JcDent

JcDent

@JcDent

A T-55 experience

Military history, video games and miniature wargaming.

RPGs, single player FPS, RTS and 4X, grog games.

Passionate about complaining about Warhammer.

Catholic, socialist, and an LGBT+ ally.

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Fortified Niche: a podcast covering indie miniature wargames
www.anchor.fm/fortified-niche
Grognardia: the current place to order my t-shirt designs [until I find a better one]
www.zazzle.com/store/grognardia
Hellsite 2 account:
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JcDent
@JcDent
daavpuke
@daavpuke
daavpuke
@daavpuke

In Space No One Heard Tabula Rasa😔

While we're looking at failed online games, probably the most spectacular one to crash and burn is (Richard Garriott's)
Tabula Rasa.
Bonus info: Some peak marketing from this era, featuring the main character in a stripper pose, because video games
The name, meaning 'clean slate', refers to a tablet where players would gradually uncover a new language that allowed them to perform magical feats in the otherwise futuristic sci-fi setting.

Concentrating on a fluctuating battlefield that altered gameplay focus, the game was pretty ambitious, so much so that it released in a pretty rough state. It all went to pieces once Garriott went to actual space. Yup. While on that journey, publisher NCsoft terminated their services, seemingly spurned by this otherworldly side quest. This led to a huge lawsuit where Garriott ended up receiving over $20 million in damages.

Here's a cinematic:

daavpuke
@daavpuke
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JcDent
@JcDent

Tabula Rasa was one of those games I heard about on a Sunday morning IT TV show as an early teen and was always* interested in

But looking at the supposed gameplay videos these days, it was probably bog-standard MMORPG "stand in place and unload 20 different quick bar abilities at a similarly static enemy" combat that would, decades later, make play freshly-F2P The Old Republic all of one time.

Granted, back then I wouldn't have been as a jaded to the concept, but I also didn't have money. Similar reason as to why I never played Warhammer Online despite that being the next best thing to a Warhammer Fantasy cRPG.

I can't quite say whether I remember the marketing push to put naked video game babes in adult magazines, especially since I wasn't an adult and PlayBoy wasn't on sale around these parts. May remember it being reported on as this novelty thing tho.

God, imagine an adult magazine interview with a video game character written back in those dark days. Ugh.

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in reply to @daavpuke's post:

JcDent
@JcDent

This is peak 90s attitude, one that no doubt had earlier spawned that same tone in oWoD stuff like Mage and Changeling.

I once defended this attitude as something that had been reality for teens and young adults back then: the history has ended, it's now suburbs and suburban issues from here to eternity, thank you, mister Fukuyama.

Granted, I now understand that his may have been the reality of the types of peoples who get the privilege to become writers for TTRPGs and vidja; the kids with more real struggles weren't as lucky.

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DeathBecomesDavid
@DeathBecomesDavid

Watching them from the bleachers was riviting. It felt like the “community” part of the internet (which always felt stilted in forums to the point I couldn’t become involved) was coming alive. Virtual spaces! Albeit, spaces you rented. No doubt they made for good social hubs in spite of who owned the platform.

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