Sex and the Modern MMOG 87
My alma mater MMORPGDot has a review of the 'adults-only, subscription-based, independently-developed Sci-Fi Fantasy MMORPG set in London a hundred years from now'. It's a social MMOG, and one with more social options than you'll find in most commercial games. From the article: "Sex is not a mere role-playing concession in Sociolotron; it is a fully-baked and detailed gameplay mechanic. Players can engage in both consensual and forced sexual relations with other players and some NPCs- and believe it or not, sex serves a number of important purposes in the game. (Aside from the whole heir thing, the fluids that are exchanged and spilled during sexual encounters are critical components of some potions, and the game provides a variety of methods for collecting these substances.) Sex is really a sort of minigame in Socio, and before you utter the words 'Hot Coffee,' understand that this is no mere rhythm exercise. It's actually so complex a process that I'll only touch on a few details here."
Re:Forced Sexual Relations (Score:4, Informative)
From the Friendly Article:
Seems like they're trying to make a dark, gritty game that some people would find in poor taste. And, it seems to me, a game that would allow griefers to cause all sorts of havoc. Of course, maybe that's the point . . .
Honesty, is anyone surprised? (Score:5, Informative)
This is just the first time someone bothered to give it graphics. And possibly the first time you were charged for the privledge, but I'd have to check my facts on that one...
You may return to your "robe and wizard hat" quips now.
As someone who participated in the beta... (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, it was very much suspected that most of the female characters were played by men. It would certainly explain why most female characters role-played being lesbians who loved anal sex. Plus, all the female and male bodies are exactly the same, and the male sex organs are hugely out of porportions to the bodies. You can really tell a man designed everything.
This is supposed to be a MMORPG, but there is little combat and little challenge in the game, overall. It is purely a social game that has combat to taunt people into believing it is a MMORPG. PvP is not something you can turn off after a certain "level" of ability. And, you don't just get killed, but can be raped and then killed. Many "women" takled about the insane amount of fear and adrenalin rush they got when they were kidnapped, raped, and then killed. It was very real to them, as their character was rendered completely helpless.
The game does (or did when I quit the 2nd time) feature PermaDeath as the rule for once you get out of your newbie shoes. You can have children, though, and you or your partner can use that child to be reborn when you are PermaDeathed.
The sex itself... C'mon, that is why you are reading this, right? Don't lie, you pervert! Zip up your pants and read, then!
The sex itself is pathetic. While they give motions and actions you can do, it is mostly poor text (the mispellings are hideous) that drives this show. It is very easy to have 2 characters supposedly going at it, and the guy is laying 2 feet to the left of the girl, but they are both humping air furiously, and the game tells you he is inside her. Many actions require one person to allow the other person to take hold of them. Trust the wrong person, and once that happens, you could be dead.
Roleplaying is a necessity, but the level of the players in the beta was pretty horrible. Most of the male characters were merely sperm donors, and added nothing to their partner's enjoyment by using creative words to enhance the "event". Male characters that could actually type and make it seem more real became sought after. Female characters (probably played mostly by men who had a gift to being descriptive) were usually better at it, but some of them were just as inept.
Character classes are pretty stupid, with not much to offer roleplay opportunities. The exceptions were the Succubi, and the Inquisitors. Succubi had to harvest sperm, and usually harvested it from their own bodies. However, to harvest it, they had to make themsleves immobile, and therefor easy to be killed if anywhere close to public. Inquisitors had to kill sinners, and mostly took on the prostitues that wander about (and are your only real source of combat for the early stages of the game.) They kill them by cutting their heart out.
The beta was constantly plagued by griefers, who were often allowed to carry on, because it was within the design of the game. You want to serially rape and kill female characters, because that is who your character is? Go right ahead! More power to you! And if they catch you and kill you, don't complain. The problem is, these folks took to being a griefer the way a powergamer took to WoW for the first month. They boost characters up fast, and make themselves almost impervious to one-on-one situations. They break into private places looking for toons that are AFK, or not doing anyth
Re:I put on my robe and wizard hat.... *nt* (Score:3, Informative)
for those of you not in the know... check it. [bash.org]
Relax, it's just another PR troll by Sociolotron (Score:4, Informative)
Since then, oh looky, there comes again the regularly scheduled PR troll that has just one purpose: to get attention. Complete with yet another claim: this time that you need spilled sperm for potions. Well, gee, that ought to fix crafting.
If MMOs were forum posters, Sociolotron would be the troll/crapflooder posting goatse links in every thread. That's all there is to it. Nothing to see here.
And oh looky, this time a bit down in the thread we even have the ISO-standard astroturfing testimonial post about how lots of women play it (including the poster's wife supposedly), just waiting to be raped and abused, and getting a kick out of it. And no siree, there are no griefers on it, and (unlike what experience showed us on a hundred muds and a few MMOs), player justice really really works here this time. Honest. If that doesn't sound _exactly_ like the astroturfing ads-disguised-as-testimonials for "enlarge your penis" and "find a sex partner in your area" sites, you haven't read your spam mails lately.
So basically I wouldn't take it too seriously.
Then again, _if_ it finally went live, I wouldn't really kill the "worthless fucker signing up to this abomination", as you aptly put it. Think positively. If it gets at least _some_ of the worst retards that plague some other games, and keeps them busy there pretending to rape each other's female character (or ugly sprite thereof), it's a good thing.