I grew up playing video games largely by myself. I have siblings, but we didn't have many multiplayer games, and those few that we did have were one-on-one. Additionally, I have been driven to do things by myself since I was young; I loath group work, and I prefer to do original work instead of piggy-backing off of previous research or development.
This is why when I play an MMO I tend to solo as much as possible. Pretty much the only time I wind up in a party is when I am forced to, either by the game itself or by some outside pressure, such as a friend needing help with a quest. When I play, I pay attention to the game. I don't chat, and I'm not outwardly friendly. If I must be in a party, I fulfill my role silently and efficiently, as I prefer to in real life. If a party member wants or needs to leave, I waste no energy in attempting to persuade them to stay.
Such antisocial behavior must look strange in a medium designed to bring people together, but that's how I am, and that's how I play. Frequently, it is also the absolute worst way to play.
Take your average group-oriented quest, found in pretty much every MMORPG. For an example, I recently needed to slay two large monsters in World of Warcraft, Luzran and Knucklerot. The quest description says you should have a party of at least three people. When I first ran into Luzran, I noted he was level 21, and I was at a very lazy 17. He was big. Very big. I stayed away from him as best as possible, but another quest in that area brought me a bit too close, and he attacked. I ran, barely surviving the encounter, but the nearby monsters finished me off before I could heal.
A couple levels later, I returned, with some new abilities, better equipment, and a more comfortable hotkey configuration. We were both level 21 now. And in a couple minutes, I had defeated him, entirely by myself. I laughed at the quest's description suggestion two other party members. The amount of experience I gained had less of an impact than if I had been at a lower level, but I didn't care. The prize was that I did it by myself.
I spent the next couple minutes trying to find Knucklerot, but as far as I could tell, he had gone for a walk (as he is apt to do), and wouldn't be back for a while. No matter, I had other quests to complete; he could wait.
It might sound ridiculous, or even reckless, but I tend to do such things rather frequently. I'm handed a quest that should be performed by multiple players, and I will power level and grind and optimize my tactics until I can complete the quest by myself. I've never liked accepting help, so being able to fell a large and powerful beast by myself is something of a point of pride. If I currently cannot defeat it without assistance, I will work until I can.
It probably makes one wonder why I play MMO's to begin with if all I'm going to do is solo the entire time. The answer is really not all that complex: it's not the opportunity to meet and play with other people that attracts me, it's the world of the game that I find irresistible. It's always changing. Patch after patch alter it in subtle or significant ways, and while I don't like playing with others, I find a certain amusement in just watching people interact (local and trade chats are often quite hilarious).
Some people view MMO's as an exciting new frontier, where everything is different. In all truth, the games are merely extensions of the real world; no matter how fantastic the game world, it is always presented in a form that is ultimately familiar. Many players act in-game as they would in real-life, and those that don't probably wish they could act in real-life like they do in-game. As for me? I prefer to remain antisocial, regardless of how detrimental it may be to my ranking; self-sufficiency is the only reward I desire.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
The Value (and Legality) of Emulators
I'm a pretty big fan of the Final Fantasy series. I recognize it's not the best franchise, but I still enjoy playing them. One of my favorite games in the series, for completely arbitrary reasons, is Final Fantasy VIII. It was the first one I ever played, and despite owning a copy of the game for a little over a decade, I have yet to beat it, only getting as far as the third disc before abandoning it for some reason or another.
The reason I'm bringing this up is because of an assignment in this class that requires we play a story-heavy game for 20+ hours. An additional assignment asks that we finish the game, though this isn't required, and some writing might be involved (I don't have my syllabus handy as I'm typing this). Regardless, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to try to beat FFVIII.
The only problem was, I didn't have the discs handy, nor did I feel like monopolizing the TV in my suite's common room. Of course, me being computer savvy, I already had the perfect solution: run isos of the discs in a PlayStation emulator on my computer.
For those who don't know what emulators are, they are applications that simulate a video game console (or old-school computer systems) on your personal computer. You play games by downloading a "rom", which is the game's data ripped from it's medium (cartridge or disc) stored a file on a computer, and then loading the rom into the emulator application. After that, it's like playing any other computer game, with a keyboard (or other input devices) acting as a surrogate for the original system's controllers.
