I never will tell someone that their opinion is invalid. But I will make the people complaining about their mob farms being broken love the new changes... Well, like the new changes... Maybe "accept" is a better word.
Minecraft was always intended to be a game of horror survival. That means you live, but just barely. That means with enough hard work you might have an adequate shelter. With enough work, you might even be safe for long stretches of time, despite the constant threats. It does not mean that farming dangerous creatures is something you should expect.
"Hey jerk" I hear some of you saying, "there is a large community who play this game just to build things like mob farms and automation."
Yes. Yes there is. Why I have even been known to indulge in creative-mode building myself. I will not say you are playing the game wrong, as there is no wrong way to play it. But your complaint about having to redesign your slime farm is misplaced.
First, Mojang is merely correcting things that were not right in the first place. A creature that spawns in swamps should be able to survive in them. Second, there are other designs which will still work, so you can still farm them. Third, and most importantly, as a designer you should be relishing the opportunity to redesign something. It's part of the fun of the game.
OK, that was a stretch. Having something randomly broken, that you have put a great deal of time and effort into, is really annoying. But to be fair, this was done to improve the game, not to break your stuff. I despise command blocks. They make designing things too easy. But I tolerate them in the game because they did improve it in many ways. Not any ways I use, but still...
The real reason that anyone complaining about changes in Minecraft should accept them is that, unlike every other company out there, Mojang has yet to charge for expanded content. They are not breaking your slime , or golem farm, just to charge you extra to make it functional again. By changing the game, for free, they are creating a new user experience, generating renewed interest, and keeping the game challenging. Isn't that why you're still playing in the first place?
Friday, January 31, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Creeper queen.
I have been playing Minecraft since the beta. Mostly continuously. It is an addictive game. But I have always been bothered by something. The behavior of Insinuatis dissiluntis viridis vulgaris, or the common Creeper, has always bothered me.
Skeletons and Zombies are undead, hate all life, and so will attack you simply for having the audacity to be alive. Endermen are like shadow creatures, and will only attack if you "see" them. Spiders are just giant spiders. Hunting when it suits them. Extra-dimensional creatures attack you for being alien. But what explains the behavior the Creeper?
Really, what does this silent murderer gain from destroying itself in an attempt to destroy me? Why, in fact, does it creep? What is its motivation to self-combust? What , in nature does something like that?
Bees. Bees do that. They sacrifice themselves for the good of the hive. To sting is to die, but the colony lives on. Hmmm...
It may have been suggested before, and I'm certain I'm not the first person to observe this, but I think we need a few more types of creeper. We've seen the drones. What of the ones tending the colony, or the young, or the queen?
The nurses could be found nesting in the treetops of the new dark oak forest biome. This nearly continuous canopy would make a perfect hiding place for a Creeper nest. Maybe there would be one especially large tree that would, if you got too close, erupt in creepers like stone does in silverfish.
Once enough of this tree was removed, either by the loss when a Creeper comes out, or by damage, the queen would emerge.
While I shudder to think what the queen would be like, it would be a completely overworld boss. No journeying required, no exotic creation methods. All you need is to seek out the hive, or have the bad luck to stumble on one accidentally.
Perhaps there should be some rare, or exotic treasure found in the nest. Maybe whatever it is they eat would have some effect that could be exploited.
Or maybe they will forever remain a mystery...
Skeletons and Zombies are undead, hate all life, and so will attack you simply for having the audacity to be alive. Endermen are like shadow creatures, and will only attack if you "see" them. Spiders are just giant spiders. Hunting when it suits them. Extra-dimensional creatures attack you for being alien. But what explains the behavior the Creeper?
Really, what does this silent murderer gain from destroying itself in an attempt to destroy me? Why, in fact, does it creep? What is its motivation to self-combust? What , in nature does something like that?
Bees. Bees do that. They sacrifice themselves for the good of the hive. To sting is to die, but the colony lives on. Hmmm...
It may have been suggested before, and I'm certain I'm not the first person to observe this, but I think we need a few more types of creeper. We've seen the drones. What of the ones tending the colony, or the young, or the queen?
The nurses could be found nesting in the treetops of the new dark oak forest biome. This nearly continuous canopy would make a perfect hiding place for a Creeper nest. Maybe there would be one especially large tree that would, if you got too close, erupt in creepers like stone does in silverfish.
Once enough of this tree was removed, either by the loss when a Creeper comes out, or by damage, the queen would emerge.
While I shudder to think what the queen would be like, it would be a completely overworld boss. No journeying required, no exotic creation methods. All you need is to seek out the hive, or have the bad luck to stumble on one accidentally.
