Sometimes you don't just have to make time for MMOs, sometimes you have to steal time for MMOs from right under life's nose. So this Dragon Quest X session is more an act of defiance than a chance to play, the mere act of logging in and standing where I left off last time two symbolic fingers … Continue reading My Dragon Quest X Play Diary: Part 03
Square-Enix recently published a lengthy FAQ outlining in great detail, with collapsible segments and example conversations, the sort of behaviour they deem to be unacceptable in their hugely successful MMO, Final Fantasy XIV. This is in many ways extraordinary in itself, going far beyond the broad and safely acceptable (and largely ignorable and/or under-moderated) rules … Continue reading Online players are real people
[A quick note before we begin: Going forward you'll be able to find all of these Dragon Quest X diary posts under the new ~Dragon Quest X Play Diary~ tag] At a bit of a loose end and with my brain turned to mush after writing an unreasonably enormous review on brand new Taiwanese RPG Sword & … Continue reading My Dragon Quest X Play Diary: Part 02
In its original form Dragon Quest X remains online only and exclusive to Japan (the upcoming offline version is an entirely separate and heavily reworked entity), although it's a little easier to get into these days thanks to a Final Fantasy XIV-style relaxation on its entry requirements: Anyone living in Japan (or pretending to be) … Continue reading My Dragon Quest X Diary: Part 01
Everyone expects modern MMOs to have a reliable stream of tie-in events, with Square-Enix's rich, interconnected, and naturally RPG-friendly stable arguably under more pressure than most to mingle its three flagship online games (Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XI, and Dragon Quest X) with each other, with the wider range of games available under the publisher's extensive … Continue reading All the world’s a stage
The warm earthy tones of this online-enabled GameCube RPG released in 2005 by Chunsoft may look like they're a world away from Phantasy Star Online's laser swords and bright colours but underneath the artistic design the two are, at least in spirit, closer than they may appear: Both were created primarily to be a console … Continue reading A home[land] away from home
I've always loved MMOs of all kinds - and I've always struggled to find the time to justify playing them. Whether they're paid, free, so Englishly-English there's a chance an NPC might shout "Bollocks!" at the top of their lungs at any moment or so imported I had to use a VPN just to avoid … Continue reading My fantasy gym membership
Ah, good old Phantasy Star Online. Everyone's played it on one format or another, or dabbled in one of its numerous spinoffs, or spent hours fussing over expensive outfits in the now internationally-available sequel. Been there, done that, evolved a funny-looking Mag and kicked Dark Falz in the chops at the end. But when was the last time any … Continue reading The 21st century RPG
I loathe side quests with a fiery passion. They're the complimentary breadsticks of game design, the freewheeling exercise bike designed to keep you busy going nowhere, the weird no-budget local adverts they play in cinemas before the lights dim and trailers start. They're... they're... They're a waste of bloody time. MMO's - that's your World … Continue reading MMO NPCs are A-OK in FFXI
Seven years feels like an eternity in online gaming land but that's about how long Phantasy Star Online 2's been around now, quietly outlasting any official version of the legendary Dreamcast-led original you can think of. I can happily report that it's not merely still alive but thriving - regularly receiving sizeable updates, brand-new content, … Continue reading Returning to Phantasy Star Online 2
Kimimi The Game-Eating She-Monster 