I'm going to start this off by saying, I make fun of people....a lot. Sarcasm and I are good close friends and we like to browse internet forums together. Odds are good if you've interacted with me, I've made fun of you. It's a failing of mine, one I can freely admit to. Over the past few years I've found that the tone of it has moved from gently poking fun, to an exasperated and bitter one, and I started some soul searching to find out why, and what changed.
Well, I got a good deep look at the underbelly of our wonderful community and it turns out what I see there is pretty disgusting. We are by and large all adults, but over the past few years here are a few of the events and interactions that helped to shape me into the troll some of you hate, some of you love, but none of you are very good at ignoring. Cheating, defending cheating, asking for in story rewards for irl bribery, histronics, fist fights, dozens of "leaving for evar" posts, AEG has it out for clan X EVERY SINGLE ARC. The moderaters are too strict, the moderaters arent strict enough. I know i broke the rules but how dare they be sarcastic in a warning to me. I'm back from leaving forever did you miss me? Oh god pay attention to me pay attention to me. YOU ARENT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO ME, LEAVING 4 EVAR!!
And so on and so forth til the recent debacle. The simple fact is, Cody smallwood, and the two douchebags who got into a screaming fit at Kolb's tournament are just that...douchebags. Cody had an opportunity to air his problems with moderation in a productive tone. What he did was get pissed off that he ate a 30 day ban for dropping an n-bomb and conveniently realize that NOW was the time to strike. He had an opportunity to present his case logically, and with sound reasoning, but instead opted to attack the three moderators he had a problem with on a personal level, including what amount to unfounded rumors about one of them. When presented with testimony from people who were actually involved pointing out what he said was false, he decided to stand by his false accusations. Classy. Then much like the Roku-mart people, completely failing to grasp that once you make it personal..it becomes personal he posts an apology whose subtext shows his only understanding is "well crap more people are pissed at me about this than i thought, id better make an apology" and in prime politician fashion, apologizes without accepting any responsibility for it at all. "I apologize if you were offended". The best part of this in my humble opinion is that it's outright public slander, not for cheating, or stealing, or punching a fellow gamer, or acting like a douche and representing the community poorly or any of those things...its public slander for doing an unpaid volunteer position poorly. The fact that a barrage of people followed saying that he had no need to apologize really makes me wonder at the ethical character of our playerbase as a whole after all the prior crap. So here goes....
I have a challenge for you l5r community, and I suspect since i have all of 4 followers that it will go unheeded. For one season...december to febuary, lets act like adults. Let's not have incidents of people screaming at each other over pieces of cardboard. Let's not have a rash of internet drama because someone trash talked someone else. Let's take a deep breath, and realize it's just a game, that we're going to encounter sarcastic and condescending people in our lives and if we let them ruin everything for us our lives are going to be filled with anger and frustration. Lets realize that frankly, the rhetoric about the main forum is exaggerated in the extreme, and lets also realize that yes, ling and lee and colsons moderating style waffles between condescending, bitter, sarcastic, and frustrated. Frankly, I can get past that, it seems a not insignificant handful can't and honestly, were I one of those three, I'd probably just step down. Doing that work for aeg, however much I like the company and game isn't worth the amount of shit they take, some deserved, some undeserved on a near daily basis. I have it in personal experience that some of the loudest critics of the aeg moderation staff cannot take a fraction of the level of shit the mod staff recieves, since apparently two to three weeks of light trolling killed a relatively well known forum. *eyeroll smiley here*
That said, it felt good to get all that off my chest. See you all in another 2 to 3 months when I masochistically get the urge to involve myself in the l5r community again.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
How to enjoy l5r, a primer for new players part 2, Story.
Ahhh the story, without which the game of l5r would be a lot crappier. One of the big draws you may have been presented about this game is the ability of the players to influence the story. Influence is the key word. Many people hear this and assume a greater amount of control over the story than is actually applied. The purpose of this entry is to point out some guidelines as to how players actually influence the story, and what expectations you should probably develop toward your ability to move the story in a certain direction.
1. Tournament wins.
Winning a tournament is the number one method of influencing a story. There are dozens of storyline tournaments every year, and each one has a very specific story influence, from a member of your clan earning a position, to your clan finding something neat or defeating a powerful enemy. These story wins are generally very specific, and what you can expect from earning one is exactly what was listed..no more, and no less. Many people go into a tournament and once they win, attempt to push more of the story they want into the win than was actually promised. The story team had best find your idea very very awesome, because if they allow it once, they'll have to allow it for more story tourneys lest the internet claim of bias be levelled against them. It is not a good idea to expect that you can do that. If they ask you to name a character...be happy with naming the character and don't be disappointed if the six page backstory you email to the story team doesnt get used.