Perhaps there should be some rare, or exotic treasure found in the nest. Maybe whatever it is they eat would have some effect that could be exploited.
Or maybe they will forever remain a mystery...
How to meduim
I want to start by saying that my posts are all about making yourself more valuable to your team in a PUG. Following my advice is likely to earn you less cash and XP than most other play methods. My goal is to play for the team. I ride for the brand, even if it is in 15 minute increments. (I guess Lone Wolf suits me).
Also, before I begin, I want to qualify that I am giving advice on mediums as an observer. I have tried to pilot them very few times, and, well... let me put it like this. I do best with min/maxed, novelty, or purpose built mechs. I can't get that to work for mediums. (I do not consider a metric butt-ton of lasers to be a gimmicky build) So I am basing my post on my observations of the medium pilots who have blasted my face off, or if I was lucky and they were on my team, racked up numbers that would make an Atlas pilot cry.
It seems that the best way for a medium to be built is fast, and general purpose. While I would suggest lights and heavies to begin with a plan; mediums should play fast and loose. You are the utility infielder, the pinch-hitter. You need to chase down lights, cap points, bum rush a heavier mech, and pack enough punch to be a true menace, all in the same game, and at a moments notice. No one expects the Atlas to cap points, and no one expects the Spider to duke it out in a firefight. As a medium pilot you will be called on to do both.
While there are many ways to go about this, the builds that seem to do best are the laser boats. Since (although I still hate them) lasers are the best general purpose weapons in the game, this is what I see working for people. Many balance this out with LRMs. One medium pilot told me the best way to play was to use up all of your LRMs, then rush what was left of the enemy line. But then, that was before the great LRM nerfing of '13.
In a perfect world, mediums would do the capping, and lights the scouting. I say this because a light, capping a point, usually has to run off when confronted. A medium will be able to hold, or at least hold long enough for reinforcements. In a skirmish, mediums can shine. There is only one job to be done, wreak havoc. Really, for an overburdened medium pilot, having only one job is like a vacation.
Also, before I begin, I want to qualify that I am giving advice on mediums as an observer. I have tried to pilot them very few times, and, well... let me put it like this. I do best with min/maxed, novelty, or purpose built mechs. I can't get that to work for mediums. (I do not consider a metric butt-ton of lasers to be a gimmicky build) So I am basing my post on my observations of the medium pilots who have blasted my face off, or if I was lucky and they were on my team, racked up numbers that would make an Atlas pilot cry.
It seems that the best way for a medium to be built is fast, and general purpose. While I would suggest lights and heavies to begin with a plan; mediums should play fast and loose. You are the utility infielder, the pinch-hitter. You need to chase down lights, cap points, bum rush a heavier mech, and pack enough punch to be a true menace, all in the same game, and at a moments notice. No one expects the Atlas to cap points, and no one expects the Spider to duke it out in a firefight. As a medium pilot you will be called on to do both.
While there are many ways to go about this, the builds that seem to do best are the laser boats. Since (although I still hate them) lasers are the best general purpose weapons in the game, this is what I see working for people. Many balance this out with LRMs. One medium pilot told me the best way to play was to use up all of your LRMs, then rush what was left of the enemy line. But then, that was before the great LRM nerfing of '13.
In a perfect world, mediums would do the capping, and lights the scouting. I say this because a light, capping a point, usually has to run off when confronted. A medium will be able to hold, or at least hold long enough for reinforcements. In a skirmish, mediums can shine. There is only one job to be done, wreak havoc. Really, for an overburdened medium pilot, having only one job is like a vacation.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
There.com
I recently had received an email informing me that my old avatar on There.com was able to be resurrected, with all my stuff. For those of you who do not know, There.com was an online community, like second life, but it took place on islands, and mostly had an islander theme. I wasted more time than I care to admit on that game.
I think the right word is game. You made an avatar, you could fly a hoverpack, ride a dune buggy, pilot a hoverboat, ride a hoverboard, shoot a paintball gun, you know, game.
But then again, you mostly chatted, bought clothes, (which back in the day included Levi's and Nike's) interacted with friends, some of whom you had only met playing there.com, and who actually lived in other countries. You could design clothes to sell, then trade your Therebux for real currency. Mostly you converted real currency to Therebux to buy things, because seriously, hoverboard.
