Epic NPC Man often pops up in my Facebook news feed. Today’s topic: “That NPC with only one line.” What I love about these videos is that all of us who are a part of the culture of role-playing games can relate. I only had to read the title, and it instantly brought back memories from Everquest II, a game which I played for over a decade. For those of us who have made homes in online games, nostalgia plays a large role in our collective memories of those worlds. For me, I hea

Guild Wars 2, like many online games, is structured around the players. Everything the players do and say in-game, creates the world around them. Alliances are forged and wars are waged, all led by the leagues of players within the game. However, I find that it’s easy to forget the player, when constantly talking about the players. And by doing that, I feel like a major aspect of online gaming is being ignored, even though it’s so important to games like Guild Wars 2. In 2007

Watching from afar... One of my Hispanic companions and I watch as our friend runs toward his death. The chat is quite heated. Through my experience within Guild Wars 2, I have discovered that game is home to adventurers from all over the world and that we play with those who speak different languages more often than we realize. In my previous blog post, I recounted an interesting experience I had when partying up with a random Spanish-speaking player. While the session turne

It’s the end of the year, which means it’s officially the holiday season. It’s time to start blasting Christmas music, building snowmen and gingerbread houses, and finding those perfect gifts for friends and family. Before we get to all of that, however, I want to rewind back to the end of October and talk about my experiences with the spookiest time of the year. I’m going to talk about the Guild Wars 2 Halloween festival, the Shadow of the Mad King. One big part of this Hall

As I play the game, I have noticed the great detail that goes into each individual character’s persona. There are no two gamers who I have witnessed with the same outfit, color scheme, or weaponry. Each person brings their own unique character creation and imagination to the Guild Wars 2 online community. There is also a wide variety of different species of creatures that players can have to accompany them on their journey within the game. How real world situations and attitu

In my time in Guild Wars 2, I have been focusing on the community. I have always been a fan of MMORPGs, and I have seen many rise in popularity, only to succumb to the lack of a dedicated playerbase. The social aspect of MMORPGs is why I love the genre. I love to immerse myself in a virtual world full of other people to adventure with. In my opinion, community is a vital aspect to Guild Wars 2. There are a plethora of “dynamic events” in which players work together to achieve

During my time in Guild Wars 2, there have been many different things that I’ve noticed well worth their own discussions. However, there was one thing, while not unique to Guild Wars 2, I found to be a really interesting topic to think about: starting zones. I found myself wondering how each of the unique starting zones are different and how that affects the players within them. Are Charr players more aggressive based off of their more gritty and gruesome starting zone? Are h

A couple weeks ago, I was playing in Kessex Fields near the big lake, somehow helping poor Matlal gather his truffles by killing every creature in sight. I was minding my own business when I suddenly received an invitation from a random player to join his party. Hmmm, this should be interesting, I thought to myself, let’s see what this fellow wants with me. Little did I know, I was in for far more than I bargained for. The stranger begins our conversation with,“Hola.” To whic

There is something about starting a new game for the first time that is very exciting yet mysterious. Maybe it’s because you are diving head first into an entirely unknown world, not exactly knowing what adventures lie ahead of you. What different places does this new world have to offer? Are you going to have good or bad experiences on your journey? What will be the first thing you are expected to do when you enter the game? How the heck do you work these controls? Being a n

*Informant's name has been changed to protect privacy. Nergui didn’t even twitch as the white-haired man wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and a great sword appeared out of thin air and promptly jumped off the edge of the precipice falling to the lava below. “Wait here,” he said. I watched as he jumped off the side of the rocky outcropping, deployed his glider, and flew to a distant ledge. I had tried to make the jump six times without success. It had taken over an hour fo

Greetings, fellow adventurers! Are you ready to embark on a virtual expedition through the world of Guild Wars 2? During your journey, you will encounter the people and culture of Tyria. You will face dragons, battle-hardened warriors, and armies of undead. You will be an explorer and a hero, questing through uncharted territory. Join Anthropology 29003 at Lindenwood University and you will gain 3 credit hours for your valiant efforts. This class is completely online. Time sp