Get it Right, Blizz!

An open letter to my friends at Blizzard:

You are ruining the game. The desire of money has surpassed the desire to make games- if not money, maybe it’s just the popularity- the desire to add that next million players. As with most things, your success is becoming your downfall.

There are many different people playing World of Warcraft, for many different reasons. In trying to cater to the largest group (terrible players) and the loudest group (hardcore raiders), you have marginalized the middle group. The middle group, while not a huge demographic, is nonetheless vital to your continued success.

Who are we? We’re people that don’t want to spend 12 hours a week raiding and 20 more grinding to be decent at it. We’re the people that are decent enough to be in a big raiding guild, but don’t want to commit to a raiding schedule. We know how to play our class.

Why are we vital to your game? We are the link. We fill in for your ‘hardcore’ players when they need an extra. We’re the reason the game isn’t just an un-fun mess for the terrible players, who we drag through heroics and PUG raids. We fill your auction houses with goods to that keep the economy flowing. Without us, everyone is either ‘leet’ or a ‘trashbag’- and both sides NEED that buffer.

What do we want? We want you to quit defining ‘casual’ as ‘terrible but with unlimited time.’ We want the difficulty of a fight to come from the fight itself, and not the logistics. We want ‘Heroic’ to mean something in a 5-man. We CRAVE a challenge, but we detest when that challenge is being the only player in a group that has a clue of how to play effectively.

How do I think you should get there? Design quests and dungeons that teach people to play their class rather than designing things easier so that anyone can ‘raid.’ Return to making things difficult enough that ‘progression’ means more than just a boss kill checklist- you SHOULD need greens to get blues and blues to get epics. Put in epic quests that award class epics- but then, make the quests long, and difficult. Make trade skills useful as you level, and allow them to help level you. Raise the cost of starting a guild to 1000 Gold. Implement a player rating system, based on gear, experience, and player reviews.

Can’t you see that making things more ‘accessible’ is often (More 10-Mans is a great idea, as long as the bosses aren’t made of paper mache and filled with loot and candy) just lowering the standards? I know it’s easier to just put everyone on welfare rather than teaching them to do a job, but is it really a good idea? You have a great game- there isn’t an MMO out there that can top WoW from top to bottom, and I haven’t found one that’s even close to as much fun… Even so, that fun is being drowned in frustration.

For full disclosure, I need to state that any time I have used the term ‘we’ I meant ‘I’ even though I suspect there are a lot of ‘us.’

Posted in the suggestion forums: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17631613538&postId=175637794650&sid=1#0

When a Choice Isn't Really a Choice

Republicans and Democrats. “Change” and “Conservatism.” Our two choices. Am I the only one that sees how hollow the system has become? It's like the beer companies that advertise one product against the other, knowing that you're gonna buy one or the other, regardless. So, does it really matter?

President Bush tarnished our country's image through poor statesmanship. President Clinton tarnished our country's image through poor decision making. In general, we've come to define a good president as one that simply doesn't screw things up too bad. Mr. Obama promised something different.

What has he given us so far? Ambassadorships are handed out to “bundlers”- people who handed him $100,000-plus in campaign money. Our deficit has grown as deep in the first 100 days as Bush dug us in his last three years together. We have the opportunity to appoint a new Supreme Court judge. I can't fault the President's nominee for her credentials, but it's an amazingly lucky break for Mr. Obama that the most qualified person for the post also happens to hit a couple minority categories that he needs to keep solid for re-election.

The Republicans are no better. Rather than offering a solid alternative vision, they are reduced to frivolous complaints and petty bickering. Implying a female Hispanic court nominee might be a racist? Calling out the President and First Lady for having a date night? This is what we're left with as the opposition party- they sure know how to get to the core of the problems America is facing.

I wonder how many actual statesmen have served in our federal government in the 28 years I've been alive? Are there any politicians left who are fighting for more than to stay in office? Do any of the esteemed gentlemen in either wing of Congress feel the burden of responsibility for our country as it slips into the darkness?

When will we demand a third choice?

