My Starcraft 2 history.

Here's the rundown of my history with Starcraft 2.


I got a betakey way back in the second phase of closed beta from Blizzard, even thou I don't remember ever signing up for it, but I guess I must have. But it was a pleasant surprise all the same.

I never really got into Starcraft: Broodwar, and never really knew the multiplayer existed, even though I had been playing RTS games since I was a kid.
That being said, I really quite enjoyed the gameplay of Starcraft 2, and got hooked quite early to watching casted videos of it, namely HD and HuskyStarcraft, and later Day(9), and a few others.

Thou lately LifesaGlitch is quite funny.


Incidentally I never really got into laddering, and just preferred to watch instead.
I did play a little, and I was ok I guess, but I was just too intimidated to really get into it.
That, and I don't have a competitive bone in my body.

When it launched, I bought it immediately, which is rare for me. I played through the campaign, messed around with the editor, and a few custom games, but I never really cared for them.
But still no laddering, and I couldn't quite get attached to the community because there was still no chat channels at the time, which was just epic stupidity on Blizzards side.

Eventually they did put out chat channels, and I grew a little closer, but still not enough to ladder.
I did practice a bit all the same, I just didn't really play against people for the most part.




Eventually however I found Starcast, and hooked up with their community, and listened to their podcast, I started to play a little bit, but again not enough to want to ladder.
I played through the campaign for a second time on hard and got all the achievements just to prove I could, realizing that I really am not half bad at this game.

Incidentally what got me into laddering wasn't Starcraft 2 or the community, but rather World of Tanks. Being a competitive 15v15 PvP team game, I found it really easy to get into and shoot people in the face, even thought losing would often cause me to experience temporary incoherent rage.
Hurt my hands and broke at least one keyboard during my stay.



But thanks to WoT, I realized that I don't really have any good reason to avoid SC2 laddering, as WoT was causing me just as much rage as anything SC2 had done. So it felt like it was time to get into Starcraft 2 laddering as a regular thing.
(after a few more single player games)

And so, for the last month or so, I have committed myself to play at least one ladder match per day, which after a little hesitation and nervousness, I started to feel at home.
I do still get a bit of a shiver down my spine from time to time, but I just have to force myself to push the 'find match' button, and then pure habit takes over from there.


On the gameplay front, I really am not half bad, but I'll cover that in the next few posts.

In short, if your like me and you find it just hard to sit down and play Starcraft 2 because your intimidated, set up a regular time each and every day to play at least one game.
Start with 4v4, then move on down through 3v3, 2v2, and lastly 1v1 when your sick of the rushes in 2v2.

It works.


~Yoh

Re-Inventing the blog.

I've decided that I need to redo this blog, as I just have not been using it for like a year or so.
Mainly I think because I didn't have anything regular to talk about that I thought was interesting.

Well, I have something now. (even though I would bet my bottom dollar that there are plenty of blogs like this by now)
I decided to make it a Starcraft 2 focused blog, showing my step by step progress up the ladder, featuring each 1v1 league battle I participate in, and what my thought process was at the time.

Since I play at least one game a day, it will be a daily thing.


While I may also go on about other topics from time to time, I think I'd rather just keep it simple and focus of SC2 for the time being.

PS: please ignore everything bar the Vindictus stuff that came for this post. :p

~Yoh

MMO Magic Tricks

After having one too many deep thoughts about MMO's today, I came to thinking about some of my usual frustrations with MMO, namely their over reliance on compelling mechanics, rather than depth or storytelling.

I thought about how best to explain something like this to the more laid back MMO gamer, who doesn't get all this 'mechanics' mubo jumbo.

This is the analogue I came up with.


Think of it as a person trying to get attention, magic tricks are a rather easy way to impress people who aren't overly familiar with how they work. They can stagger people and give them a much higher opinion of the person doing the magic tricks without really knowing anything about them.

