I guess that after my last entry you prolly all think I'm a bit of a dullard. Well I feel like a dullard. Or rather, I feel like a newb. I'm a newbie!

Sure, everytime you start a new MMOG you're a newbie, but the last five or so MMOGs that I've played have been very formulaic. Even though the territory is new, the graphics are better and the skills are different, they all ultimately seemed to me to be like different versions of the same game. That's why I'm not playing WoW. I tried it for a couple of weeks during beta, and although they had some cool new features (I liked how they handled death), and a broader choice of playable races, the terrain, the quest and skills system, combat and pk, all work together to make it basically feel, to me at least, like exactly the same game as AC2.

DAoC, AC2, WoW, EQ2... each of those games marks a point in the evolution of the MMG, an evolution that began with the advent of the three grandaddy games, UO, EQ and AC.

But not MXO. I complained in my last couple of entries that the developers of MXO seem to have come onto the scene with no prior knowledge of the massively multiplayer market. In some ways that makes the game very frustrating, and in other ways it's like a breath of fresh (virtual) air. I haven't had this overwhelming feeling of being a stranger in a strange land (read newbie) since I started playing AC in early 2000.

I enjoyed DAoC a lot when I first started playing it, but I felt like it was a lot like AC only with improvements. When it first came out, I remember a lot of peolple that migrated over from EQ calling DAoC "what EQ should have been." It was a big step in MMOG evolution.

A lot of players were surprised that AC2 wasn't basically the same game as AC only with significantly improved graphics. Turbine said they wanted to imrpove on overall gameplay. They built AC2 based on 4 years of listening to the players complaints and suggestions. Instead of just re-releasing AC on a more modern engine, they built the game they thought the players wanted.

The one major lesson they seemed to have missed in those 4 years is that the outspoken message board flamer types do not represent the player base majority. I remember a few people saying that back then, and having an overwhelming sense that Turbine wasn't hearing it. It was an honest mistake. They were genuinely trying to listen to their players. AC2 bombed, but it also represents another major landmark in the evolution of the MMOG.

WoW is another. Those Blizzardites are no slouches. They didn't come on the scene in ignorance. They didn't develop their contribution to the MMOG scene in a vacuum. They watched. They listened. They probably hired a team of widly experienced verteran MMOGers as a focus group or something.

MXO is definitely not another step in that evolution. It feels like a different game. That's a statement that I haven't been able to make about any MMOG that I've played since AC.

I resisted the MMG scene at first because when UO came out I was fresh from a decade of playing MUD games. A few companies had tried "graphical MUDs" before and they were basically stinkers. The atmosphere of a MUD just didn't translate well to a graphic environment. When UO came out and then EQ, I was convinced that they were just more of the same and didn't bother. I remember reading an article about AC in what was probably the December 1999 edition of PC Gamer Magazine. That article turned me on to the idea that there might be a real difference between MMOGs and those old attempts at putting a graphical face onto a MUD.

But anyway, I didn't mean to stray so far off topic. I just wanted to convey that if, like me, you're jonesing for that new experience fix you haven't felt since your first couple months playing your first massive multiplayer, you might want to try MXO.

As for my in-game progress:
In MXO your persona carries outside the game somewhat. Apparently you can set up an AIM account that's tied to your individual characters. For that reason you can only use any character name once across all servers. You also only get one character per server. My two sons always like to play the MMP that I'm playing, but because of those restrictions we can't all share one account and play on the same server.

My youngest son has had more luck finding and making friends than I have. That might have to do with the fact that I'm on a pk or "hostile" server.

I have actually seen other players more than once now. In one of my first entries I said that I had never seen another player. I probably should have qualified that then by mentioning that I was on a pk server but at the time it didn't even occur to me. The only indicator we get of how busy a server is is a rating type word, like "light", "medium", or "heavy". They almost always all say "medium", so it never occured to me until now that my server might have considerably fewer players on it, but now that I think about it, it probably does.