The legality of emulators and roms are debated around the world. Many nations have recognized that emulators in and of themselves are not illegal, and don't infringe upon any patents or copyrights. The problem is with the roms, which are almost universally illegal, unless you own an actual copy of the game, and you have the rom for backup purposes.
Personally, I find the illegality of roms to be ridiculous. By the time an emulator can properly simulate a console on an average consumer-model PC, most of the games associated with that console are nearly five years old, and are bought almost exclusively used; the publishers and developers are no longer receiving payment from the sale of these games. Silly IP laws drafted by out-of-touch congressmen aside, describing such a scenario as piracy seems absolutely foolish.
Furthermore, in classes such as this, where students are encouraged to investigate and play various games, many of which might be from previous generations, emulators and roms provide a convenient, space-saving, and low-cost solution. For those who didn't grow up with video games, it may also be the only way for them to experience the games associated with an older era, as few businesses today buy and sell outdated games and consoles anymore, with the exception of small-scale specialty stores and online marketplaces.
The only problem with my argument is the sudden reintroduction of previous generation games into the current generation, via proprietary emulators available through app stores on modern consoles. While this does validate game publishers' claims that emulation is piracy, it's a very cheap and selfish claim; they're making you pay for a game that has not undergone any updates, which has been floating around the market for years, and from which otherwise they would not see a dime. On the surface they're offering you a chance to play your old games on a new system, legally, but underneath they're eschewing innovation and hiding behind a wall of convoluted and obsolete laws all in the name of making a quick buck.
In the end, the use of emulators comes down to a philosophical decision: "support" the developers and publishers by purchasing a digital copy of a game they made years ago, or just download it for free off of seedy websites. Me? I prefer the latter. And if any publishers want to take me to court, I'll just promise to buy their next game, provided it's not a port or a remake.
The reason I'm bringing this up is because of an assignment in this class that requires we play a story-heavy game for 20+ hours. An additional assignment asks that we finish the game, though this isn't required, and some writing might be involved (I don't have my syllabus handy as I'm typing this). Regardless, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to try to beat FFVIII.
The only problem was, I didn't have the discs handy, nor did I feel like monopolizing the TV in my suite's common room. Of course, me being computer savvy, I already had the perfect solution: run isos of the discs in a PlayStation emulator on my computer.
For those who don't know what emulators are, they are applications that simulate a video game console (or old-school computer systems) on your personal computer. You play games by downloading a "rom", which is the game's data ripped from it's medium (cartridge or disc) stored a file on a computer, and then loading the rom into the emulator application. After that, it's like playing any other computer game, with a keyboard (or other input devices) acting as a surrogate for the original system's controllers.
The legality of emulators and roms are debated around the world. Many nations have recognized that emulators in and of themselves are not illegal, and don't infringe upon any patents or copyrights. The problem is with the roms, which are almost universally illegal, unless you own an actual copy of the game, and you have the rom for backup purposes.
Personally, I find the illegality of roms to be ridiculous. By the time an emulator can properly simulate a console on an average consumer-model PC, most of the games associated with that console are nearly five years old, and are bought almost exclusively used; the publishers and developers are no longer receiving payment from the sale of these games. Silly IP laws drafted by out-of-touch congressmen aside, describing such a scenario as piracy seems absolutely foolish.
Furthermore, in classes such as this, where students are encouraged to investigate and play various games, many of which might be from previous generations, emulators and roms provide a convenient, space-saving, and low-cost solution. For those who didn't grow up with video games, it may also be the only way for them to experience the games associated with an older era, as few businesses today buy and sell outdated games and consoles anymore, with the exception of small-scale specialty stores and online marketplaces.
The only problem with my argument is the sudden reintroduction of previous generation games into the current generation, via proprietary emulators available through app stores on modern consoles. While this does validate game publishers' claims that emulation is piracy, it's a very cheap and selfish claim; they're making you pay for a game that has not undergone any updates, which has been floating around the market for years, and from which otherwise they would not see a dime. On the surface they're offering you a chance to play your old games on a new system, legally, but underneath they're eschewing innovation and hiding behind a wall of convoluted and obsolete laws all in the name of making a quick buck.
In the end, the use of emulators comes down to a philosophical decision: "support" the developers and publishers by purchasing a digital copy of a game they made years ago, or just download it for free off of seedy websites. Me? I prefer the latter. And if any publishers want to take me to court, I'll just promise to buy their next game, provided it's not a port or a remake.
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