These are your 'run-of-the-mill- MMO's.
But like magic tricks, if you know how their done, or have seen the same tricks being played 4 or 5 times, they become a lot less impressive and get old quick.
Sure there might be the occasional bout of novelty, and some people will remain fooled no matter what, but eventually most will realize that the magician is just hiding the fact that he's just got nothing worthwhile to say.



But take Guild Wars as a different example. It's more like an attractive member of the opposite sex, pretty and charismatic, and willing to engage you in a lengthy conversation.
Sure it may not be as immediately impressive, and the conversation may end up being little more the idle chatter, but at the end of the day you walk away with a much more pleasant experience, that doesn't really diminish with time.

Guild Wars 2 on the other hand is like her charming, sexier, older sister.
Not only has she learned from her mistakes, but is otherwise much more worldly and experienced in life, to make her a much more rounded person.

The conversations are likely to be even more engaging and entertaining, than with that of her sibling. But most importantly, by being such a diverse and entertaining as a person as she is, she really doesn't need to use magic tricks to impress people, listening to her talk is plenty enough.


And maybe, just maybe, after listening so her speak and seeing the attention she brings, the magician might realize that it's time to put away the cards and wand, and just start talking to people.

~Yoh

The Mechanics of Selfishness

Yesterday I did something that's unusual for me, and that was have a conversation with several people about games. Namely on the Guildcast podcast, with Shawn and Rubi, and 3 other people.

It was fun, and while I don't think I made the most intelligent arguments ever, we did stumble upon the topic of gaming communities, and how games like Rift and World of Warcraft have douche baggery communities, where as games like Guild Wars and even Starcraft 2 have in fact, really pleasant communities with a ton of helpful people everywhere you go.


Now I'm not big on talking about community and people, because that's more Rubi's shtick, but this got me thinking after the time I had this morning with the new Starcraft 2 community I was introduced to on the show.
Basically the people from the Starcast community we're friendly and helpful to me, which made me ask the question why.


Why is it that Guild Wars and Starcraft 2 can bring out the best in people and make such friendly communities despite being so different?
You'd think that a game revolving around hardcore PvP like Starcraft 2 would have terrible community if conventional wisdom was true, which again in this case it's evidently not.

So where do game like Rift and WoW go wrong, and generate a community with such selfishness at every level of play?

Well, the short answer is because their STRUCTURED that way.
It is the very mechanics of the game that either incentivize altruism and cooperation, or selfishness and greed.

As to how they do this, well this is where we get into the weeds a bit.



Incentive to be Selfish
Now I don't think I need to make the argument that WoW's community has some less then desirable fellows playing the game, look at local chat any day of the week.
And Rift's community seems to be showing early signs of asshattery and abuse.

But why? Is there really that many assholes in the world, and they all just so happen to like these games?

No, it's the games who are making people act like this, as well as attract people who want to act selfish and prickishly. It in effect turns people who otherwise wouldn't act this way under different circumstances, act like selfish pricks.
Now the idea of this doesn't go down well with a lot of people, but let's take a look at how these games work before reaching for your flamethrower.


Levels and Loot
First off these game prioritize levels and gear over anything else, you don't have to be any good at the game to win, you just need to be a higher level, or just have better stuff.
Everything can be solved with better stuff.

Which, at it's core, is just a factor of time.

Ninja looting and Kill stealing
Who honestly likes being on the receiving end of this? Your just finish killing off a boss just to have some asshat steal your loot.

That's because the game allows them to do it, and there is really is nothing you can do about it.
And because the game only rewards who hits first, or grabs the loot first, with an empathies on loot and EXP being the end all be all, there is a strong incentive for people to act this way.

Ganking and Griefing
Now why would anyone want to spend their time, ruining the time for others?
Simple, because they can.

While limited, both Rift and WoW allows for freeform PvP as well as to allow players to take actions that either directly or indirectly negatively impact on almost any other player they meet, with very little in the way of consequences for doing so.
With nothing to lose and fun at others expense to gain, maybe even a bit of loot, there is no reason not to...... besides ethics that is.