I got in on the beta, (class of seychelles), and had a lifetime membership, but had been a long time since I had played. In fact I stopped pretty much the day I jumped into the Minecraft beta. The company actually shut down the game in, or around 2008. Apparently they had started back up. Anyway, I decided "what the hell?", and downloaded the client. Within minutes I was back on my favorite island, but my items would take another day or two to load.
I was skimming the FAQs and came across something that talked about payment, apparently there is now a fifty cent charge for test play. That is good because the game was subject to a lot of griefing. That charge would prevent most of it. Also it was now an 18+ community, that would prevent the rest.
Buried in the FAQs was a line about still honoring the lifetime memberships. Sweet. So I waited a day or two and logged in, jumped on my favorite board, and raced away.
This game, online community, whatever; in its day was so crowded that whole areas would not load for minutes at a time, as servers raced to keep up. There were cross country buggy races that had hundreds of participants. There was an online concert. (I forget the band). There were houses that could be rented but none were available. Everywhere you looked were people, porta-zones, things to do and people to talk to.
Now however, you might run into a group of three others on any given night. No one flies, drives, or walks anywhere. They just stand and chat. I think membership is like 10 bucks a month. I thought: "this will pick back up. Surely they started with the beta members, and are just beginning to fill up." Nope. They've been up for a while now. It's still entertaining, but what good is a social venue with no people?
There.com was exiting. There.com was a great place to hang with friends. There.com was a good way to spend a Saturday night.
There.com was.
And it could be again...
The core game, community, whatever, is still solid. Users can still create new items and sell them. The community is, as it was then, very helpful and supportive of new entrants. They will loan you any item you want to use, and you can level up without ever owning something. It is still amazing to tool around on a hoverboard and see the astounding amount of detail that was put into the islands. It is still a rush to do a time trial on a buggy course. It is a ton of fun when you meet someone new, and teach them chat commands ('chicken). The game still has the unlimited potential it always did, but what it lacks, and no one knows why, is advertising.
The owners are not pushing it. They don't seem to care if it makes money. That is great, but the community is much better with more people. So here is the advertising they refuse to do. Try the game for 50 cent. If you don't like it, all you're out is half a bottle of Coke. If you do, you have a club to hang out in, a board to ride, and people to meet. If I see you, I'll even lend you my favorite hoverboard. It's better than facebooking.
I think the right word is game. You made an avatar, you could fly a hoverpack, ride a dune buggy, pilot a hoverboat, ride a hoverboard, shoot a paintball gun, you know, game.
But then again, you mostly chatted, bought clothes, (which back in the day included Levi's and Nike's) interacted with friends, some of whom you had only met playing there.com, and who actually lived in other countries. You could design clothes to sell, then trade your Therebux for real currency. Mostly you converted real currency to Therebux to buy things, because seriously, hoverboard.
I got in on the beta, (class of seychelles), and had a lifetime membership, but had been a long time since I had played. In fact I stopped pretty much the day I jumped into the Minecraft beta. The company actually shut down the game in, or around 2008. Apparently they had started back up. Anyway, I decided "what the hell?", and downloaded the client. Within minutes I was back on my favorite island, but my items would take another day or two to load.
I was skimming the FAQs and came across something that talked about payment, apparently there is now a fifty cent charge for test play. That is good because the game was subject to a lot of griefing. That charge would prevent most of it. Also it was now an 18+ community, that would prevent the rest.
Buried in the FAQs was a line about still honoring the lifetime memberships. Sweet. So I waited a day or two and logged in, jumped on my favorite board, and raced away.
This game, online community, whatever; in its day was so crowded that whole areas would not load for minutes at a time, as servers raced to keep up. There were cross country buggy races that had hundreds of participants. There was an online concert. (I forget the band). There were houses that could be rented but none were available. Everywhere you looked were people, porta-zones, things to do and people to talk to.
Now however, you might run into a group of three others on any given night. No one flies, drives, or walks anywhere. They just stand and chat. I think membership is like 10 bucks a month. I thought: "this will pick back up. Surely they started with the beta members, and are just beginning to fill up." Nope. They've been up for a while now. It's still entertaining, but what good is a social venue with no people?
There.com was exiting. There.com was a great place to hang with friends. There.com was a good way to spend a Saturday night.
There.com was.
And it could be again...
The core game, community, whatever, is still solid. Users can still create new items and sell them. The community is, as it was then, very helpful and supportive of new entrants. They will loan you any item you want to use, and you can level up without ever owning something. It is still amazing to tool around on a hoverboard and see the astounding amount of detail that was put into the islands. It is still a rush to do a time trial on a buggy course. It is a ton of fun when you meet someone new, and teach them chat commands ('chicken). The game still has the unlimited potential it always did, but what it lacks, and no one knows why, is advertising.
