h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*In a corner of the computer users' room, where ranks of Macs and PCs give way to a coffee-and-doughnut area, the aficionados of computer gaming have gathered to chat*

*This little corner, with its Mr. Coffee, electric kettle and snack vending machine, is obviously the place where furniture goes when it's no longer good enough for the salon or the library reading room. The chairs are upholstered but nonmatching, cat-scratched, wine-spilled. They are still, however, comfortable*

*Lil pushes her chair back from her PC as the strains of music from Myst V die away. She rubs her eyes as she stands and makes her way to the "lounge", where she plugs in the kettle, fishes out a Moxon coin and obtains a pecan roll from the vending machine*


I've just finished my first world and am in the second. These graphics are a total knockout! Has anyone else played Myst V, End of Ages?

Wish I could say I had, Lil. My computer has always been to old for whatever the latest edition of Myst is.

I could probably handle Myst or Riven now if I had a sound card (going on two years without sound), but anything beyond that would probably scare my little dinosaur of a V'Ger to death.

Of course, when you're addicted to Text Adventures, graphics and sound aren't really issues.

*stretches back in her chair and rolls her head a couple times from side to side*

I have only ever played the first Myst and Riven, I'm more into action and RP. Also I like the feeling of being in a community with other online gamers. I play games for company as much as anything else.

I never finished playing Myst IV, and my computer is probably too old for Myst V if it is even available for the Mac yet. At least that's what I'm telling myself so I can gear myself up for buying a new one in the Spring. I guess I'll have to look at the specs.

Meanwhile, Second Life has swallowed up my first life, or at least the hootoo portion of it. But I built a waterfall!

I like the community feelings of RPs and such as well. Probably why "Legend Of The Green Dragon" and "Adventure Quest" have held my eye for so long (aside from their relative cheapness). LotGD has dozens of areas created with the explicit purpose of allowing players to congregate and chat about stuff.

And while Adventure Quest lacks that, it has impressive message boards, and there are occasional quests (normally in the form of wars) where you need (for instance) 1,000,000 victories against something, and only the combined efforts of all online players can be victorious.

Incidentally, we need to get Joanne to post her AQ character sheet, as SE and I already did in the main thread.

Perhaps it would be helpful if you reposted them here -- easier to access and all. And perhaps once I understand the online gaming community better I'll be tempted to dip a toe in the water.

Yes, I had to upgrade my video driver before I could play Myst V. But it has moving clouds, amazing surf, and besides the eye candy, the puzzles are just wonderful.

I'm perfectly content to be the solo player. I need time to sort out puzzles and grok the landscapes and skyscapes. And you know, I'm much happier with a puzzle than with a gun.

Lil, you might look in to the Elder Scrolls series if you like solo adventure games. Morrowind was one of my favourite games ever.

Okay,...

http://www.battleon.com/aq-chardetailnew.asp?temp=4341001

The RP is optional though, Lil. While Adventure Quest definitely *feels* active and filled with people, I've never actually communicated with anyone on the messageboards, and my contributions to the wars most likely had no true effect on the final outcomes.

But it always *feels* like there's an active community there. Mainly because all of the main characters seem to know me by name by now.

http://www.battleon.com/aq-chardetail.asp?temp=10657718 - my AQ character.

STR 0, INT 100? Definitely favor spellcasting to mellee, I take it.

I thought about going that route, but just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed a little strength here and there.

I am one of nature's mages. What can I say? That's what I'd be if gaming worlds were real life...

That's why I made Ninja my first class. It's *like* magic, but it's all smoke and mirrors, which I can see myself doing in a real life RPG.

Haven't tried Myst V, almost all my current online time has been taken up by Project Entropia, where I have now graduated as a disciple and can now be a mentor. I already have two disciples myself now!

I agree with what Caer said - I'm in it as much for the interacting and company of other players (I'm a member of a society with really nice people) as for the action and fighting.

And yes, I'm still battling the main Atelier backlog...

Hello!

I've been told to introduce myself as Teuchter's No3 so you know who I am

I'm a fairly hardcore gamer (read addicted) and I've made many forays into the world of MMOs. If you like to RP I would suggest a game I have been with since launch a year ago called The Matrix Online (MxO or TMO for short). It's quite clever if you do like to RP because almost everything can be explained away in the world you inhabit. For example, Lag? Must be the merovingian destabilising the matrix. The community in the game is also very strong because although the game was set up to be based around live events (which still happen) things were interupted by the ownership transition. The players responded by setting up various player event teams.

I myself made the mistake of starting out on the PvP server Vector where you are constantly able to be attacked by any organisation. I am however working on a new character on a non-hostile server with my faction for RP and PVP if anyone who would like to join us. I undestand Procurator (Not sure what his name is on these forums) plays as well, albeit on the other non-hostile server.

I also play WoW with a nice group of people on two of the EU servers called The Defias Brotherhood (horde character) and The Venture Co (alliance character) if anyone needs a hand with instances or anything there.

Nice to meet you, SnareEcho. Can't say that I've played any of those games myself, or that I'll be able to try them out sometime soon, but it's nice to hear about them. I really need to work on getting computer and/or console upgrades...

Did anyone here ever try a game called conQuest? It's set in the Star Trek Universe, but you plas as a Q. It looked so interesting, but I had no money available when it came out.

Pleasure to have you in the labs SnareEcho. Make yourself at home. We've all the computing power you might need.

I've a Rouge Troll on Gorganash and a Tauren Warrior on Firetree if you ever want to play on one of the USian PvP servers. I am pretty much all Horde all the time, so I can't say anything about the Alliance other than I hate it when they raid my farming grounds.

Hi there Teuchter's No. 3!

Never played the Matrix Online, but I do play WoW.

On Earthen Ring I am Daelric (Human, Paladin, Male) and Kiira (Dwarf, Hunter, Female) and on Bronzebeard I am Pilfer (Night Elf, Rogue, Male) and Gorg (Tauren, Shaman, Male).

This week myself and Fords (U183316) will be starting Undead characters on Bronzebeard.

h2g2's World of Warcraft group is at A8320222.

Hi SnareEcho.

My mmo career began with Diablo, but it was SWG that introduced me to the MMORPG world. I've played MxO and EQ2, but it's WoW that has me in it's thrall now and have just migrated from a very crowded Argent Dawn to Steamwheedle Cartel RP/PVE server.

Currently keeping an eye on STO now that DnL/SoG looks rubbish.

As for things to come: I'm looking forward to Warhammer Online now that (hopefully) it's back on track... and Stormreach (Dungeons and Dragons Online) looks interesting as well.

Diablo is not really MMO, but I can see how that could be your gateway game.

I think that I am going to have to play my alt more often so I can rest my main char. This will allow me faster leveling in the long run.