Mike Vick- Witness

I am so sick of hearing about Michael Vick, from both sides of the issue. How many news stories can we really read about the same thing... How many comments can we leave, for and against, before we realize we're all just idiots parroting the same hollow messages over and over? The bad analogies and the out-of-nowhere animal activists all make me want to cut my wrists.
Should he get a chance to play football again? Who fucking cares? Roger Goodell will decide, and I don't imagine he's going to look at the comments on the last Vick story on ESPN.com. Both sides have all their arguments, and both sides are so far off base that they should just all shut the fuck up.

EDIT: Right below this, I say, "Animal Lovers." I probably should have said, "People who are going to claim to love animals just to give them the opportunity to tear someone down in order to feel better about themselves."

Animal Lovers: I guess you guys didn't realize this, but down 'South,' there are a lot of old timey stuff like this going on. I know it's a shock. Guess what? They were torturing Negros down there 50 years ago, so dogs just didn't make the list. Vick has a bigger name, so you're hearing about it. The real tragedy that you should be thinking about though, is that while he's been in prison, I'd bet 20 times as many dogs have been sacrificed to dogfighting, without it ever making the news. In Louisiana, cock fighting is still legal, too.

Further, take a look at yourselves. You like football, I'm guessing, which is why you know who Mike Vick is. Guess what? Football is pretty much organized human dogfighting, played with a ball made out of pigs that were sacrificed to provide you with entertainment. I dare you to try and tell me that you watch the game to see a corner cover a wide receiver with perfect technique- you watch hoping to see peoples' careers ended by a huge hit. Sure, you don't admit that even to yourselves, but you watch to see living things get destroyed- just like a nice wreck in a Nascar race. Even if you're one of the more 'enlightened' folk who watch to see a good game, your money is still paid into a league that is built on destroying peoples' bodies over their careers and then dumping them off when they are no longer of use. Oh yea- if you're really “down with the cause,” tune out the NFL is they let him back in. Stick up for your beliefs instead of your conveniences for once in your life.

My final thought here? If you care so fucking much about the poor animals, stop wasting your time posting inane comments about this bullshit, and get out there and do something- dogfighting is barely the tip of the iceberg of animal cruelty. There are pounds and shelters all over the country that desperately need your time and money- spend some of each helping out, and get the fuck off espn.com.

Michael Vick/Good 'Ol Boy Lovers: Do you not realize that what this guy did is just purely sick? I mean, it is the behavior one might expect from a well-off sociopath. Granted, his upbringing could very well have ingrained in him the notion that what he did was nothing to be ashamed of, but, if that's the case, do you really think a couple months in prison broke him of that and he's genuinely remorseful? Deep down inside, there's a 90% chance that he is looking at this whole situation as just a giant annoyance. Don't think for a second that the fact that he's got a lawyer and a PR guy to make sure he's saying the right things means he's thinking them... Hell, Obama had folks convinced he gave a shit about Gay Rights, and look how that's working out...
My final thoughts toward you guys? The thought that it's 'OK' because it's been done for 200 years doesn't fly. The thought that someone grows up thinking it's OK, and has to go to jail for six months, and gets out thinking that it's terrible and that he's a horrible person is ludicrous. If he gets back in the league, and dedicates his time and money to right the wrongs he's done, then I'll believe him. Until then, I think not. Oh yea- if you think hunting or fishing for 'sport' is ANY better than dogfighting, you're fucking retarded. The length of time that you torture an animal before it's death makes no difference in the end- you're still a cruel fuck.

Disclaimers:

Some of this may seem disjointed, as it's in response to the thousands of comments on ESPN.com, and not simply a post about my thoughts.

I am an animal lover, and between myself and my fiance, we have 3 cats, 2 dogs, and a bunny, all of which but the bunny were rescued; We're even looking after a malnourished Pit Bull mix that was strolling though our yard... My general view is that purposeful animal abuse should be dealt with with the same severity as crimes against humans- animals are basically children, and to abuse that innate love and trust is just about the worst thing a person could do, and often an indicator of someone that will migrate that behavior to humans, given the chance.

My plan for a better life!

For a while now, I have been spending a little bit more than I make each year. I know that I need to work on my budget and get it under control- but it's hard. I have so many things I need to spend money on, and so many things that might not be 'needs' per se, but that really deserve some of my money...

The last few years, I've been spending a lot of money to feel safer. My house got broken into, and there was trouble down the street, where, rumor has it, a pretty dangerous guy lived. So, I ponied up some extra money, and after getting some more security, and calling the cops on that guy, I am feeling much better.