The owners are not pushing it. They don't seem to care if it makes money. That is great, but the community is much better with more people. So here is the advertising they refuse to do. Try the game for 50 cent. If you don't like it, all you're out is half a bottle of Coke. If you do, you have a club to hang out in, a board to ride, and people to meet. If I see you, I'll even lend you my favorite hoverboard. It's better than facebooking.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
How to Light
When joining a PUG, it is best to bear in mind what you intend to do with your mech, before the match even starts. If possible, declare this to your teammates prior to the start of the match. While piloting a light this normally takes the form of: "I have a TAG, any boats out there?", or "I'm capping (point) then (other point)."
While scouting is the natural role of the light, there are many other options for you. First, if on conquest, capture remote points. One smart-ass in a spider, capping points early on, is the difference between winning and losing. If you are doing this, do not ever engage the enemy. Let the heavies and assaults do that. Just keep running from one point to another. If able, report any enemy sightings. The shame here is that you don't get more XP for that.
If on skirmish, stick close to an Assault and play flyswatter for him. You get some kills, you protect a teammate, and basically you both benefit. Like the little birds eating the flies from the back of a water buffalo.
On assault, take the long way around the outside of a map. Use that TAG if you have it. Scout while attempting to "cap" the enemy base. I used the quotation marks because you are not really capping. You are convincingly staying there until some enemy mechs show back up, then running like hell. The enemy team is now split up and disarrayed. If none of them turn back, you get a cap win. Not great, but not bad for a plan B.
If you are intending to purely scout, then do. But, do not engage the enemy. Take a shot, and flee behind your line. (Or a large mech) Pop out and flank, take one shot and flee. Unless you are skilled in mechanical ballet, if you engage you will be nothing more than a smoke plume in short order. (If you are that good, I'm assuming you aren't reading this.)
Needless to say you have a mech that runs like a raped-ape. If you are in a light that is not blindingly fast; start over. You cannot make that thing into a gunboat; don't try. (Unless you are that wise-guy in the ERPPC raven. Bravo on that. You sir, are a massive ass-pain.)
While scouting is the natural role of the light, there are many other options for you. First, if on conquest, capture remote points. One smart-ass in a spider, capping points early on, is the difference between winning and losing. If you are doing this, do not ever engage the enemy. Let the heavies and assaults do that. Just keep running from one point to another. If able, report any enemy sightings. The shame here is that you don't get more XP for that.
If on skirmish, stick close to an Assault and play flyswatter for him. You get some kills, you protect a teammate, and basically you both benefit. Like the little birds eating the flies from the back of a water buffalo.
On assault, take the long way around the outside of a map. Use that TAG if you have it. Scout while attempting to "cap" the enemy base. I used the quotation marks because you are not really capping. You are convincingly staying there until some enemy mechs show back up, then running like hell. The enemy team is now split up and disarrayed. If none of them turn back, you get a cap win. Not great, but not bad for a plan B.
If you are intending to purely scout, then do. But, do not engage the enemy. Take a shot, and flee behind your line. (Or a large mech) Pop out and flank, take one shot and flee. Unless you are skilled in mechanical ballet, if you engage you will be nothing more than a smoke plume in short order. (If you are that good, I'm assuming you aren't reading this.)
Needless to say you have a mech that runs like a raped-ape. If you are in a light that is not blindingly fast; start over. You cannot make that thing into a gunboat; don't try. (Unless you are that wise-guy in the ERPPC raven. Bravo on that. You sir, are a massive ass-pain.)
Friday, January 17, 2014
Mech layout
In the creation of a customized mech there are so many options that it is overwhelming to even the best players. That does not stop people from complaining that there are not enough, but that is another post. The options are, thankfully, approachable by intuitive math. Don't panic, I'm not going all "spreadsheet warrior" on you. (although I can do that with the best of 'em.) I'm talking out ballistics, lasers, and you.
I like to run mechs designed so that I have only two or three weapon groups, and rarely need to worry about heat. There are many who can juggle SRMs, LRMs, lasers, and ballistics, with way too few heat sinks, dance around and do just fine. I am not one of them. These guys have a weapon, or counter, for every occasion. The way I see it that is unnecessarily complicated. Also, Omnimechs are a long way off, yet.
In the simplest terms there are low-heat, high ammo weapons: ballistics. There are medium (though still too high) heat, high ammo weapons: missiles. There is one low ammo, no heat option: the machine gun. And there are high heat, no ammo lasers and PPCs.
