So why even do it? You can go really far by doing things Your Way, but some things are by now de rigeur in MMOs, and in this category reside concepts like 'combining quests with something valuable'. I'm not gaining any experience by doing this, either. I'm not bringing anything back with me, except my memories of putting my finger onto a sticky countertop. This first one is the traveling quest, where I'm meant to go to all the bars in the next area, touch the counter, and return. These quests are meant to help me navigate EL, but I got so bored by the end of the second one, I gave up on them entirely and just started attacking things. Here's Tutorial NPC, son of Ma and Pa NPC, giving my the first of 3 tutorial quests. This actually really helps the illusion of inhabiting a world even more than visuals can, because sounds have a way of connecting directly with both memory and imagination in ways that images don't. If you wander away from one, it fades, to be replaced by whatever else you approach. However, there are some nice ambient sounds here - birdsong, the susurrus of the surf, the comforting murmur of crowds - all appreciable by proximity. Third, while this all may look nice, none of it animates except for the water, and that with only a scrolling texture map. I guess defense really is more important than offense. A couple of things to notice here: First, look at that guy to my right - nice armor, huh? And yet, he appears to be carrying a thighbone as his weapon. I'm looking appropriately bohemian, as befits a member of the Drow race. Here we are in the starting area (click on the pictures for larger versions). Note that your Appearance choices are pretty limiting, so don't worry too much about that right off. It's not entirely clear what benefits each race might confer, but that just leaves me free to choose what I prefer. There are 3 more choices (Gnome, and the exotic-sounding Orchan and Draegoni, which I know from the website refer to half-orc, half-humans and half-dragon, half-humans), but they're unavailable to the non-paying user. As you can see, you've got the option of 1 of 3 classic RPG choices, Human, Elf, or Dwarf. ![]() %Gallery-12498%Let's start with what you see right up there, a screenshot of the character creation/customization process. It's a post about how the first hour or so of a game strikes me, with no preconceptions or foreknowledge. Remember, kids, this is not a guide, this is not an in-depth look. ![]() ![]() I'm going to be as gentle as I can be here, given that this is a for-the-love-of-the-game effort, but some snarkiness may sneak through. Why won't I be going back to Eternal Lands? Call me spoiled, but even free MMOs have to compete with mindshare, and it's difficult to 'dumb down' expectation of graphical quality and user interface sophistication. Having said that, I will say that I'm impressed by what's there, even if it's not something I'll be spending any more time playing. In fact, the home site makes a point of welcoming volunteer help and encouraging donations. We start the fun with Eternal Lands, which is very much a homebrew effort, meaning that no one's getting paid for developing this game. ![]() For as long as I can stand it, I'm going to commit the next batch of First Impressions to free Mac MMOs, a list of which I found on the Apple Geeks forums (thanks, DarkChronic!).
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