Section 10.3. Massive Multiplayer Games | iPhone: The Missing Manual, 4th Edition

10.3. Massive Multiplayer Games

Massive multiplayer online games ( MMOs) have let people combine socializing with a little friendly competition for decades. Back in the 1980s, Genie and CompuServe hosted early MMOs on their proprietary networks. By the 1990s, the Internet was providing a wide- open forum for anyone who wanted to join the fun.

Figure 10-2. If you've had one too many people tell you to "have a nice day," you can get it out of your system with a little Stress Relief Paintball. You can find this Miniclip game at www.miniclip.com and other game sites.

Of course, you can always play video games like EverQuest, Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies , and World of Warcraft alone at home. But online, you can play against people you've never met, whose moves you can't predict. Hundreds of people are logged in at once to the games' servers. You buy the software at a game store or computer store as usual, and then check the instruction booklet to learn how to take your gaming skills online.

These games tend to evolve into tightly knit online communities where people post messages on Web forums or join mailing lists to discuss the game when they're not playing. We're talking serious time drain here.

Tip: To find people to play with, check out GameSpyArcade (www.gamespyarcade.com). This site can match you up with players on hundreds of game servers.

In another globe-shrinking bit of technology, many MMO games now let you use voice chat while playing. That's right: You can talk to other members of your platoon, guild, or team over a headset mike. (If the notion of transmitting your voice over the Internet without having to use a telephone intrigues you, be sure to read Chapter 18.)

But you don't have to lay down $50 to buy a game just to massively meet multiple players online. Some free, Web-based role-playing MMOs (also known as MMORPGs) include:

Aegis . A browser-based fantasy realm full of provinces , politicking, and quests for power. (www.aarcserver.com)
Imperia Online . A medieval battle strategy game played in real time with swords and horses and the whole bit. (www.imperiaonline.org)
X-Kings . A turn -based fantasy game from Italy where workers and soldiers plot against each other to get the gold. (www.x-kings.com)
Kingdom of Loathing . Low on fancy graphics (Figure 10-3) but long on woozy, offbeat humor, KoL spoofs the traditions of role-playing adventure games like Dungeons & Dragons. (www.kingdomofloathing.com)

Figure 10-3. Illustrated with hand-drawn graphics, the Kingdom of Loathing is a refreshing send-up of online adventure games. How can you not love monsters with imaginative names like the Sabre-Tooth Lime and the Ninja Snowmen?

There are hundreds of MMOs scattered about online. Sites like ONRPG.com (http://onrpg.com) can help you find the free ones that are worth playing and serious gamers have plenty of Web magazines to browse for game news, previews, demos, hints, and more. Try 1UP (www.1up.com), GameSpot (www.gamespot.com ), or GameSpy (www.gamespy.com) for the latest buzz.