When you get right down to it though, heatsinks are to lasers (and PPCs) what ammo is to an autocannon. The great thing is that unlike mass-drivers, which require a different ammunition for each type, energy weapons can all share the same heatsinks. (so do the ballistics, I know)
The best builds, I have found, carry two types of weapon, at most three, divided into two (or three) groups. For example, two AC2s, and two large lasers. The ACs deal damage at a distance, and have a high rate of fire. The lasers deal better damage, especially close in, but generate a ton of heat, and have a long cycle time. Together they can alternate fire and be a real pain. If you were to add another laser, it would be grouped in with the others. Add a machine gun and it should be a separate, special use, group.
Another option would be two LRM15s and two lasers. While less flexible in terms of rate of fire, this allows for indirect fire, doing damage at a distance, and still maintains some close in punch. If you only take one kind of weapon though, make it energy weapons.
I have seen that guy running the min/maxed JM-glasscannon, that needs extra cool down time, and has no extra weight allowance for a backup laser. Hell, I've been that guy. It is a fun build. Right up until that match where it is you, out of ammo, and your arm-less Centurion teammate, trying to keep a relatively healthy Dragon off of a contested resource; and you end up trying to ram a Dragon to death.
The benefits of a simpler set-up are many. Fewer things to screw up. Fewer types of ammo to carry means more of the ones you do carry, which means not running out. More room for heat sinks, and that means rarely over-heating. More room for a bigger engine. Simpler affords you much more flexibility. More engine, and average heat sinks for those that like to run. More heatsinks and average engine for brawlers, who can just keep laying down a drum-solo of fire without over-heating.
The downsides... Well sometimes you are really banged up and want to hide and cap, while firing missiles indirectly, so as to remain alive. With some simple builds, you can't do that. Sometimes the enemy won't be nice and stand still to be shot. Missiles won't help you much here, if they are diving in and out of cover.
PPCs are essentially AC20s dressed up like lasers. They require a lot more heatsinks, (ammo) and do all of their damage in one shot. The slow projectile speed makes shooting a moving target... interesting, but they make a mess when they hit.
The argument for lasers is that they are perfect general-purpose weapons. They do not have a fast cycle time, but they do good damage per ton. My only complaint is that they spread damage over time. Which means keeping them on a moving target, or only dealing partial damage. They are the workhorses of this game though, and despite my distaste for them, need to be given respect. (There is something inherently dissatisfying about firing a laser. Just in game though. Firing one in real life is amazing.)
I like to run mechs designed so that I have only two or three weapon groups, and rarely need to worry about heat. There are many who can juggle SRMs, LRMs, lasers, and ballistics, with way too few heat sinks, dance around and do just fine. I am not one of them. These guys have a weapon, or counter, for every occasion. The way I see it that is unnecessarily complicated. Also, Omnimechs are a long way off, yet.
In the simplest terms there are low-heat, high ammo weapons: ballistics. There are medium (though still too high) heat, high ammo weapons: missiles. There is one low ammo, no heat option: the machine gun. And there are high heat, no ammo lasers and PPCs.
When you get right down to it though, heatsinks are to lasers (and PPCs) what ammo is to an autocannon. The great thing is that unlike mass-drivers, which require a different ammunition for each type, energy weapons can all share the same heatsinks. (so do the ballistics, I know)
The best builds, I have found, carry two types of weapon, at most three, divided into two (or three) groups. For example, two AC2s, and two large lasers. The ACs deal damage at a distance, and have a high rate of fire. The lasers deal better damage, especially close in, but generate a ton of heat, and have a long cycle time. Together they can alternate fire and be a real pain. If you were to add another laser, it would be grouped in with the others. Add a machine gun and it should be a separate, special use, group.
Another option would be two LRM15s and two lasers. While less flexible in terms of rate of fire, this allows for indirect fire, doing damage at a distance, and still maintains some close in punch. If you only take one kind of weapon though, make it energy weapons.
I have seen that guy running the min/maxed JM-glasscannon, that needs extra cool down time, and has no extra weight allowance for a backup laser. Hell, I've been that guy. It is a fun build. Right up until that match where it is you, out of ammo, and your arm-less Centurion teammate, trying to keep a relatively healthy Dragon off of a contested resource; and you end up trying to ram a Dragon to death.
