new player to a game is going to make mistakes just accept that. Existing players a lot of times have a wealth of information. Just try to determine the appropriate way to ask another player for help. It will vary on different games. Don't worry how you might appear to others, everyone was new to a game at some time! If worse comes to worse you can always start over with a fresh new character, but with a lot more information.

Getting acclimated to a game does not have to be a frustrating process. Just find and use the tools that are specifically built for you!

Good luck!

5 Tips to Making a MUD newbie friendly

With so many games for players to chose from, the first couple of hours they play a game could well determine whether they decided to keep playing the game. That is why it is important that a game is "newbie friendly". There are many things that the staff and administration can do to help make a game friendly for new players.

1.) Design a helpful creation area. As a player goes through creation they should be taught very basic MUD commands if they need them. It should be very clear to players what needs to be done to progress. But don't force players to input a multitude of basic commands, if you don't make the learning optional then you might frustrate those veteran players out there.

2.) Make game information readily accessible. Some players like to learn by doing or wish to be taught by another player, but there are plenty of players that like to learn independently. Appreciate these players because they will take up less of the time of those who help new players. To keep these players happy information should be available both in the game and on a game website. I would suggest extensive help files or systems in the game itself. It is a good idea to create a new player guide for the game website with valuable information for players to reference when they need.

3.) Appoint trustworthy, active players to specifically help new players. There should be a group of knowledgeable players that are willing to devote their time to answer questions of new players and guide them. Have game information accessible can reduce the need for a group of newbie helpers but even the best designed help system has gaps. New players should be able to send questions to these helpers at any time. Since players from around the world MUD it is important to diversify your helper staff so that someone is always available.


4.) Create some means for the new player to directly ask questions. One good way to do this is to create an Out of Character (OOC) channel that new players can ask questions on. This could be a channel that is accessible to all the game (to ensure coverage) or just to the helpers and staff of the game. Another way to facilitate this is to allow new players to send messages directly to the helpers or staff. If this method is used then the means by which a player accesses the staff should be intuitive, mentioned in creation, and mentioned again in some way in the new player areas.

5.) Create new player areas. Have areas of the game specifically for new players to progress and learn the game. These areas should reinforce the skills that will be needed for the player to become successful. They should also give a good feel of the atmosphere of the game and what the player can expect in the future. I highly caution against completely isolating new players in an area by themselves. If you isolate them from the player base how are they to truly know if they will like the game? MUDs are interactive games after all.

Players leave MUDs all the time so the survival of a MUD depends on getting and retaining new players!