So anyway, my youngest son has joined a guild, or "crew" or whatever. I don't know much about it, except that they have been helping him level. He's played quite a lot less than I have but has passed me in levels. He says that a girl approached him and asked him, "do you believe in the Machines?" He said he didn't know what that meant and she said that it means he wants the machines to win. She told him that if he says, "yes" he can join her crew, so he said yes. I guess it was all uphill from there.

Well, I'm back. You've all probably forgotten me. I'm your friendly neighborhood Matrix Online Newbie.

I've been so very amazingly broke lately - I wasn't able to afford the account upkeep. Heck I wasn't able to afford an account at all. Anyway, that's all water under the bridge now because my account is restored and all is well.

SO! I've actually been back in the game for about four days now but since I've been pouring every possible spare moment into playing, I've been negligent in getting around to making a blog entry. Sorry!

I've learned a lot in these last few days. For starters, since I now actually own an MXO game box, I've been reading the manual. This is a good idea. See, Sega recently put on an event called, "Friends and Family". That's how I was playing for the first couple of weeks. I tell you this just because I didn't want to give you the impression that I was doing anything illegal (God forbid)!

Anyway, the "Friends and Family" program was a good idea. Sorta. I guess a lot of people played, and no doubt got hooked as I did; but it was also such a very strange way to get started in such a unique and complicated game. Hundreds (presumably, or dozens, or thousands, whatever) of us poor suckers spent two weeks running around the Matrix without the benefit of a manual, trying to make sense of this weird new world!

It is rather a complicated game. And the manual, well, it's quite enlightening, which brings me back to my point. What was it? Oh yeah. I learned a lot from the manual. A lot.

Skills. Erm, guess what? The Matrix Online has these things called skills! I mean, it's not that I didn't know that, just that I didn't realize that I could use them. I thought I was stuck with what I was born with until level 10. I dunno why I thought that, exactly, but I did.

To be fair to myself, there's very little help for newbies when it comes to skill management (outside of the glorious manual), and it's really a very different and arcane system. Skills are not bestowed on the deserving. You have to actually find and purchase them from other players or the occasional vendor, another system (vendors, I mean) that is original and profoundly non-standard.

Anyway, I'm not complaining, only trying to paint a picture of how strange and difficult it was for me, getting started in a world that is remarkably and in many areas, surprisingly unlike any other MMOG I've played, and I've played a lot of MMOGs.

Today I entered The Matrix. What is The Matrix, you ask? I can only show you the door. You have to enter it yourself.

Ya so, promotional catch-phrases aside, I've just begun a new e-life in The Matrix Online. Just thought I'd pop by with some ridiculously early impressions.

Character creation is a tad primitive. By primitive I mean they didn't apply lessons that Turbine, Sony and EA (and others - too many to name) all learned at least five years ago. You have to make blind class selections at character generation time that will (seemingly, very early impressions here, remember) significantly curtail your choices later in the game.

If you've read Ophelea's entries about her experiences in The Matrix you know that she rerolled early in her first day of play. So did I. You will too when you are first getting started, basically unless you make a very lucky blind choice. Fortunately it becomes clear what you did wrong really quickly before you spend several weeks on a character only to find out that you'll be seriously crippled later in life if you don't start over - an idea that probably dredges up some painful memories for more veteran MMOGers out there than just me.

That one major ouchie aside, the game looks marriage-threateningly good to me so far. I've long since learned my lesson about getting my hopes up this early in playing a new MMOG, but unless they've really fooled me, the combat system may be the coolest and most exciting I've ever seen. In playing a new MMOG, I always try to find the class that takes the most real interaction during combat, which generally means that a talented and experienced player can beat a less able player with the same skills. In Asheron's Call it's the Mage class. In DAoC, archers. I think that "close combat", or martial arts fighting in MXO is The One.

I'm still trying to settle on my permanent avatar. I'll let you know how it goes.

Welp, back down the rabbit hole. ploop!

So, I went from my red-haired chick to my dark-skinned girl because for reasons I can't explain, the idea of spending 5 minutes to upload certain skills and download others to make coppertop into what I wanted didn't appeal. I wanted to start over.

