Pointlesness? What is "fun"?

This is a rambling post about MMO Burnout. I know that I'm not the first to go on about this, but it's something I'm dealing with, atm.

Remember when games were fun? When games didn't require months of character grinding.

It seems to me, the gaming universe has suffered a schizoid break, of sorts.

Most MMO's, for a long time now, have leaned either towards the FPS kill/die/kill or the grind/grind/grind. It's not just W101, but most games. The whole concept of "leveling=progress" is a carved-in-stone truth of gaming. But the quests all, inevitably equal "Kill, X, collect X, Deliver X". Crafting is another example of "how to spend time" in character development. How does one keep the feeling of progress, without "the grind"? I think it's an answer many may be looking for, both player and developer.

There's IRL stories of suicides , dating from the old pen-and-paper D&D days onwards, of "heavily invested" characters dying off, with their IRL players following suit. It's sad. All too often, we emotionally link out avatars as a direct extension of ourselves, forgetting that they are no more than digital puppets, and we, the puppeteers. One of my issues is that I "solo" most of the time, so a lot of MMO's make it much harder to progress unless you have a heavy-firepower team along with you. I know, why join a MMO if you play alone? Doesn't makes sense, but that's about the size of it. Still looking for my ideal MMO "home".

(Another rant altogether, is how the archer/ranger class is consistently the "red headed stepchild" of nerfing. Solo+Archer+[insert MMO here]=frustrating. )

I don't even know where I'm going with this post, just throwing some thoughts out there.

Is all gaming, in one form, or another, a grind? I'm thinking so.

I can understand the difficulty of making a MMO, *any* MMO, as "fresh" for the long-term player , as it is for the new arrival.

At current, I have several games on my desktop, and I'm not interested in playing any of them, so I know the issue is with ME, not the games themselves. Sometimes I miss the simple, and ultimately re playable adventure by Atari, but I can see how even this could be a grind.

What makes a game "fun"? I'm probably missing something, atm. I can't see the trees for the forest. I've been spending time on Kongregate, sifting through small, noncommittal games, trying to kill time.

So, I ask you, the readers, how do you keep your games "fun"?

Penny Dreadful Ch1 Pt 5 ::VOTE::

Merle was the one to break the silence. "Now, dear friends, we must be on to business. I will state it quite plainly, actually.", he gestured at Penny.

"I am here for your daughter."

All was quiet in the room, as the magnitude of Headmaster Ambroses's words settled in. Even the fire in the fireplace seemed to crackle much quieter than before. All eyes, of course, were on Penny.

"There has to be some mistake!" Penny declared at last, "I'm no wizard!"
"Please, Headmaster Ambrose", added Penny's mother, "surely there has been some oversight, somewhere?"

The Headmaster simply shook his head quietly. "Penny, my dear child, I know for a fact that you are a wizard."

Penny's mind raced. How could he know factually? There had never been any suggestion to her having any kind of magic abilities.No unusual events in her childhood. No omens for good or ill, suggesting she had a hand in the currents of energy that flowed and ebbed in the world of magics.Suddenly, a very recent event popped into her head.
"The capstone!" she offered, in a burst of realization.
"Quite precisely, Penny", Merle nodded, " Of course, I chalked up all the spell work, but if you did not possess The Spark, you could have pounded with that rock all day, and the boulder in the field would not so much as budged."

"Excuse, me Headmaster" queried Mr. Dreadful ," 'The Spark'?"

"Oh, ho! Yes, indeed! The Spark is what makes wizards, well, wizards." Merle explained, "Many have tried to determine it's source, to no avail.It simply 'is'. It has no connection to a persons geography, their lineage, no links to family history at all."

"In fact,", he continued as he reached into his velvet bag yet again, "We have a fault proof system of actually proving the existence of The Spark in an individual." Withdrawing his hand from the bag, all saw he had a metallic orb with it's own mahogany holding base.