The benefits of a simpler set-up are many. Fewer things to screw up. Fewer types of ammo to carry means more of the ones you do carry, which means not running out. More room for heat sinks, and that means rarely over-heating. More room for a bigger engine. Simpler affords you much more flexibility. More engine, and average heat sinks for those that like to run. More heatsinks and average engine for brawlers, who can just keep laying down a drum-solo of fire without over-heating.
The downsides... Well sometimes you are really banged up and want to hide and cap, while firing missiles indirectly, so as to remain alive. With some simple builds, you can't do that. Sometimes the enemy won't be nice and stand still to be shot. Missiles won't help you much here, if they are diving in and out of cover.
PPCs are essentially AC20s dressed up like lasers. They require a lot more heatsinks, (ammo) and do all of their damage in one shot. The slow projectile speed makes shooting a moving target... interesting, but they make a mess when they hit.
The argument for lasers is that they are perfect general-purpose weapons. They do not have a fast cycle time, but they do good damage per ton. My only complaint is that they spread damage over time. Which means keeping them on a moving target, or only dealing partial damage. They are the workhorses of this game though, and despite my distaste for them, need to be given respect. (There is something inherently dissatisfying about firing a laser. Just in game though. Firing one in real life is amazing.)
Thursday, January 16, 2014
The Illusion of (Un)Availability
I'd like to preface my first post here by saying that my ideas are all based in speculation, and are completely my opinions based on my experiences. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
The idea, specifically, is that League of Legends is indeed a sport, even if in referring to it as such I have to stick the "e" on it to differentiate it from traditional sports (i.e. it is an "eSport"). I'm not here to debate the soundness of that claim or to talk about how there is in fact a professional league, or that those players train to do things that normal people can't, or that the viewership/sponsorship numbers verify its status as a sport, or whatever.
Actually, I wanted to talk about a specific phenomenon I've noticed in casual League players: their inability to make themselves even remotely available throughout the duration of their games (which can generally last anywhere from 20-60 minutes). Sometime last year, my girlfriend with whom I've recently moved in (actually, I guess almost two years ago isn't that recent), complained about my inability to detach from a game for a second to help her with something, ranging from largely unimportant (another perspective issue) tasks, like reading over something she wrote, to pretty significant favors, like picking her up from or giving her a ride to a meeting she was late for. She pointed out that I can never walk away from games because throughout my childhood I was allowed to invest way too much significance into them, but that as a kid she never had a problem turning off her Gamecube or whatever if her mom said it was time to go. Eventually we talked this over; I made my case that a single game of League was a fairly long time investment wherein every moment would pretty heavily impact the course of the entire experience, and not only for myself, but for nine other real people, who had essentially also agreed to commit up to an hour of their time to this venture. She came to accept that point and I started being more considerate about starting games during time-sensitive periods, and even ended up leaving a few of games when something crucial came up unexpectedly, because obviously (it wasn't that obvious to me before, sadly enough) certain life events require prioritization over others, regardless of a predetermined commitment.
Fast forward to today, where my mom regularly complains about my dad's (and my brother's) apparent League addiction(s), and I can't completely side with either of my parents on who's in the wrong. On the one hand, I completely understand her frustration, because the two manboys with whom she shares a house are sitting on their computers participating in this completely alien (to her, at least) activity, while she struggles to complete chores without their assistance because of their preoccupation with their laptops. On the other hand, (and I am not trying to endorse the idea that League of Legends specifically is more important than helping your mom/wife do housework) the situation starts to grow more complex if you consider the act of playing a game of League as a pickup basketball game, or in some cases, participation in an amateur sports league.
For people who play normal games (and even Solo Queue games, to an extent), League of Legends is essentially a series of pickup games. You log in, and maybe you'll queue up with friends, but in general you play with nine strangers who suddenly all agreed to get together and collectively participate in this activity that each of you individually enjoy (barring trolls, but that's everywhere in everything). You're interacting with other people in a shared context to achieve a common goal. As my dad can attest, you can make friends (way more than I'd be comfortable with, in his case) with your short-term teammates and even your opponents, maybe out of a shared respect for each other's attitude or gameplay, who knows (I sure don't). Playing League of Legends, despite occurring behind a monitor, despite the notoriously toxic community, is actually a deeply interactive shared human experience. More simply, and more importantly (in this case), it is effectively the same as casually playing a sport in your free time, with the added sidebar that you do it inside your own house (in our case).
