Post by Morreion on Nov 5, 2009 11:46:16 GMT -5
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted: When Community Really Counts
Excellent article. I played Horizons (now called Istaria) back in '03 and although the game did not live up to its original vision (big scandal there), it was not a bad game, though it did have some technical problems. The concept of the NPC enemy encroaching on territory that you would defend was interesting, and as far as I know it is still the only game in which you can play a dragon.
Back when I had a Homestead website account, I posted a lore-based story that I wrote about Horizons called The Fall of Feladan: A Tale from the Age of Lamentations that had actually been posted on VN's Horizons fansite. Years later (before I moved over to another hosting service) an HZ player left a comment there that said that their guild would welcome me there if I ever came back- and I didn't even know them. The people that stayed in HZ are a great community and I am somewhat wistful about the memories there...perhaps it is better to stay in one place for years, even if the community is small, and enjoy that important feature of a game.
What is it that has kept these players here in a world they call their home? What is it that brings old players to return to the game, despite the fact there are newer, shinier games on the market? If you were to ask just about any Istarian that question, chances are, their answer would be “the community.”People play online games to be a part of a community, to find a place to fit in and make friends in a virtual world. Guilds and online relationships are important to MMORPG players. As the age range of players becomes more and more diverse, the connections players make with each other start to become the make-or-break for a game. Often, a player will choose to remain in a game due to their guild… or move to a new game because the rest of their guild is moving.
We want to meet others that enjoy playing the same game that we enjoy. We want to be a part of that guild to share quests and experiences. Deep down, we hope that our names and accomplishments will be remembered by others. Players may all do the same content and quests and raids… so ultimately, it’s what our group and guild members remember about us that becomes our legacy in our virtual world.
We want to meet others that enjoy playing the same game that we enjoy. We want to be a part of that guild to share quests and experiences. Deep down, we hope that our names and accomplishments will be remembered by others. Players may all do the same content and quests and raids… so ultimately, it’s what our group and guild members remember about us that becomes our legacy in our virtual world.
Excellent article. I played Horizons (now called Istaria) back in '03 and although the game did not live up to its original vision (big scandal there), it was not a bad game, though it did have some technical problems. The concept of the NPC enemy encroaching on territory that you would defend was interesting, and as far as I know it is still the only game in which you can play a dragon.
Back when I had a Homestead website account, I posted a lore-based story that I wrote about Horizons called The Fall of Feladan: A Tale from the Age of Lamentations that had actually been posted on VN's Horizons fansite. Years later (before I moved over to another hosting service) an HZ player left a comment there that said that their guild would welcome me there if I ever came back- and I didn't even know them. The people that stayed in HZ are a great community and I am somewhat wistful about the memories there...perhaps it is better to stay in one place for years, even if the community is small, and enjoy that important feature of a game.
Istaria shines in one major aspect of unique game play -- it actually becomes what the community puts into it. The game relies on the players to shape, build, protect and empower their own world. And the knowledge that you, as a player, have control over the land around you – be it your own personal plot of land or in helping create public structures – gives the sense that Istaria in many ways belongs to its people. It is the connection the players have to their world, their sense of individual importance and the idea that every player can make a difference that has nurtured the Istarian community over the course of many years.
