Tonight I watched the Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) trailer that was shared on Tuesday by game publisher Bethesda Softworks: Pretty entertaining trailer, but it immediately opened up some questions. Is this a 3-faction game? (Yes.) Are there going to be…
Blog Archives
Elder Scrolls Online Trailer and High Level Design
Posted in Elder Scrolls Online, Game Design, Guild Wars 2, PVE, PVP, Video, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft
Mana Bars: Good or Bad Game Design?
Mana bars are the long-standing resource implementation for casters in MMORPGs. In this article, we’ll look at the implications of mana bars on game balance and mechanics. But first, let’s consider why mana bars were (probably) created. I’ll use the…
Posted in Cleric, Game Design, Guild Wars 2, Mage, PVE, PVP, RIFT, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft
Character Movement Differentials in Guild Wars 2 WvW
In Guild Wars 2 World PVP, aka WvW, I’ve experienced a dynamic that I haven’t seen since 2005 when I played KnightOnline – significant differentials in character run speed and “burst” distance traversal. What reinforces these movement differentials? Three factors:…
My Take on Ascended Gear in Guild Wars 2
If you play or follow Guild Wars 2, you’ve probably heard the uproar regarding the introduction of Ascended gear with the big Lost Shores update that was released on November 15th. The community has two broad concerns regarding Ascended gear:…
The Decline of Henge of Denravi Due to Server Transfers
The top WvW server in Guild Wars 2 for the six weeks following launch was Henge of Denravi (HoD). Our server, Blackgate (BG), faced them in September and HoD fielded a high number of players coupled with high organization, mainly…
Taugrim's MMO Blog 