As a quick aside, as far as I remember my mom complained for years that my dad needed to get out of the house more and spend time with some friends, and for reasons I don't totally understand (and as a result, don't want to ignorantly speak on), it looked like this caused friction in their relationship. My dad definitely did spend most of his time at home, just sitting on his laptop playing even less engaging games that required even less actual human interaction (like Mafia Wars or Farmville). Recently (as in within the past two or three months, but after even more months of my brother's and my asking if he was interested), my dad started playing League of Legends more than once a day, and since then I don't think he's stopped (in fact I'm pretty sure that for at least a month he's been playing more than I do). However, it's given him something with a fairly sizable content base to talk to his kids about, and to keep his mind engaged in during his free time. Maybe more importantly, it's given him something to care about, as petty as it might be, and it's given him people to talk to outside of work and home, about something that he enjoys, and on a pretty regular basis.
Now that he finally has something that he's hugely focused on though, it seems to be taking up too much of his focus. I've seen or heard about my dad or my brother being unable to help my mom do housework or unload groceries too many times to count (although who would even be counting that anyway? Only a little shit) because they were already involved in a game of League. Coming back to my original point, I can understand my mom's frustration with these situations, but I think it's important to think about this alternative. My dad could have joined an amateur basketball league at a park or something, and he would have been literally unavailable, in almost every sense of the word. He wouldn't even be around to reject the favors being momentarily asked. My brother could be one of those kids that spends a lot of time at a park (although a little time at the park probably wouldn't hurt him, speaking frankly) actually playing pickup games, and he wouldn't be around either. The only real difference between these two situations (where my family is active and probably healthy vs the current state of affairs) is that my mom has to physically look at their faces while she struggles with whatever she's doing, and then hear them bluntly deny her requests. If they weren't there, she'd just be stuck doing what she's doing alone, but I get the feeling that she wouldn't be complaining to them about their momentary unavailability. If anything, I feel like she'd probably be more open to the idea of them doing their parts once they were, by all definitions, available.
I don't want to get into arguing about how playing a traditional sport is a more valuable use of time than wasting your life in front of a laptop screen, because that means trudging into the ugly argument of "what is a sport and also League of Legends is not a sport are you joking". I just wanted to offer some context on why League players feel like they can't walk away from their computers in the middle of a game. The truth is that it's not that easy, just like I assume it isn't that easy to walk away from a pickup game mid-game (although I actually imagine that tons of kids have had to walk away from tons of pickup games, so maybe this entire post was a waste of time, both yours and mine). It appears to be easy because our society trivializes computer usage and respects physical athleticism, and from the perspective (again) of someone who doesn't play games in real-time, let alone one that requires a long-ish commitment, that's all it appears to be - frivolous computer usage.
This point seems to come from a fairly privileged perspective, but with another shift of context I think it can be made more universally relevant. The tables could even be reversed in this situation, I think. For example, if my mom was in the middle of an insane gym session or some kind of class or maybe like a dinner with her coworkers, it wouldn't be cool if my dad and brother busted right in like, "UH THIS PLACE IS A MESS CAN YOU HELP ME OUT HERE, JESUS". Maybe they'd call her or text her, and maybe they'd take care of it themselves or maybe she'd help out when she got home. Isn't it possible that the same courtesy should apply to someone playing a game of League?
That being said, my brother can be a real dickhead about not stepping away from a game at any moment for anything. Like dude you can step away from your laptop for thirty seconds if all you're doing is sitting at base waiting for like 15 gold or your hp to refill before going back to lane and your mom is literally standing outside for twenty minutes because she forgot her keys inside. It's one thing to be mid-teamfight while pushing in or defending an inhibitor turret and another to just be split pushing while your team is handling 4v5s just fine, and during a NORMAL game. You know she wouldn't leave you waiting outside for twenty minutes unless she had a really good reason, so come on, don't be a dickhead.
P.S. there are obviously reasons that you should immediately leave a game (the Master Yi whose wife was allegedly giving birth and who allegedly told her to wait as long as she could comes to mind), but...
tl;dr: I don't think the groceries are going to spoil in the trunk of the car if we wait 20 minutes for us to stomp these nooblords, and if we were out shootin' hoops our moms probably be waiting even longer or doing it themselves. And if we were just at home doing nothing at all we'd probably be getting complaints about how we do literally nothing at all. Basically there is no winning and maybe that's life. Actually,
P.P.S. / tl;dr x2: There is no winning and that's just life.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
MWO: 10 steps to better Pugging.
If you didn't know, PUG is Pick-up game. That is to say, a game (in this case Mechwarrior online) where you are playing in a team, but not with preformed groups. Like a playground game of pick-up basketball. If you did not know that, you really need this. If you did, hopefully you do not.