Many players often levy bounties for story wins and this can be a good way to earn extra cards or even cash if you don't care much about that particular storyline.
All in all as a new player you should not expect much success in the tournament story win method. It is by and large experienced players with a wide testing group that have the best chance with this.
2. Playerbase and Imperial Herald votes.
With a fair amount of regularity the company will put forth votes to the players of various clans. Votes attached to the Imperial Herald membership are by and large the most common here, and these are rarer than storyline tournaments. I have however seen an uptick in these votes recently and the cardinal rule applies. You are voting for what they list..no more and no less.
This is probably the easiest way for a new player to influence the story. It does involve purchasing an Imperial Herald membership, but I'd recommend that for new players anyway. The herald sends out quarterly, and comes with a grip of promo cards that you can generally only get by purchasing the herald. Some of these cards are very powerful and even if they don't fit in the decks you like to play can be traded for cards that you do play.
3. Winter Court
For the Roleplayers out there, this can be an amazing way to influence the story. It requires a working knowledge of the l5r rpg however which can be a moderately spendy proposition (most rpg books sell for 30 to 50 dollars). This method has had the best success in getting your "l5r persona" should you have developed one, into the story as a canon character. While it is by no means guaranteed, and you basically have to wow the story team with your ability to fill the role and knowledge of the setting, it is a great way to keep involved in "official" l5r during the lean tournament season it tends to occupy.
Winter court however, has no set schedule. There are no guarantees that one will be run, though I suspect AEG is interested in making it a more regular thing given the success of the past two they have run. The cardinal rule still applies, keep your hopes and expectations reasonable, there are no guarantees that anything you do, or even your character will make it into the canon story.
4. Tournament happenings.
This, is the rarest and most difficult way of affecting the storyline, yet it is the one I see the most people attempt. First off, a member of the story team must hear about or witness what occured. If they never find out about it, it'll never make it into the story. A significant chunk of story influence attempts end there...i suspect the majority in fact. Second off, what you're trying to accomplish has to fit somewhere in the story teams plans. They are not likely to completely reverse their plans for an arc based off something they see at a tournament.
When it does happen however, its usually because something so amazingly awesome occured that itd be a tragedy not to have it documented in the annals of the game.
5. Whining about it.
This doesn't work...don't do it.
1. Tournament wins.
Winning a tournament is the number one method of influencing a story. There are dozens of storyline tournaments every year, and each one has a very specific story influence, from a member of your clan earning a position, to your clan finding something neat or defeating a powerful enemy. These story wins are generally very specific, and what you can expect from earning one is exactly what was listed..no more, and no less. Many people go into a tournament and once they win, attempt to push more of the story they want into the win than was actually promised. The story team had best find your idea very very awesome, because if they allow it once, they'll have to allow it for more story tourneys lest the internet claim of bias be levelled against them. It is not a good idea to expect that you can do that. If they ask you to name a character...be happy with naming the character and don't be disappointed if the six page backstory you email to the story team doesnt get used.
Many players often levy bounties for story wins and this can be a good way to earn extra cards or even cash if you don't care much about that particular storyline.
All in all as a new player you should not expect much success in the tournament story win method. It is by and large experienced players with a wide testing group that have the best chance with this.
2. Playerbase and Imperial Herald votes.
With a fair amount of regularity the company will put forth votes to the players of various clans. Votes attached to the Imperial Herald membership are by and large the most common here, and these are rarer than storyline tournaments. I have however seen an uptick in these votes recently and the cardinal rule applies. You are voting for what they list..no more and no less.
This is probably the easiest way for a new player to influence the story. It does involve purchasing an Imperial Herald membership, but I'd recommend that for new players anyway. The herald sends out quarterly, and comes with a grip of promo cards that you can generally only get by purchasing the herald. Some of these cards are very powerful and even if they don't fit in the decks you like to play can be traded for cards that you do play.
3. Winter Court
For the Roleplayers out there, this can be an amazing way to influence the story. It requires a working knowledge of the l5r rpg however which can be a moderately spendy proposition (most rpg books sell for 30 to 50 dollars). This method has had the best success in getting your "l5r persona" should you have developed one, into the story as a canon character. While it is by no means guaranteed, and you basically have to wow the story team with your ability to fill the role and knowledge of the setting, it is a great way to keep involved in "official" l5r during the lean tournament season it tends to occupy.
