Games Blog, including board games, roleplaying games, and video games.
Civ is the formative game when it comes to the 4X genre and the turn-based strategy genre on the PC. While there have been many games that have sought to copy the formula, none have ever been quite as successful as Civ. Whether players were looking for history, strategy, or just the chance to play a game for years at a time, this series delivered. Seeing where it came from makes it easier to appreciate where Civ is going today.
There are certain games that helped to define how computer games would be perceived for decades to come. Some of these games are still in the spotlight, lauded on best-of lists and the subjects of remakes and documentaries.
Other games, however, don’t get quite the same amount of love. One game series that really did revolutionize video games is The Bard’s Tale, an early RPG series. While it shared space with games like Wizardry and Ultima, it never seems to be mentioned in the same breath.
The universe of the game is fantastically constructed, though, extending past video games and into the realm of novels. Let’s dig in, shall we?
Massively Multiplayer RPGs may have started with fantasy settings, but the concept has always belonged to science fiction. After all, there are plenty of stories that essentially revolve around sci-fi MMOs, and it’s only natural that gamers would want to participate in those realities. These are the games that the genre was meant for, for better or for worse.
It’s strange, then, that so many of these games game and went quickly. Gamers just weren’t interested in paying for their sci-fi fix every month. Fortunately, going free to play helped save the genre. Below are some of the best free sci-fi MMOs of 2017. We also have yet another mention of our new LitRPG Forum, a retro place for all things geek and gaming.
Think about what you have to do to improve racing skills. You have to buy upgrades. You have to learn new skills. You have to master a very specific set of actions in order to move on. It’s all the same stuff you’d have to do in an RPG.
It’s no wonder, then, that there’s always been a thriving subset of racing games that embrace RPG elements. They might not be the games you played in the arcade as a kid, but you can find them on store shelves around the world.
These games played an important role in pushing forward the RPG genre. Players who have enjoyed these games have experienced not only an amazing past, but have a bright future ahead of them.
One of the major things that has stopped past players from embracing MMOs has been monthly fees. There’s something that just feels wrong about paying sixty dollars for a game and then having to pay a fee every month to keep playing. Fortunately, that model isn’t all that common in the MMO space any longer.
Today, subscriptions have largely been done away with in favor of microtransactions. Some of the best fantasy MMOs of 2017 no longer require a player to pay every month. Some of these games are totally free to play, while others require an initial purpose. No matter the case, though, players never have to pay a dime once they’ve installed the game.
There’s a certain intersection between video games and nostalgia. Many popular games build on the past to work towards a future – maybe not one that’s brighter, but possibly one that’s better. No novel has ever captured that intersection as well as Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel READY PLAYER ONE.
From the blurb:
In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS.
Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.
But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.
You can probably tell already why this novel was such a hit with geeks, especially those of a certain age. Let’s dig a little deeper into the Ready Player One phenomena.
Every country comes up with its own unique spin on literature. Some of these forms seem to be purely artistic, mostly appreciated by academics. Others, though, are far more commercial.
One such art form is the light novel, which is incredibly popular in Japan and is gaining in popularity across the rest of the world. While not necessarily high literature, they are eagerly consumed by young readers.
Understanding the appeal of light novels requires understanding not just what these novels are, but taking a look at some of the most popular light novels and light novel adaptations.
Sure, there are plenty of light novels out there that are similar. There might even be shows that have done the plot first. None, however, do it with the sense of style as SAO. None quite match the quality.
One thing that this property doesn’t get enough of, though, is respect. It takes something special for a property to span so many different formats. It takes something special for a property to capture so many imaginations.
SAO deserves more respect, so we’ve put together this massive post with everything you want to know about the legendary series…and more!
Paul Bellow is a LitRPG author, decades-long gamer, RPG game developer, and publisher of several online communities. In other words, an old school webmaster.
He also developed and runs LitRPG Adventures, a set of advanced RPG generators powered by GPT-3 AI. Here at LitRPG Reads, he publishes articles about LitRPG books, tabletop RPG books, and all sorts of DND content that's free to use in your personal tabletop campaign - i.e. non-commercial use.
Enjoy your stay and reach out on Twitter or Discord if you want to make contact.
