A General Description of MMORPGs

What is an MMORPG? Some readers might know the answer to this question. Other readers could probably describe an MMORPG with such clarity, enthusiasm, and experience that this blog post could really benefit from their input. And then there is a group of readers who look at the letters "MMORPG" and think, "That's such an usual letter grouping... I wonder if it's a word in a cryptogram." This post is written for that final group of readers. Namely, those who have absolutely no idea what an MMORPG is, if anything at all.MMORPG stands for "Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game". MMORPGs are video games that are played online by large numbers of players. Each person who plays an MMORPG assumes the role of a fictional character. Players interact with each other within a persistent, virtual environment. Environments are created by game publishers and are hosted by either a client server or browser. In order to became part of an MMORPG, it is often required that players pay a fee. For those MMORPGs that run from a server, it is almost always necessary to download software. Changes in MMORPG architecture have enabled games hosted by web browsers to run without software downloads.Fantasy-based themes typically characterize MMORPG characters and environments. Characters' interactions with each other---and on their environments---are real within a virtual context. MMORPG environments evolve continually, both when gamers are actually playing the game as well as when they are not. For example, if you stop playing Everquest II (an MMORPG) at 11:30PM on Monday and rejoin the game at 6:00PM on Tuesday, elements will have changed within that time period. In a way, you could say an MMORPG and a soap opera are opposites of one another with regard to environmental change over time. On soaps, when an episode ends, the characters, scenes, and overall plot cease until the next episode. When the next episode begins, the entire world of that soap picks up where it left off. By contrast, when you stop playing an MMORPG, its world goes on with or without you. When you stop playing, the MMORPG world continues on and on and on...Let's take a step back and think about this. When you play an MMORPG, you become someone (or something) else. You can become a different sex than you are right now. You can take on distinct personality dimensions. You can respond to interactions with emotions that differ from how you imagine you would feel in a real-world situation. And, when you leave this persistent, virtual world, it will continue without you.Though this feels a little abrupt, it seems more potent to end this post here, a place for reflection, rather than going on about the technical details and potential implications of MMORPGs. Then, for those who would like more information about MMORPGs, including games, beta testing opportunities, and general resources:MMORPG.comhttp://mmorpg.com/Global MMO - MMORPG Resourcehttp://www.globalmmo.com/MMORPG Free Online Games RPG Directoryhttp://www.onrpg.com/Highly recommended reading:Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York: Simon and Schuster.

The results are in!

Gaming Mamas posted the survey question, "Do you think children can learn by playing video games?" This is what we learned from those who answered:Yes - 33%No - 0%It depends on the game - 33%It depends on the child -It depends on the game and the child - 33% It depends who's asking - 0%I don't know - 0%Thank you to those who participated! Another survey will be posted tomorrow (a.k.a., "Survey Sunday"). Responses are welcome from all!

10 Facts (You May or May Not Have Known) About Puzzles

Today's Friday Fast Facts are from Marcel Danesi's book, The Puzzle Instinct: The Meaning of Puzzles in Human Life. Filled with information about puzzle history and close examinations of puzzle formats, Danesi's text is a fascinating must read. Sample problems, with solutions in the back of the book, also are included, making it a delightfully fun text, too! (For the full citation, please see the end of this post.) So, without further ado, here are...10 Facts (You May or May Not Have Known) About Puzzles 1) The Riddle of the Sphinx is both the first known puzzle and the first known intelligence test (p. 3).2) Crossword puzzles were invented in the 19th century by Arthur Wynne of Liverpool, England (p. 62). 3) Historically, puzzle makers have come from various discplines including art, astrophysics, and mathematics.4) The Thirty Colored Cubes Puzzle, created in 1921 by P.A. MacMahon, might be the Rubik's Cube predecessor (p. 192).5) In Lewis Carroll's classic (and contraversial) piece of children's literature, Through the Looking-Glass, the name "Alice" is hidden within an acrostic poem (p. 49).6) Four overarching categories can be used to describe most games (p.179):"movement and arrangement games""mechanical games" or "assembly games""board games""card games" or "dice games"7) Language ambiguities are a key characteristic of a type of riddle referred to as "deception puzzles" (p. 133-134). Riddles of this sort often appear to have a mathematical problem to solve; however, the challenge actually lies in recognizing the appropriate meaning of the riddle's words. 8) Over the centuries, puzzles have been associated with the occult and magic (p. 18).9) Puzzles with origins in the sixth century A.D. have been used in many introductory-level mathematics textbooks to teach current algebra techniques (p. 11).10) Uses for puzzles have included (and might still include) entertainment, intelligence testing, solving interpersonal conflicts, teaching, and research.Danesi, M. (2002). The Puzzle Instinct: The Meaning of Puzzles in Human Life. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

"Magic Cookie Bars"

Last time on Cooking with Gaming Mamas, we promised to pass along a quick solution for those game-related blood sugar lows! Well, a particularly remarkable member of the Gaming Mamas community in Mt. Laurel, NJ, found a recipe on the back of a can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk that is sure to do the trick. Thank you for the great find! (Please note, this recipe calls for coconut and nuts... just in case any of you and/or your loved ones have allergies...)Here's the recipe (the recipe on the can is probably worded a bit differently, but all the ingredients are here!):Magic Cookie Bars Recipe by Eagle Family FoodsFound by a wonderful member of the Mt. Laurel, NJ, Gaming Mamas community!Prep time: 5-10 minutesCook time: 25 minutes0.5 cup sweet cream butter1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips1 (3.5 oz.) can flaked coconut (equal to about 1.5 oz. dry)1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or any other nut you might prefer!)Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish). In a 13" X 9" baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter. Pour condensed milk over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients. Press down firmly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill thoroughly if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.Yield: 36 barsNext time on Cooking with Gaming Mamas, something that says, "Autumn has arrived..." And please remember, your recipes, suggestions, questions, and more are always welcome!

"Magic Cookie Bars"

Last time on Cooking with Gaming Mamas, we promised to pass along a quick solution for those game-related blood sugar lows! Well, a particularly remarkable member of the Gaming Mamas community in Mt. Laurel, NJ, found a recipe on the back of a can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk that is sure to do the trick. Thank you for the great find! (Please note, this recipe calls for coconut and nuts... just in case any of you and/or your loved ones have allergies...)Here's the recipe (the recipe on the can is probably worded a bit differently, but all the ingredients are here!):Magic Cookie Bars Recipe by Eagle Family FoodsFound by a wonderful member of the Mt. Laurel, NJ, Gaming Mamas community!Prep time: 5-10 minutesCook time: 25 minutes0.5 cup sweet cream butter1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips1 (3.5 oz.) can flaked coconut (equal to about 1.5 oz. dry)1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or any other nut you might prefer!)Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish). In a 13" X 9" baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter. Pour condensed milk over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients. Press down firmly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill thoroughly if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.Yield: 36 barsNext time on Cooking with Gaming Mamas, something that says, "Autumn has arrived..." And please remember, your recipes, suggestions, questions, and more are always welcome!

The results are in!

Gaming Mamas posted the survey question, "Do you think children can learn by playing video games?"This is what we learned from those who answered:Yes - 33%No - 0%It depends on the game - 33%It depends on the child -It depends on the game and the child - 33%It depends who's asking - 0%I don't know - 0%Thank you to those who participated! Another survey will be posted tomorrow (a.k.a., "Survey Sunday"). Responses are welcome from all!

Chicktionary

Click below to play Chicktionary at Shockwave.com! (You can play for free or you can download the game. Have fun!)ChicktionaryPlay Gamesat Shockwave