"This, my friends, is The Spark Detector" Merle explained. Everyone closed in tighter to get a better look at the device.

It was no more than six inches in diameter, and it was etched with undecipherable markings all over it's surface. A white crystal, carefully carved, protruded from the little metal planet's "North Pole". Headmaster Ambrose continued his impromptu show-and-tell.

"You see, all Sparks are not created equal. All can be trained and refined through years of practice, but all wizards start from an undetermined, and very individual, starting point. Allow me , please, to demonstrate."

With that, he placed his hand on the metal orb. There was a soft humming, and a faint glow from the crystal in the orb's top. A sphere of light appeared over the crystal, bright and shining, spiking in random directions, and color shifting like a soap bubble.

"That, my dear friends, is my Spark. I've invested countless years refining it. You can have two wizards study all the same texts, cast all the same spells, do all the same things, but their Sparks will develop as individually as the wizards they reside in."

Sliding the device in it's base towards Penny's mother, Merle offered her to try it. Reluctantly, and with patient guidance from Merle, she did. Again the soft hum, the glow in the the crystal, but no lights. For Penny's father, (who required considerably less convincing), the same result.

Now it was Penny's turn. She looked at the Orb, at the man who she just met mere hours ago, and at her parents. All she looked at returned her questioning glance with encouragement.
Steeling herself, she reached out, and touched the orb with a finger. The Orb was cold. Nothing happened.

"See?", Penny sighed, quickly withdrawing her finger, "No Spark. No Wizard, here. Just you Headmaster Ambrose." And as soon as she had said it, she realized that nobody in the room was going to be fooled.
"Penny, m'dear", Merle Abrose leaned forward, "Nobody can make you something you're not. As Headmaster, I will accept no student that is not at Ravenwood of their own free will, It is a school, not a detention center.
This is a simple, and painless test, simply to confirm what we already know. Please." With a waving gesture, he invited her back to the Orb.

Penny, was entirely too curious not to try, but deathly afraid of what it might mean.With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and firmly grasped the Orb.
Again, the cold.
Again, the hum.
Again, the glowing crystal.

And there it was. Her Spark. Certainly not a large, or as bright as the Headmaster's, it pulsed with a slow, steady rhythm, varying between hues of gray, and the color of purple slate.

Merle Ambrose let out a soft whistle, examining the display of light. The abruptly, his eyes twinkled and he softly and genuinely congratulated Penny.
"That, my dear, is a most impressive Spark, for someone with no magical training! Why, I'd daresay that that Spark falls right on the curve of a level 20 student! Some wizards struggle for their first few years to refine their Spark to the same parameters your untrained Spark has!"

Mr. and Mrs. Dreadful looked exceedingly proud. "Our daughter, a wizard! Can you imagine?!"

Penny, however, was not as jubilant as everyone else around the table. This little 'test' carried with it massive, life altering ramifications.

"What if I choose to stay here?" Penny suddenly asked. Penny's parents looked shocked. Merle raised his hand, to stave off any comments the girl's parents might have made
"As I said, Penny. I would not let you into Ravenwood, without you wanting to be there. This isn't Dragonspyre we're talking about."

Dragonspyre.

Penny shuddered. Dragonspyre was the place all frustrated mothers threatened to ship their disobedient children. It was a Military Academy, which was bad enough, but they accepted non magic users, as well, and it was rumored that their recruiting was as harsh and calculated as their training. Granted, they forged some of the finest soldier The Spiral had ever seen, but to Penny, the cost seemed too high.

Everything was happening so fast! The room swam, the heat felt stifling. Penny excused herself, to step out for some cool evening air.

The it was early evening already. There was a gentle breeze, and the smell of fresh cut grass. Penny sat down on a nearby hay bale, and leaned against her humble little home.