Then, I make the new girl and find the city just bereft of gangs to fight. I mean I ran and ran and ran and ran and couldn't find anyone to kill me. Frustrating. But darned if she isn't pretty.

This led me to the brillian idea of playing on one of the PvP servers. They're more like RvR servers - after you complete the mission where you meet Niobe, the Machines and the Exiles (led by the Merovingian) contact you and you then choose missions from the three. Each time you complete them you gain favor. The idea is that you'll stick with one, gain more favor and then have all out gang war with the other two.

BTW, did I mention I've finally seen an agent? Not on the Hostile server but on the regular servers. They're SKEERY. First off, when they chase you they're FAST and they don't give up. Oh, and if you blow a mission and they find you, they simply walk in say "You're not supposed to be here Ms. Patterson" and you're dead. Simple as that. *visions of Smith*

I'm starting to notice the differences in the city finally. I still find it annoying that the same building shapes and textures were used repeatedly. But there are subtle differences and eventually more than subtle. But, it really makes it hard to learn your way around with the slum areas have very little to distinguish themselves.

Every area does have a Point of Interest that defines it and gives it it's name but you so rarely go there because it doesn't have anything to do with well...anything. All the staircases are in exactly the same place. The alleysways are designed exactly the same way. The parking lots are all the same. It's frustrating at times. I try to immerse myself by telling myself it's the Matrix and a computer doesn't need to have imagination but the "person" in me tells me it's the developers. I have to STOP doing that.

My biggest problem is I just don't see people unless I'm at a load-in spot - and I'm usually there only upon death. Where are the other players? I play on servers that usually indicate high load on a Friday night but don't see anyone. I'm wondering if it's because I keep re-rolling and everyone else is significantly higher than I am so they're in different parts of the city.

So, anyways, I was playing to the Hostile server last night and ended up with enough $information (money) to buy in the Marketplace (consignment shop). I bought some skills I hadn't seen on vendors and some new clothing - which is good because I really hated my outfit. At the same time, I have been playing my other two girls. So, welcome to the fashion show of all fashion shows. Coppertop, Darky and Blondy (my new girl).

Hi! I'm GingerNinja and from now on I'll be keeping you all informed about my gaming experience in MxO. I'm not sure you could call me a casual gamer, but I'm certainly no powergamer. I play alot, but I vary my games meaning I may play a game for months but I might not get as far or developed as many other players. This means I'm missing out on a lot of content, but I do try to cram as much in as possible.

The last couple of days I've grown a little bored of simply running off missions for XP, that's a sure fire way of getting burned out on MxO. So I made a conscious decision to get into the storyline by doing missions for the local contacts, and so far I haven't been disappointed.

These guys are something else - brutal, cold and without remorse. I suppose that's in there very nature, after all they are not redpills but rogue software programs.
Now as a machinist I feel rather dirty having to deal with these viruses , but I also realise that information gathered from running these missions could prove vital to the machines.

I'm still trying to figure out some of the relationships going on between these exiles, and I'm sure to post more about them as time goes by.

OK. I'm off to run another mission, and at least exiles pay well No introduction would be complete without a photo, so here I am.

I learned with my first MMO that I'll play entirely too long if left to my own devices. It's one of the main reasons I stopped playing socially-based MMOs. To that end, I've been playing Matrix solo and for very short periods of time. I've also been well...confused. But, as I mentioned in my last blog, reading the manual made a TON of difference. I have a better sense of what I want my character to be and do.

So, last night I decided to level up a bit by doing missions. Now, I want to be an uber-coder, the tradespeople of the Matrix. One of the earliest pieces of code you learn is the Simulacra. I've had this for weeks now and fogot to use it...many deaths and rebuilds later I start using it.

He/She (it's different each time) is rather cool. Something like a pet in your traditional RPG - only it carries a shot gun. Send it in to dangerous places alone or use it as a back up in difficult corners. The AI on it's pretty good and if you use the settings (aggressive, defensive, etc) properly it will last you a good while.