Winter court however, has no set schedule. There are no guarantees that one will be run, though I suspect AEG is interested in making it a more regular thing given the success of the past two they have run. The cardinal rule still applies, keep your hopes and expectations reasonable, there are no guarantees that anything you do, or even your character will make it into the canon story.
4. Tournament happenings.
This, is the rarest and most difficult way of affecting the storyline, yet it is the one I see the most people attempt. First off, a member of the story team must hear about or witness what occured. If they never find out about it, it'll never make it into the story. A significant chunk of story influence attempts end there...i suspect the majority in fact. Second off, what you're trying to accomplish has to fit somewhere in the story teams plans. They are not likely to completely reverse their plans for an arc based off something they see at a tournament.
When it does happen however, its usually because something so amazingly awesome occured that itd be a tragedy not to have it documented in the annals of the game.
5. Whining about it.
This doesn't work...don't do it.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
How to Enjoy L5R, a primer for new players.
Welcome, new player. By purchasing a starter at your local game store you've undoubtedly begun your magical journey into a land of magical samurai and shugenja, Oni, Goblins, and other strange creatures.
You're likely eager to dive right in and win your first kotei, take part in the community and learn the sekrit tech that the l5r masters are holding.
BUT NOT SO FAST!
If you're looking to enjoy yourself at this game there are a few rules you need to know first.
1. You're new, don't expect a lot of victories.
It's a sad fact that very few l5r players routinely carry decks that are tuned to play against new players. Most of the time you'll be facing peoples prospective tournament deck and it will feel like you're getting tossed around by a 800 pound gorilla. This is a complex card game with many confusing interactions and cards and you'll find yourself blindsided an awful lot until you familiarize yourself with what cards are out there and how they interact. Stick with it, it can be worth it. That said, if you're new to the game and your l5r scene has convinced you to go to a kotei, don't be easily frustrated. You'll likely get some wins, but dont enter the kotei expecting to make the cut if you've been at the game for all of a month before hand. Go to meet new people, make some trades for cards that are rare outside of your environment, and see just how varied the environment can be deck and playstylewise.
2. Either avoid the forums or be aware of the sad reality of internet free speech.
If you go to any given forum, you're likely to be inundated with a vast array of complaining whining and doomsaying about the game. This is normal. We are by and large a geeky fanbase and geeky fanbases are NEVER happy. Each new card is a slap in the face, each business decision is crapping on the fans and despite the fact that AEG does more for their playerbase than any other game company in the world, from free cards to deals in their store to massive multiplayer games that affect the story, it's just not enough for a geeky fanbase. Do not let yourself become discouraged by this, the game IS actually fun despite what these people are saying.
3. Be open to other clans.
The first step to being good at the game is to know your enemy. L5R is a game that seems to encourage clan loyalty, and that is good. There are however 10 factions, and all factions will not be equal at all times of the game, especially with 4 victory conditions and a new set every 3 to 4 months. Knowing your opponents is power in this game, knowing what each deck is capable of and what actions and events stick a spoke in the wheels of their strategy will win you games. The best way to learn that is to play the deck. This might sound expensive, but you can actually do it rather cheaply by simply asking to switch decks for a few games with your playgroup so that you can see how their deck works, and what occurs to give you trouble in the game while you play it. It has the added benefit of letting you get some playtime in with cards you may not have access to yet as a new player. This also exposes you to other decks and playstyles that you might be able to fall back to and play should the environment switch in such a manner that your faction is on the weaker end of the spectrum during a period where there are tournaments you want to attend.
4. Beware the keyword trap.
L5R is a game with keywords, some have rulebook effects, some are just there to trigger off of cards in your fate deck, and some are just there to make the personality cooler. Kaiu mcboogerpants the generic samurai is not as cool as Kaiu Mcboogerpants the Siege Master. That said, you should be using the best personalities available to your faction, in clan or out regardless of keyword in almost every situation. A personality with a powerful action, but lacking a keyword you use in your deck is still a useable personality. Many new players simply throw all the personalities with Keyword X into a deck and all the fate cards triggering off of Keyword X into a deck and expect it to work. The game is more complex than that and you'll be setting yourself up for a frustrating time if you expect success while doing that.