If there are no consequences, then it must be OK.


The long short of it is this, the reason people act selfishly, is because the game rewards them being selfish. If they are selfish they will get more loot, and that means they win.
Allowing people to not only be selfish but also having little to no consequences, is there little wonder why people act like flaming jackasses?



Now let's look at the opposite example and see what we can learn.

Clean and Simple
So what makes Guild Wars and Starcraft 2's communities so, well, peaceful?
Well you know how I was going on about how WoW and Rift not only allows for asshattery, but incentivize it through their mechanics?
It's because Guild Wars and SC2 do not allow you to be, nor do they incentivise it, but in fact they go in the other direction with their mechanics.


Skill and Assigned Loot
In both games, levels and gear are virtually meaningless, literally so in SC2.
It doesn't matter what you have, only how you use it. You can't buy your way to success either.
In PvP, you win on your skill alone, and if you play with a team, you either win together, or lose separately.

Guild Wars also goes one step further in PvE with assigned loot drops. Not only are random players just not able to take your loot, because of the instancing, but this also makes it clear and unambiguous as to who gets what.
And it's looking like Guild Wars 2 is going to continue this tradition.

There is just no room for being an ass here, it just doesn't work.

Fair and Balanced
Another strong point in these games favor is their empathies on fair and balanced PvP, and keeping PvP and PvE separated by a raw iron fence....... made of tigers.

When you go into a match in either game both you and your opponents have the same tools and resources to work with, no one is favored, no one has an inherit advantage.
It's all down you how you execute your build, and your ability to make decisions, multitask, and pure personal skill and experience.

Teamwork Works
Because the currency of success in these games in either PvE or PvP is skill, teamwork becomes a integral feature in these games. Where as you CAN play by yourself and do very well, working with others will get you there a whole lot quicker, and you'll likely have a grand old time doing so as well.

In SC2 even though your own personal skill determines your success rate, it's only given meaning in light of other people. Playing with people is the best tool in your arsenal to get good at the game.

There really is nothing more to gain by going it alone. You'll be no better off, there is no incentive.


Overall the reason these games have great communities is because they:
A. Don't incentivise mechanics that gives you any kind of advantage over anyone else.
B. Keep interactions between people both fair and consenting.
C. Reward teamwork and share rewards as equally as possible.



In closing what I've come to think is this.
If you want people to act in a certain way, it's all about incentives and disincentives.
Reward someone for acting like an asshat, and soon enough everyone will.
But if you reward working together, personal and collective skill, then people will do it, and it will be great for everyone involved.

As well as make the developers time a whole lot easier.


~Yoh

Updated proxy guide.

I started to run into problems with Proxifier the other day, and so did someone else I knew, so I decided to find a program that wouldn't give me problems.
I found ProxyFirewall.

So I've updated the connecting to Vindicus guide with the new information and program.
http://exnfrustration.blogspot.com/2010/11/guide-running-vindictus-via-proxy.html

It's a little bit easier to understand as the program just works better.
And as it is freeware, you don't have to worry about a trial running out on you.


~Yoh

New graphics card.

My new graphics card, a Gigabyte ati Radeon HD 5570, arrived today, and it quite nice.
It's a bit more powerful then my last, and a damn lot cheaper, but it has been a few years since I bought it.

So not only can I play Starcraft 2 and Vindictus again, but my artwork will be that much better for it.
I did notice that my old card did tend to scream in pain whenever I did art.

Hopefully this one can bare the strain a little bit better.


~Yoh

Short break from gaming.

I know what this sounds like, but I have to take a short break from not only gaming, but drawing art as well.

The reason for this is pretty clear cut... my graphics card died yesterday.

So in actually fact I just can't play really much of anything atm, or do my art, until the new and better graphics card I ordered arrives, which should be in a couple of days or so.

It sucks, but that's how it goes sometimes.


So in the meantime, I'll watch a bit of anime, and maybe write a little bit.

~Yoh