So, as I said I started doing missions. The first thing I've learned is...apparently EVERY mission involves going upstairs or an elevator. Operatives, bluepills, exiles...none of them use the first floor. Also, the mission system is linear - at least it is as far as I've gone. I found this REALLY annoying at first. Then I got the mission to meet Niobe.

Meeting Niobe was interesting. I was congratulated on how well I was doing an told that Zion is proud of my work. As I left, I received a message from the Exiles (Merovingians) asking that I joing them; and a message from the Machines asking that I join them. So, my assumption is that the linear mission system is leading to a point where I'm going to be asked to take sides.

Someday I should play with other people.

Anyways, one of the silly, fun things about the Matrix is the clothing. I may not like the re-used landscapes or limited NPC avatars but the clothing nearly makes up for it all. Like most games, your clothing can come with buffs - unfortunately it also degrades over time so unless you can code your own clothing you're going to change it eventually. This was my night....

As I mentioned in the title, I re-rolled. This was about 3am this morning. I found I'd built the character I wanted but in the wrong order. The beauty of it is, I can simply unload certain skills from memory and then load the ones I want. But, I wanted to start from scratch and try it correctly from the beginning - no, I don't know why. I'd forgotten how darned hard it is to find something to fight when you're not on the PvP servers...wow I ran a lot! But, this is the new girl...beginning of the night and end.

And so, I stayed up FAR too late...am tired but starting to "get" this.

I've grown so accustomed to a) tutorials and b) 5 page manuals that I rather bypassed the lengthy book that came with The Matrix Online. The thing is, all of the problems I was having understanding how to increase my skills and abilities - it explains it, really well.

*sigh*

I forgot to take a picture again...and her clothing has completely changed. It does nearly every time I play.

So, I've known I want to be a martial arts specialist (I like the cool moves) and MXO's version of a tradeskill specialist - a coder. After reading the book (again, duh) today I've picked up the skills that have started me on my way.

It's an interesting tradeskill system but makes sense inside the game. Everything is made of code bits. So, a coder can not only compile those bits into an item/skill/whatever but can also learn to decompile something into its bit components. Kinda like taking cake and ending up with sugar, flour, water and egg. It takes some practice - you blow it a few times but once you learn you can get those component bits and try to re-compile them. Of course, my skill isn't quite high enough yet to successfully recompile.

Once nice side-effect of the coder tree is that you have to learn how to make a simulacrum (MXO's version of a pet). It's rather nice because I find myself fighting against opponents of a higher level because I know my simulacrum will be there with me. Better loot, more XP, etc.

And I did start the path to martial arts expert but found myself hindered by memory storage. It's a little like skill points only you get more as you go. Because you're essentially a construct you can upload and download programs at will to make space for a new skill. Unfortunately, I'm at that juncture where I rather need what I've got...oh well, one more level.

So, they had another grand event this weekend - Vampires and Werewolves and uhhh...oh my! I'm still impressed with the writing of this team and the quality of the live events. I've just got to get my character out of the n00b areas.

So, I recreated last night on one of the new servers to get the look I'd been wanting (without the help of my kids) and went through training and out into the world. The volume of NPCs is wonderful, but the language used is very new - I wish their were more explanation.

And getting new skills...there was no info on this in training. I "think" I'm doing this right but I've got little to go on. I know I want to be a martial arts specialist with a coder/builder secondary. But, I can read the trees yet not understand the significant of the skill. Frustrating.

After I hit level 4 I found that the area I was in was too easy and couldn't find (quickly) another to fight in - also, using the same models for the buildings makes it hard for me to distinguish between one area another - so I decided to try the missions.

My first - to kill an exile - was bugged. I had to restart it. My second went smoothly. And you get a significant amount of experience and currency for them.

I just have to learn what to spend it on.

To the boards! (My least favorite place).

I will take a pic of my new girl....as soon as I find some light...and show you her - tattoos and all.