I just never seem to get caught up. Between paying for school, and my security system, and my insurance, my money goes away faster than I can make it. Plus, every year, things are just a little more expensive. I just found out that since my company hasn't been doing as well, my pay is being cut.

Then, if that wasn't enough, my uncle called... Turns out, he bought a new house last year. He rented his old place out to two different families, thinking he could pay for his new place with their rent. Now, it turns out both families are broke, and can't pay him- so he can't pay his mortgage either! Now he wants me to bail him out... I just don't know what to do.

I feel like I'm getting burned out trying to get caught up. I need a plan. Wait! I've got it!

If I borrow like four times as much money as I did last year, I can pay for everything! I can set aside money for my Uncle, because even though he's been pretty irresponsible in the past, I'm sure he'll mend his ways and pay me back. I can ....

You know what? I ran out of satire in that last paragraph. I read something today about a 1.8 TRILLION dollar deficit, followed by a 1.4 TRILLION dollar deficit. You know what? Bush was fucking TERRIBLE, and his worst year clocked in at 459 Billion. Those numbers aren't even something normal people can wrap a head around.

If 1 billion = 1, 1 trillion = 1,000. So, if Bush spent $459 more than he made, Obama is planning to spend 1,800 more than he is gonna make. In other words, Bush's worst MULTIPLIED BY 3.92. I'm not saying McCain would have been any better- he voted for the same bailout. But, and I'm gonna say this the only way I know how, JESUS FUCKING CHRIST IN A CHICKEN BASKET. In the the world we live in today, do you know the only thing I could spend 1.4 TRILLION dollars on with a clean conscience? Guns. and Bullets. Then I'd hand them to everyone in Washington, and start over again.

Steal This Blog!

No, seriously.  I promise I'm not in league with the RIAA in a subtle plot to get you to commit suicide.  For once and for all, I wish all the companies whose 'Crusade" is the fight against software "piracy" would read what I'm saying here and take it to heart:  GO FUCK YOURSELVES.

I'm not going to waste a lot of time here trying to justify my personal actions, because I just don't need to.  The major coporations in play on the battlefield of fair use have violated the consumers' rights to such an extent, and for so long, that they simply have no moral authority by which to judge our actions.  Of course, if any corporate tools are out there reading this, let me say this:  If your company is without sin, go ahead and throw the first stone.

What are the corporate sins of the software/media world?

*Violating fair use through the prevention of allowing users to create back-ups to both software and media.

*Creating content that punishes the user for ACTUALLY BUYING said content through anti-piracy measures that either function so poorly or are so draconian that they force users to download PIRATED versions of their paid content simply to get them to work.

*Greed, on the scale of which is unrivaled by anything I can think of in the history of humanity.  If these comanies could find a way to charge you little bits of your soul for their products, they would.

*The simple idiocy of the people in charge for failing to realize that punishing piracy doesn't gain them anything...  In my world, being willfully ignorant is simply the biggest sin there is, and these companies seemingly base their business strategy around it...

If these are very pointed complaints, they have reason to be.  If I could make a couple suggestions to the corporations to make their product more palatable, here goes:

Provide an actual quality product.  Make sure that when someone buys your product, they feel appreciated, rather than persecuted.  Let them know that you appreciate their investment, by letting them create a back-up copy for safe-keeping.  Be gracious- if a 15-year old spends his months' allowance on your video game, don't sue him for downloading the soundtrack off a torrent site.  Providing more value for someone's dollar will ALWAYS generate a better bottom line than suing them for it.

Lastly, realize that pirates are very rarely potential customers, but can be future customers- most people I know pirate two types of software:  The kind they plan to buy if it's any good, and the kind whose cash flow is already lined up as squarely to purchases as possible.  Going after either of these is a zero-gain activity- you either negatively affect the people who were thinking about buying your product, or you piss off people who were buying as much media from you as they possibly could.  They don't have to.

There are some companies that get it.  Stardock is one- their software is quality, and it comes without in-built copy protection.  They treat their customers with class.  Some Blu-Ray distributors are offering free digital versions of their products along with the standard disc.  Apple and others allow you to buy just that one Justin Timberlake track you like, and leave the 14 others that sound like hot garbage on the shelf.