Looking up into the clear Summer skies, she looked at the stars. On a really good night, you could make out the curvature of The Spiral, and tonight, almost like an imagined omen, was one of those nights.
But the stars she saw appeared somehow different. She knew, logically, that they were in fact the same, that it was her own perception of them that had changed.

"Got room for one more?" a voice asked, pulling her back from her distracted thoughts. It was her father.
Penny scooted over and her father sat beside her, and he too, gazed up at the stars.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it? So much to take in.", he volunteered

"Daddy, what if I say 'Yes'?" There, she said it.
"Pumpkin, you will always be my girl, whether you farm, or cast spells. Your mother feels the same way. No matter where you are, or what you do, nothing will change the fact that we love you, and want to see you happy." Penny snuggled into her father, who wrapped her in a brawny, protective arm.
"I..I just don't know!" she sniffled a bit.
"Headmaster Ambrose is not making you choose right this minute, but he should have an answer soon. He said he will be back to hear your answer."

"He's gone?! Penny sat upright.
"Why, yes. Packed his things, and 'poof'! Quite wizardly, it was."
Penny rushed back into the house, and true to her father's words, there was no sign of Merle Ambrose, his owl, or indeed any other trace that he had been there. Penny's mother was there, wiping down the table.
"You know, dear", her mother said without looking up, "Your father and I only wants what's best for you. This is an opportunity that a modest country farm girl might only have once in her life, and she the luckier for
having had it at all." Meeting Penny's eyes, she walked over, and planted a firm, and well practiced Motherly kiss on Penny's forehead. Her father was standing behind her , in the door frame. He agreed with Mrs. Dreadful with a simple "Mmm-hmmm."

Penny's mother fell back into a "business as usual" mode of motherhood."Now, it's been a Dreadful busy day, young lady. Since there's no dish work to be done, I'll expect you to retire early..though I don't expect sleep will be on your evening's agenda."

And, as usual, Penny's mother was right.

Decision Time!
Does Penny accept the offer?

Since this is (finally) the first in the 'decision process' , it is going to be a simple 'yes'/'no' poll.
So you, the readers will decide if :

YES: Penny decides to venture out into The Spiral

NO: Penny lives out her life as a simple farm girl.

Let the first vote of the "Chosen Fate"commence!
This Poll will only run 4 days!

And, as a personal note, please feel free to let your friends know, as well. The more votes I see, the more motivation and encouragement it fuels me with. I'll be honest with you, there is already more writing than I originally imagined, lol.

Be well!

Penny Dreadful Ch1, pt4

And with that, they all climbed aboard the wizard's wagon, and headed for Penny's house. She glanced over her shoulder at the golems wading through the field, and wondered to herself what what 'Important Matters' needed be discussed.

Little did she realize that tonight''s dinner would change her life, forever.


Penny's father, and the wizard sat up front, talking animatedly, and exchanging farming hints and tips like a pair of excited schoolboys.
Penny sat in the back with her mother, who looked at her with encouraging wonder.
"Isn't this exiting, Penny! Just think! We have golems in our fields, and a wizard coming to our house!"

Penny was excited, to be sure, but there was a nagging little thing in her mind. Something she couldn't quite place. There was no doubt
that the miracles they'd seen today were extraordinary, but Penny was concerned that there was a catch, somewhere.

Arriving a short time later at their house, Penny's mother bustled on ahead, and went straight for the kitchen, Guests were not uncommon,
but usually consisted of neighbors, friends, or the occasional visit from a traveling merchant. Never before a wizard!

Penny followed her father and the wizard into the house, and she looked at it as she imagined the wizard, who was seeing it for the first time,
must bee seeing it. It was a plain house, nothing out of the ordinary. But it was well build, clean and practical. There were not a lot of decorations to be seen,
more the unused farm implement here and there, a butter churn in the corner, old yokes placed 'artistically' over the mantle. Just like Penny,and farming life in general, the house was much more
"function", much less "form".

