Gaming Assasination

Ben

I found a link to this.

http://www.mmodig.com/?p=155

A year-long operation leads to a massive strike by an Assasin's guild in an MMOG called EVE online.
It's extremely impressive.
Although perfectly legal in-game, is it moral?

giginger

That's just damn impressive.

Ben

It is isn't it.

Kosmo

Depending on the games policies it is illegal, many games state that "harrasment or hindering someones gaming experience is illegal" ofcourse PvP killing is legal and often encouraged, but to certain extent it might become ganking and there might be banning involved for that, again depending on the game and the developers/GMs.

giginger

I hope it's not illegal.

It'd suck if they got banned from the game or fined in real life.

Maybe fined in the game if the in game police catch them or something. That would be better.

I loved those comments from people on the forums. Classic stuff.

lech

From the sound of it, this is perfectly legal game-wise. If it can be done in game, without hacks and orchestrated as well as this was written, then it's meant to happen. It's basically "military" corporation members defecting, and running off with equipment, then turning on one another. It simulates life in that aspect and as long as nobody gets physically hurt in the real world, it appears to be all in fair play. I'm sure the person who was assassinated was bawling and is probably to this very minute curled up in the fetal position next to their desk. That or all the drywall in their place is kicked in with the computer equipment smashed. Either way, this is some brilliant gameplay done by those who carried out this ingenious assault.

Kosmo

If it can be done in game, without hacks and orchestrated as well as this was written, then it's meant to happen.

Well, I like to think differently, as a veteran MMORPGer I can say that there are things you can do that don't need anykind of hack and you can do it as soon as you can get in to the game, but those things still get you banned from the game. And some of those are, spamming, ganking, stealing, ninja looting, obnoxious names etc.

I wouldn't mind that kind of attack in a PvP oriented game like Planetside or Neocron because it is literally a warzone, but EVE where the game is not that much of a PvP game but some sort of bizarre space life simulator or something like that, it's not that cool to notice that someone has blown your hard earned ship to smithereens while you were away (I hear mining takes a long time.)

jesusphreak

Apparently stuff like this is pretty common in EVE. The devs are pretty big about roleplaying and all, and stuff like this is perfectly acceptable. I've heard similar stories before about this game.

Kosmo

Completely agree, as long as they don't effect on anyones gaming experience (by repeatedly killing him or anything like that,) it's prefectly fine with me too in any game, I like to RP in MMOGs, they are Roleplaying afterall.

instagata

that is most awesome

lech

Kosmo, the thing is that they didn't blow up the huge ship, they captured it. This also isn't your average candy-coated MMORPG where the devs protect their players from these kinds of actions. While I'm sure the CCP devs probably frowned (and laughed in ammusement) about this heist, they see it as perfectly legal as no action was taken against those responsible. Figure that those who carried out the virtual attacks. Anything goes in EVE, well, nearly anything, so it's truely something unique and if they candy-coat it, it will only worsen the experience instead of making it better. If you want candy-coated security, go play WoW :)

jesusphreak

Seriously. I hate what Blizzard has done to WoW. Instanced dungeons...instanced PvP arenas...its a freaking single-player game now.

Kosmo

Actually, having played around 7-8years of MMORPGs I can say that I have seen it all, candy coating and brutal gameplay, if you want a razzle dazzle MMORPG where anything goes, then you really should check out Neocron, the most untamed virtual landslot there is. And I mean anything, shooting your allies and double crossing to the enemy, double spies and spider hacking, stealing other peoples weapons, even swearing isn't censored and the world has booze, drugs and prostitution, the infamous ganking, PK party (where you just raid the enemy city so long that nobody wants to rez because they will just be killed again) and practically holding the enemy main city as hostage, hell, that kind of assasination or paying entire clan to chase and take someone down so many times that he changes the game isn't unheard of in NC. Our clan hall actually got raided by our nemesis clan (and that is actually illegal) and all the developers did was the gave us our money back from the clan appartment so we could just buy another one so it would be in slightly different location with different password.