It can be done.  And it doesn't have to make people want to kill themselves.

I'm an MC Raider...

....   We ain't got no liiii--iiiife.

What is raiding?  It's a pastime for some, a way to not suck at something for others, and a giant drain around which everyone involved's time swirls before dissappearing forever.  It is a measuring stick used to determine 'leet'-ness, a way to prove your 'e-peen' hangs low, and that your 'e-gina' is what REALLY brings all the boys to the yard.  It is a way to combine twenty-five disparate people into a (sometimes) cohesive group to tackle the biggest 'challenges' in the game.  Of course, Blizzard means the fights with monsters when they say 'challenge', and I mean the fights with retards in the raid when I say it.  

That being said, last night I finished my third four-hour raid in the last 7 days...  What can I say, I'm an MC Raider...

'Welfare' is cake, and the cake is a _____

I like analogies, and not just because they were the part of the SAT I didn't suck at.  They are a powerful tool for bringing about understanding, and also for pointing out the absurdities that often slip by undetected in everday life.  One of those absurdities that annoys the ever-loving bacon out of me is our state and federal welfare system.  I know that a lot of people get the help they need, and that rarely gets the pub.  I also know firsthand that there is an amazing amount of fraud, that many people that need help get none, and that many of the systems in place neither encourage success or demand it.

The analogy I'm thinking of today is between real life, and the World of Warcraft.  WoW has a term- 'Welfare Epics.'  The term describes epic gear that is handed out without the requirement of accomplishing the defeat of a raid boss.  There is one major difference between WoW's system of welfare and the one that government employs:  In the World of Warcraft, you still have to work for your pay.  It might be exciting, or challenging work, but you still have to earn your way.

To me, that's what's missing from our federal, state, and local welfare.  You might have stacks of paperwork, and a lot of hoops to jump through, but you're never asked to do any real, productive work for what you're handed.  The designers of the video game, Blizzard, realize that for the health of the game world, it's best to keep as many people actively engaged as possible.  Why haven't our various branches of government figured that one out?

I realize the difference in the difficulty between coming up with a great idea and putting it into practice.  Another thing I've realized is that the system we have in place isn't working.  It's slowly bleeding our country to death from two different wounds- the money we toss down the welfare pit, and the loss of productivity from the citizens in the system.  

We need a new system.  The system needs to be designed around two pillars:  

*You work for what you get.  There are no free rides.  Help should be available not to anyone that needs it, but to anyone who needs and AND is willing to work for it.

*There needs to be a training program in place to get people into a better position, whether the training offered is job training, life skills training, etc.  

If our people are our greatest asset, it is in all our best interest to develope them as well as possible.  I'm not saying that I have the answers for how to bring such a system to be, but I'd be very interested what the folks at Blizzard would come up with.

I guess MySpace is next...

My girlfriend thinks I should have a blog.

I think, if this is my blog, my first release should let everyone know some things about me, so here goes:

I am 28.  I am over-weight, which is to say, American.  I live with my girlfriend and my 15-year old brother.  We have a bit of a cat habit- 3 wander our apartment, doing whatever they please.  I am currently unemployed.  I hope one day to either be a pharmacist, teacher, game developer, NBA/NFL star, or maybe something else.  I'd ideally like to be Leonardo Da'Vinci, minus the worms and decay.

I'm a gamer to the core- I spend twice the time I should playing World of Warcraft, and I spend a fair amount of time playing console stuff, too.  I could watch hours of Law & Order, CSI, and Family Guy.  I think Heroes and Psych are the two finest shows on television.  My other huge time-killer is reading- from cereal boxes to War and Peace, I am always seeking out the written word.

I love sports.  My first passion is football, and basketball is not far behind.  Baseball is only a sport if your team plays in the National League.  Golf never is, unless it involves strippers or artillery.  I will always love the Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs; I will always shed a tear for my friends that love the Browns and Indians.

I consider myself an intelligent Republican- some people would call that an oxymoron, but I like to think of it as Libertarian with a small chance to win an election.  I like most all music, especially Rap and Punk, my current browser of choice is Google Chome, and I love most Apple products, except their actual computers.  I think the most serious threat to both America and the World is not terrorism, but rather stupidity.

In the future, this blog will probably focus on politics, gaming, and current events...  if you can call that a focus.