I will be presenting you some basic practices, not tactics, that will enhance your PUG. Nothing Mech, or even class specific really, just some mostly overlooked, good ideas. Giant stompy robots are fun; but giant ass-stompy robots are more fun.
First, everyone mentions the "Deathball" that forms in PUGs. While the deathball is a good idea for moving from one place to another, it is best to spread out a little once your team finds a ridge, or other partial cover to take advantage of overlapping fields of fire. If two of you are shooting at the same enemy, from different positions, he needs to split his fire. If he is smart enough to concentrate his fire, he is going down before either of you, due to taking twice as much fire as he is dealing. (not always, but in a perfect world.)
Second, do not travel faster than the slowest mech in your group. Most likely that is an Atlas, or Jaeger, which has big guns. If they are at the back, enemy scouts will pick them apart before they can aid your team. Many times that Atlas has ECM, so you want to stick close by anyway.
Third, be a flyswatter. If you are not the giant gun, protect the giant gun. Keep the lights and mediums off of your big guns. They will thank you, your team will thank you. As an added bonus both of you will be concentrating fire on enemy mechs. You might even get credit for a kill doing this.
Fourth, if you are the big gun, do not get caught alone. Use the text if you have to. In fact, at every class, unless you are the last one alive, (and you are most likely in a Spider if you are) you should never be standing anywhere alone. (experienced scouts excepted, of course)
Fifth, if you are the last one standing, don't hide. If it's one-on-one, and you will get the capture win, OK. But if not, don't be that guy. Go out in a blaze of glory, a smoking black cloud, and a fine red mist.
Sixth, before the match, use team chat if you have anything that might help your team. "ECM here", "LRM boat here", "TAG here". There will be dumb comments from those prone to such, but most of your team likes to have that info.
Seventh, compliment a good kill. Even if it's from the other team, and it frosts your ass to say it. Especially then, actually. Do not say "good game" or "GG" unless it was.
Eighth, please do not try to shoot each member of the other team, to get assists. Concentrate on the win. Grinding will become a grind if you go for cash and XP. Those will come in greater quantities with a win anyway.
Ninth, Stretch. Seriously. You will have better reaction time, and therefore better games if you are not all cramped up.
Tenth, (you guys like official sounding numbers right, so I need ten of these) Um... eat your veggies?
I will be presenting you some basic practices, not tactics, that will enhance your PUG. Nothing Mech, or even class specific really, just some mostly overlooked, good ideas. Giant stompy robots are fun; but giant ass-stompy robots are more fun.
First, everyone mentions the "Deathball" that forms in PUGs. While the deathball is a good idea for moving from one place to another, it is best to spread out a little once your team finds a ridge, or other partial cover to take advantage of overlapping fields of fire. If two of you are shooting at the same enemy, from different positions, he needs to split his fire. If he is smart enough to concentrate his fire, he is going down before either of you, due to taking twice as much fire as he is dealing. (not always, but in a perfect world.)
Second, do not travel faster than the slowest mech in your group. Most likely that is an Atlas, or Jaeger, which has big guns. If they are at the back, enemy scouts will pick them apart before they can aid your team. Many times that Atlas has ECM, so you want to stick close by anyway.
Third, be a flyswatter. If you are not the giant gun, protect the giant gun. Keep the lights and mediums off of your big guns. They will thank you, your team will thank you. As an added bonus both of you will be concentrating fire on enemy mechs. You might even get credit for a kill doing this.
Fourth, if you are the big gun, do not get caught alone. Use the text if you have to. In fact, at every class, unless you are the last one alive, (and you are most likely in a Spider if you are) you should never be standing anywhere alone. (experienced scouts excepted, of course)
Fifth, if you are the last one standing, don't hide. If it's one-on-one, and you will get the capture win, OK. But if not, don't be that guy. Go out in a blaze of glory, a smoking black cloud, and a fine red mist.
Sixth, before the match, use team chat if you have anything that might help your team. "ECM here", "LRM boat here", "TAG here". There will be dumb comments from those prone to such, but most of your team likes to have that info.
Seventh, compliment a good kill. Even if it's from the other team, and it frosts your ass to say it. Especially then, actually. Do not say "good game" or "GG" unless it was.
Eighth, please do not try to shoot each member of the other team, to get assists. Concentrate on the win. Grinding will become a grind if you go for cash and XP. Those will come in greater quantities with a win anyway.
Ninth, Stretch. Seriously. You will have better reaction time, and therefore better games if you are not all cramped up.
Tenth, (you guys like official sounding numbers right, so I need ten of these) Um... eat your veggies?
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