So believe me, I know what brutal game is, and EVE is far from it. Actually until now, I tought that it was lame kiddie pool compared to most major MMORPGs out there.I played Neocron for good two-to-three years. These days I play WoW because even if it doesn't have the action of being a loner in the middle of the wasteland with everyone your enemy, sometimes it is nice to focuse on the world too, just playing and having that sense of achievement and not just having the adrenaline rush of barely beating your enemy or escaping a raid for your life just with your cunning.

Seriously. I hate what Blizzard has done to WoW. Instanced dungeons...instanced PvP arenas...its a freaking single-player game now.

Yeah I agree, a single-player game with other people playing with (and against) you at the same time and world sprawling with fellow gamers and player created economy

jesusphreak

Eh, everything is just really toned down in WoW. I too am an MMORPG vet.

Kosmo

I can't say that much bad about the community and interaction about WoW, the big raids are the single most awesome thing in any MMORPG. And the world offers alot to explore, and today at BlizzCon the expansion pack will be announced and playable, maybe some info will trickle to us so I'm pretty happy camper. Only major rant about WoW is that I can't actually imagine myself playing it actively for three or even two years, it got pretty boring after three months of solid no lifing, something that any other MMORPG hasn't done yet.

jesusphreak

I got bored of it within a month. I think I'd like it more if they didn't have such strict race/class restrictions. I wish I could be a Human Hunter, but that's a no go.

Kosmo

Yup, I like the Pen and Paper RPG more because there are fewer restrictions. But I also can understand their restrictions because I'm a huge fan of Warcraft and have been ever since Warcraft 1 hit the market. So I know everything there is to know about Warcraft mythos. Hunter, Warrior and Priest (or rather cleric/healer) should be a available for every race, since they all make so much sense, what culture doesn't have hunter gatherers or soldiers? Or how about their medicine men and spiritual guides? It just doesn't make sense RP wise.

Krak

You guys ever play Guildwars? I was invloved in the beta, and played it for a little while. I liked it vs the other typical mmorpgs. I hate things like WoW, and EverCrack, I mean EverQuest... #1 - I dont want to pay a monthly fee. If you charge a monthly fee, the game should be free or available at a seriously reduced cost. $50 and $10month. Dont fucking think so. #2 - Grinding of any kind sucks ass. I dont want to have to play the game for 73 straight hours of grinding just so I can level, to keep at the same pace as everyone else, and so I can advance on to the next area, or so I cant be killed in 20 seconds. #3 - MMORPGS are not based on skill of any kind. It is purely on how much time of your life you have dumped into it. If someone has played for 2 weeks straight, your fucked, you'll never catch up. And you will be mauled by the geek that has no life because he is lvl7867868 and does nothing else but play the game. #4 - There is really no point to a mmorpg. No team to beat, no ladder to climb, no league to be #1 in. Its just for playing and the fun factor. Minus the fun factor when you add the 73 hours of grinding just to level. So they are just there to sap your life away and drain your wallet. #5 - Anyone I know/knew that plays these games is fucking addicted. Hence the term EverCrack. I dont think I need to get into this one. Thats me, I hate them. While I like them at the same time, I hate them, because of the bullshit they add in that surrounds the game. GW did away with all that bullshit. No grinding (or at least very very little). Level caps, missions, the whole PvP arena thing...it so much different, its nice. But still, FPS's will always be my thing.

Mr. Fahrenheit

I think mmorpgs should be chalk-filled with Quests so that grinding for levels isnt a neccessity. There is nothing I hate more than having do kill the same mob over and over just to gaim xp to get a higher level. I feel like I have no purpose. Guild Wars didn't suit my fancy. It made it waaaaaaaay to singleplayer... and nearly eliminated any chance of me communicating with other players whilst still being able to solo.

lech

Chose life, don't play MMORPG's at all :) Probably why I have stuck myself to learning 3d/mapping/uscripting and playing the FPS which is unreal, it's more fun than any RPG.

Mr. Fahrenheit

well, I don't have alot of free time the way it is. In my industry, competition is heavy. So a leisure of mine is either rollerblading or mmorpgs as you can choose not to play competitively. But that's the way I see it. To each his own, eh?