"Welcome to the Dreadful home, M'lord wizard!" exclaimed her father, as he ushered the wizard to the seat of honor at the head of their table.
"Oh, really, I must insist, I..." began the wizard, but was interrupted by the singsong voice of her mother, whisking out of the kitchen with a tray of drinking glasses.
"Nice, fresh-squeezed lemon water, sweetened with sugar beets!", she cheerfully offered. "I apologize that there is no ice, but it's rather late in
the Summer, and our winter stockpile has all melted away."
"Oh! How delightful!" beamed the wizard. "Please..allow me."
With that, he reached into his sleeve, and pulled out what looked like an icicle. Tapping each of the drinking glasses in turn, Penny watched as each glass frosted over.

"Wondrous!" claimed Penny's father, as he began handing out the now cold glasses on Lemon water.

"Well, gentlemen." announced Penny mother, to get their attention. "Our pantry is not so bare that we can't put on quite a dinner for this special occasion."

The Old Hedge Wizard lifted his hand, as if to halt her enthusiasm. "Dear woman! Sit and rest your weary bones! When I invited myself to dinner here, it was not so
you should exhaust your holiday reserves, ho,ho! No, madam, your part is only to provide the table, which you have already done so kindly. It is I who shall provide
the dinner tonight, if I may."

Penny thought back, trying to recollect her trips in the wagon. There was nothing in the wagon that could be considered parts of a meal.

Reaching into the sash of his robe, he pulled out a small black velvet sack. It really wasn't much bigger than a medium size potato sack, Penny thought.

Then the wizard did something amazing. Laying the bottom of the sack on the table, he opened the top, reached in up to his shoulders, and began pulling out an amazing
assortment of silver plated dishes from across The Spiral. Fresh fish from Grizzleheim, Palm dates from Krokotopia, Teriyaki Pork from Moo Shu, and thick breads and spicy
curries from Dragonspyre. In no time at all, there was more food on the table than they could possibly eat.

"I'll have to have you come and cook more often, sir! Penny's mother joked.
The wizard caught sight of Penny's curiosity , and simply stated "Bag of Holding." , which clarified exactly NOTHING to Penny.
"Ah, Mrs. Dreadful, I cannot take credit for the preparation of this food.." he explained, as he pulled out a tall bird perch, and set it aside.

Then, the bag began rustling and moving on it's own and an owl, in flight, blasted through the bag's opening, startling all but the wizard.
"A fine, and dramatic entrance, old friend." The wizard commented approvingly.
"Oh, I do say, it's about time!" the owl chided, as it circled the rafters, and settled down on the bird perch.

"please, dear friends, do allow me a moment of proper introductions", he requested, as he pulled a monocle from his sleeves, and affixed it in place, "I am Merle Ambrose, Headmaster
of Ravenwood Academy of the Magical Arts. And this is Gamma, my friend and confidant."

Ravenwood!, Penny thought, Oh the stories she had heard of that place! Many a made-up story in The Spiral began with "One day, at Ravenwood.."

"Headmaster Ambrose, we are truly honored to have you here tonight! You and Gamma are welcome at any time!"
"Well, that's certainly good to hear", said The Headmaster, who made a motion towards the floor. A luminescent blue 'X' appeared, showering particles of light like a fountain.
"and now", he continued", it shall be much easier to get back. That's the whole downside to teleportation, to set it up, you have to get there by more 'conventional' means."
"Now, please, let us sit, and dine, and make small talk. What we are gathered for can wait just a little while longer."

And so they did. Sampling the varied foods from all over The Spiral, listening to Merle's tales of deeds past, occasionally corrected by Gamma, who tended to correct at length.
It was during one of those pontifications, that Merle Ambrose, with Gamma rambling on at his back, began secretively writing something on a scrap of paper. He then surreptitiously slid
the paper over to Penny, and mouthed the words "Ask him this".

