Ahh, Shadowbane, a game that crosses lips and keyboards every day now. Everyone is guessing as to what it will be like and who will be the best at it. Taunts are thrown out daily by guilds and individuals all claiming they have it under control. They have the experience in other games backing them up, they have their long time friends watching their backs and they WILL conquer all.
Wait wait wait! Who are these cocky gamers? What makes them think THEY have it all down when the game isn’t even in beta yet? Let’s find out shall we?
The first group we will take a look at are the gamers that have played first person shooters. First person shooters? Twitches? What in the world could a twitch ever bring into a game like Shadowbane? You may be surprised.
Usually these types of people have belonged to a Clan. These clans practice day in and day out, tactics and strategies that give them that winning edge. It’s all in the teamwork. So what? So they run around shooting things very very fast all depending on connection and reflexes. What threat could they be? Well when it comes to role-playing, maybe not much. When it comes to setting up their "hotkeys" the most effectively, using teamwork and working up tactics, they may just give you a run for your money. We are talking hours of work put into every key they use when running a competition, hours of running drills; hours learning every weapon at their disposal and hours of teamwork. Their goal? Destroy the enemy fast and hold on to their territory. Not too threatened are you? Just keep in mind, they have a bit more going for them than being l33t. Whether Shadowbane will have that "fast paced" adrenaline rushes they are used to, I doubt it but not all gamers are created the same.
Next we have the players that ran the lands of UO. Here we have a mixture of pvp and rp. These players are somewhat similar to the fps players. Things aren’t so fast when it comes to "twitch" reflexes, or are they? UO players have macro keys set up for fast reactions when fighting both creatures and for fighting other players, and when fighting other players their connection speed tends to make victory or death that much more assured. But, they also have a tendency to want a bit more out of their environment than object after object to kill. They can create weapons, uniforms and mold their character into a more personalized extension of their self.
A good majority of these players work in guilds. Similar in nature to a Clan, a guild focuses on teamwork. The complexities of the game world they exist in make things a bit more interesting. It’s not as simple as look and react. However, you will find for those guilds that actively pvp, the same ethic as the fps clans, work hard, train as a team and claim victory. Throw in some buildings to defend and call your own and your in a bit of a Capture the Flag game or maybe even a bit of Tribes. Add a touch of role-play and you have an fps gamer in a fantasy world. I know I know, I’ve shattered your illusions. I’m sorry for that. They are nothing alike I swear. Pretend I said nothing. Really…
I’m going to do something many of you may not like. I’m going to lump those that play EverQuest and Asheron’s Call into one group with the UO people. No don’t start writing your congressman. They are too busy with things as they are anyway. Though they do not give the same kind of pvp environment as UO, we are talking about an MMORPG. The environment is basically the same, a fantasy setting with creatures to kill and depending on the game and server, people to kill as well. All of these games deal in real time combat and are not turn based.
Where Asheron’s Call and EverQuest differ is they are 3D worlds. You get the feeling a bit more of being IN your character and not just an observer. Team play is strongly encouraged and rewarded, so like the other games, teamwork is worked on, strategies thought up and tactics employed when taking on the truly big creatures. Once more, hotkeys are set up to maximize the speed and ease of play for each person.
Let’s move on shall we to Real Time Strategy or RTS. These games involve a level head, a command for where all your pieces are and knowing when to pull in a bit of politics. (Given the particular game and opponent.) I could go in detail by detail but I think I’ll let you read up a bit at a site called Real Time Strategic Carnage (http://web.one.net.au/~lindsayf/rts/rts_netgames.html) that does a very thorough job.
What does RTS have to do with Shadowbane? Plenty minus RTSs generally do not involve much in the way of role-play. Those that play RTSs, in a multiplayer environment, plan strategies and tactical strikes against their enemies using any and all resources at their disposal and make allies.
In Shadowbane, guilds will be able to plan strikes against cities to claim them, or be able to plan their defense in case of siege all based on real time/timer based combat. This is where those years of planning come into play. Throw in a bit of human nature and the unpredictability that brings and you have a bit of a challenge.
Each of these gaming styles brings with it a sense of war. Whether it’s against the environment they are placed in or the people they will come against, it still means a type of war. What will make the person or guild they belong to stand out is their ability to take all the knowledge their players have from the variety of games they have played and use it to their best ability. There is no clear-cut answer as far as I see it. Shadowbane may not be the game for those that want a "care bear" world. It’s a war torn world, expect a bit of fighting, death and political intrigue. For those looking for a challenge beyond a quick finger on a fast connection, this could be it. It’s all a matter of perspective.
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