Massively^™

How pointless are so-called "pointless mini-zones," really? Michael did a post the other day which examined the history of a zone in EverQuest called Surefall Glade. Hitting his links gave me a nice little walk down memory lane -- I have fond memories of Surefall, being an old-school EQ fan who cut his teeth in Qeynos Hills, back in the day. There really isn't all that much to the zone, though. It's like the article says: a cabin, a lake, an archery range, and a few hidden caves with some bears. There's nothing to do but raise your fletching skill, and nothing to kill that's worth killing. Eventually they added some stuff to it, but it was still never anything more than a small, transitional town.

Surefall was the essence of a pointless mini-zone: Most players never had any compelling reason to go there. Still, did it add something to the game with its mere presence? Like Moonglade in World of Warcraft, you could argue that it was kind of a neat place for players to discover and hang out. We get so focused on the "content" of these games that sometimes we forget that exploring a new zone you've never seen before, even if there's really nothing to do there, is content in its own right. Besides, does every single zone in our MMOGs have to be a big quest hub tied to a specific zone? Can't some places just be places?

Congratulations! You've hit level 70 (or whatever max level is in your favorite game), and you're officially a badass. For many players, this is a goal they've been striving towards for months -- even years in some cases. The feeling of having that first max level character is immensely invigorating. It's like putting the finishing touches on a long-term project or getting to the last page of a monstrous novel. What an accomplishment! However, after basking in the glow of your newly maxed out character for a few days, you quickly realize you have a small problem: What do you do with yourself now?

The answer to that question is going to depend heavily on what game you play. For most people, it's going to be PvP, raiding, or a nice mix of both. You'll probably continue collecting gear for your character or working on your skills. Depending on the game, you might be able to work on some sort of alternate advancement or achievement system for your character -- maybe even hunt down some unique titles. All of this is pretty standard fare for endgame content. Sooner or later, you'll probably get a little bored of it. Don't fret, though! There's a whole host of other interesting things you can do to keep yourself entertained at maximum level that go beyond the planned content. Read on for a few suggestions.

Do you prefer the blood-lust of PvP to the bloody boring banality of PvE missions? Do you live for the bloodletting, the torment, the outrage of the poor fool who tried to walk in front of you while you were sharpening your dagger or honing your casting skills? Do you like the thought of playing forever, with no subscription fee required? Do you want to avoid all the banality of role-playing and focusing on what your teammates want at the expense of your own needs? If so, you're in luck.

Guild Wars, one of the best-known games NCsoft has produced, has catered to your wishes with the Guild Wars PVP Access Kit. If you don't have Guild Wars, and you're interested in the PvP aspect of the game instead of the role-playing elements, then this is the kit for you. It allows you to install Guild Wars with only the PvP elements active, allowing you to move foward with shanking friends and enemies alike. At under twenty dollars (plus tax, of course), it's a pay-once model, with lifetime gameplay and service updates at no charge. So buck up, little camper: you don't need to worry anymore about whether or not your guild is going to be impressed by your ability to mine for fish: all you have to worry about is whether or not you've ganked enough n00bs to ensure your place on the boards.