Penny looked at the writing on the paper, and looked at Merle with furrowed brows, unsure of what she was asking, and why. The Headmaster had a wicked gleam in his eyes, as he again encouraged her
to ask the question on the paper. Reluctantly, Penny obliged him.
"Excuse me.." She offered in Gamma's direction, interrupting his scholarly diatribe on the political structure of gryphon society.
"Yes, dear child, what is it?"
Clearing her throat, she read the question aloud: "Mr. Gamma, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a charmed candy pop?"
The owl looked at her, stunned. Then he exploded into a fury of indignant feathers!
"Wot? WOT? WOT!?" shrieked the owl, at which point Headmaster Ambrose fell apart in laughter, slapping the table.
"MERLE ABROSE! You intolerable old trickster! YOU put her up to this!"
The Old wizard simply laughed even harder.

Penny and her parents all looked at each other, unsure, It was as if they were watching a family fight that was not meant for their eyes.But the more the Wizard laughed,
the more flustered the owl became, which made the wizard laugh more. Soon, the laughter became infectious, and the whole room, except for Gamma, of course, was laughing. The owl simple
turned on his perch, putting his feathery back to all of them with an audible "Hmmm!".
"I have found", Merle gasped to explain between laughs, "That nothing stops a know-it-all like an unanswerable question." he said, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Not even your best one!" Gamma's voice chided.
Penny now understood. This was some long-standing game they had. Much like the questions 'clever' children would ask younger kids to show them how 'worldly' and 'smart' they were.
Questions like "How many pips fit on the head of a Seraph", or "If a treants trips and falls, and there's nobody around..does it still make a sound?"

Soon enough, all was once again settled and placid, the euphoria of unbridled laughter surrounding the diners like a warm afterglow of memory.

Merle was the one to break the silence. "Now, dear friends, we must be on to business. I will state it quite plainly, actually.", he gestured at Penny.

"I am here for your daughter."

The polls on polls.

Well, the readers have spoken! Well, voted.

Yes, there will be polls! Henceforth, polls shall be 7 day polls. The one exception I will make is for the "Chosen Fate/Penny Dreadful" experiment, because even 7 days may be a little long.

Also, I wanted to point something out. In most of my polls, you will usually find a "gag" vote. These votes are not directly "yes" or "no" questions, so I get to use them however I see fit. Which, to say, is I will put them towards the existing majority, at poll closing. The example this time around was "Isn't THIS a poll?" Well, duh, of course it was! It was neither Yes or NO, however. So, it seems we shall continue to have polls. Thank you to all who voted!

One other thing I wanted to point out, is that polls will often times be related, as in the recently closed polls. Now, I know my math isn't the best, (read:horrendous), but even I noticed a poll discrepancy:Even I know that 9>1.

It is, isn't it?
I'm pretty sure it is...
Maybe I should go check...


Be Well!

NOT Penny Dreadful, lol

Sorry to leave you in suspense, but the Printing Press is down for maintenance. More coming soon, I promise..it's just that weekends are very time-pressed for me.


Well, another Meet and Greet is now done, (for me, at least). I gotta tell you, having them in Sunken City Area is so visually soothing to me. So, thank you, Evil Theurgists and Diary of a Wizard. Speaking of "Diary", why haven't you joined Fallon, yet? It's all about ConnectX, my friends! I'm definitely a fan. AND a member.

So, the meet and greet was crazy busy, as per usual. This one even had it's own YouTube:Anyways, I showed up (late, sorry!), and began plugging Fallon's website and ConnectX, when I noticed something. Every time I shouted out for "Diary", someone shouted out for "Homework"/
Know who it was? Why it was Allan DragonHammer from The Fair Pyromancer.

I can't resist a good plug!

(Umm..Allan, I *am* back. You may wanna update, yes? Thanks! ) Here's to Allan, and all his future posts!

On that note, I want to encourage all of you to blog. Express yourselves. Be heard!

And, Join Fallon at ConnectX, if you would be so kind!

Be well!