5. Be aware of which strategies and victory conditions are more difficult.
There is a fairly large difficulty gap between learning to play vanilla military and learning to play enlightenment. By and large Enlightenment and Dishonor are tougher victory conditions to play, requiring more rare cards and a higher familiarity with the rules and card interactions than honor and military. This might seem unfair at first, but remember, dishonoring an opponent out and putting 5 rings into play by text end the game immediately. Military is a turn by turn battle where you have to destroy 4 provinces, and your opponent will almost never go from 3 or 4 provinces to 0 in one attack phase, Honor also gives your opponent 1 full turn to try to beat you before the game ends. Enlightenment and dishonor are a higher ring to grab and the rewards for making a deck that works are that once you hit your stride, the game ends. As a new player attempting these two victory conditions is setting the game to hard or nightmare difficulty, to use a video game analogy, and you should go into it realizing this.
You're likely eager to dive right in and win your first kotei, take part in the community and learn the sekrit tech that the l5r masters are holding.
BUT NOT SO FAST!
If you're looking to enjoy yourself at this game there are a few rules you need to know first.
1. You're new, don't expect a lot of victories.
It's a sad fact that very few l5r players routinely carry decks that are tuned to play against new players. Most of the time you'll be facing peoples prospective tournament deck and it will feel like you're getting tossed around by a 800 pound gorilla. This is a complex card game with many confusing interactions and cards and you'll find yourself blindsided an awful lot until you familiarize yourself with what cards are out there and how they interact. Stick with it, it can be worth it. That said, if you're new to the game and your l5r scene has convinced you to go to a kotei, don't be easily frustrated. You'll likely get some wins, but dont enter the kotei expecting to make the cut if you've been at the game for all of a month before hand. Go to meet new people, make some trades for cards that are rare outside of your environment, and see just how varied the environment can be deck and playstylewise.
2. Either avoid the forums or be aware of the sad reality of internet free speech.
If you go to any given forum, you're likely to be inundated with a vast array of complaining whining and doomsaying about the game. This is normal. We are by and large a geeky fanbase and geeky fanbases are NEVER happy. Each new card is a slap in the face, each business decision is crapping on the fans and despite the fact that AEG does more for their playerbase than any other game company in the world, from free cards to deals in their store to massive multiplayer games that affect the story, it's just not enough for a geeky fanbase. Do not let yourself become discouraged by this, the game IS actually fun despite what these people are saying.
3. Be open to other clans.
The first step to being good at the game is to know your enemy. L5R is a game that seems to encourage clan loyalty, and that is good. There are however 10 factions, and all factions will not be equal at all times of the game, especially with 4 victory conditions and a new set every 3 to 4 months. Knowing your opponents is power in this game, knowing what each deck is capable of and what actions and events stick a spoke in the wheels of their strategy will win you games. The best way to learn that is to play the deck. This might sound expensive, but you can actually do it rather cheaply by simply asking to switch decks for a few games with your playgroup so that you can see how their deck works, and what occurs to give you trouble in the game while you play it. It has the added benefit of letting you get some playtime in with cards you may not have access to yet as a new player. This also exposes you to other decks and playstyles that you might be able to fall back to and play should the environment switch in such a manner that your faction is on the weaker end of the spectrum during a period where there are tournaments you want to attend.
4. Beware the keyword trap.
L5R is a game with keywords, some have rulebook effects, some are just there to trigger off of cards in your fate deck, and some are just there to make the personality cooler. Kaiu mcboogerpants the generic samurai is not as cool as Kaiu Mcboogerpants the Siege Master. That said, you should be using the best personalities available to your faction, in clan or out regardless of keyword in almost every situation. A personality with a powerful action, but lacking a keyword you use in your deck is still a useable personality. Many new players simply throw all the personalities with Keyword X into a deck and all the fate cards triggering off of Keyword X into a deck and expect it to work. The game is more complex than that and you'll be setting yourself up for a frustrating time if you expect success while doing that.
5. Be aware of which strategies and victory conditions are more difficult.
There is a fairly large difficulty gap between learning to play vanilla military and learning to play enlightenment. By and large Enlightenment and Dishonor are tougher victory conditions to play, requiring more rare cards and a higher familiarity with the rules and card interactions than honor and military. This might seem unfair at first, but remember, dishonoring an opponent out and putting 5 rings into play by text end the game immediately. Military is a turn by turn battle where you have to destroy 4 provinces, and your opponent will almost never go from 3 or 4 provinces to 0 in one attack phase, Honor also gives your opponent 1 full turn to try to beat you before the game ends. Enlightenment and dishonor are a higher ring to grab and the rewards for making a deck that works are that once you hit your stride, the game ends. As a new player attempting these two victory conditions is setting the game to hard or nightmare difficulty, to use a video game analogy, and you should go into it realizing this.
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