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Tuesday’s Topic: The Art of Fun

Posted by Shawn

In today’s society, the word fun has come to mean something different for everyone. This is apparent anywhere you go. Standing around the water cooler at the office, what Bob’s fun plans for a skydiving weekend could terrify his co-worker Joe. Although the actual definition is the same person to person, the actual events that lead to that person having fun could be the difference between black and white.

Working on the computer for hours a day, I work on developing programs with PHP, designing page layouts with CSS, managing ad campaigns on my sites, managing my photography at a bunch of different places, (and the list goes on with similar tasks). One would think the last place I would turn to for any kind of fun would be on the computer. But in addition to many of the off-computer things I find fun, I also enjoy the world of MMORPG gaming.

I was first introduced to MMORPG gaming by a consultant that I’d brought in to do some work for us back around 2000. At the time, I was playing a text based multi-player adventure game and refused to give up a game which challenged me to draw the world I was in with my mind for one that would bog down my computer with the graphics and take away my imagination. I finally caved and tried the MMORPG he had been playing towards the end of 2000. I was immediately hooked! Since then I have adventured through five different worlds (and five different beta test worlds).

Currently my family of characters live on the world of Telon (Vanguard: Saga of Heroes) where they are a mixture of adventurers and crafters. I have found that throughout the years that I have been playing MMORPGs that although the graphics are before me, the creativity of an active imagination is not robbed… There are also histories to be pondered and stories to be imagined and created even in the present. Within Telon you may find me on the Seradon server as Dartinus, Kandayael, Kitario, Kukthar, Thardon, Tordey, Domoro, or Annamael. Each has their own personality and history.. Following are snipets on a couple of them…

Dartinus Ashenblade (Dread Knight and Tailor)
As a young boy Dartinus had it rough. His family moved from their homeland of Halgarad on Telon to the deserts around the town of Lomshir when when was only a baby. The continent of Qalia was a big change for the family of lesser giants and a lesser giant boy was a BIG change to the human children of Lomshir. It is little wonder that at the age of calling, young Dartinus began to turn to the teachings of the dread knights with their dark magic and visions of war. Adorned in his mix of chain mail and plate armor, armed with his new squire’s sword and a few spells the young adventurer walked into the wilds to make a mark on the world. The question is, will the mark be for good? Or will it fall more towards his chosen career path of darkness and dread?

Thardon Ashenblade (Cleric and Armorsmith)
“What an evil place”, ponders Thardon as he exits the tomb of Lord Tsang for the fifth time in a week. Loosening the buckles on his chestplate, he lets it drop to the ground before relaxing in the thick growth of bamboo, camouflaging his presence from any wandering nearby. For the first time he notices all the blood from his comrades who, without his spells of healing, would surely have perished. He then notices for the first time since leaving the haunting tomb the continual rain as its drops begin to wash away some of the blood. “It always seems to be raining when I leave this place”, he thinks to himself. “Almost as if the gods are crying because of the desolation that is trying to take over these forsaken islands.”

Tordey(Necromancer)
Life has always been a nightmare for Tordey. Abandoned by a mother who didn’t want her as a child and not knowing who her father was, Tordey ended up in an orphanage in Tanvu. She never got along with the other children and her seething hate for everyone and everything bled through in her interviews with prospective parents. This left little to no chance for her getting away from the horrid place. Little did she know that even for the forgotten and unwanted, there was still a place for everyone in Telon’s society. Now in her thirties, looking back on those days brings a crooked smile to her face. She adoringly strokes the head of her abomination, a creature pieced together with parts harvested from the various creatures she has had to kill. Its long savage claws scrapes the huge granite boulder they are standing on as it looks up waiting for its master’s command. After she checking her quest list from the local garrison, she looks down to the forest below and after a moment spots an enraged treant. She simply points and the abomination goes off in a flurry. As she finishes the incantation of the first of many dark spells to come, she hears the battle start up in the distance. She opens her eyes and again points toward the now fighting treant as streams of complete darkness travel from her fingertips to engulf it and the powerful warmth of her spell’s energy engulfs her once again.

Tuesday’s Topic is inspired weekly by Jen Goode

Below are the MMORPGs I’ve played and/or tested… For more games or gamer gifts be sure to check out our MMORPG Gear site.